What do single OTR truckers do with their possessions

Yes most of us have homes. You dont amass junk when you live out of a truck. Tho I know of people that went to trucking as they went through a divorce and she was getting most of it all anyways. One fellow I met went and got a shipping container and some land. He figured if he was going to do something he might later on. For him it was a place to park and be out of the truck.

Good question.

 

I am one single, no family, "homeless", OTR driver... no need for a home.. and the money I save by not paying rent, may be used for when I buy a home in the future...
If you have possessions, vehicle and such, rent a storage unit and leave your stuff there.
Your personal vehicle, you may leave it at the terminal where you park the truck when you take "hometime" or get a safe place where you can park your vehicle when you are on the road. Some storages rent parking for vehicles as well....
My company terminal is in OK but I take "hometime" in TN and park the truck and my personal vehicle in TN. I leave my personal vehicle at a safe place there I rent per month and it's big enough to park the big truck when I take "hometime".

Hope that helps....

 

BTW.... welcome to the forum!!

 

One more thing, the money I spend renting storage and parking for truck and personal vehicle + hotel when I take "hometime" 4 times a year is still much less than what I would pay if I were renting a home + utilities and such.... I told myself, almost 10 yrs ago, when I started trucking that I would never rent a home again... That I would buy a home... But so far, I have no idea where I would buy a home, and since I have been an OTR for all these yrs, I haven't had time to go search for a place and deal with all that.... So... I keep on trucking...

 

When i was single and driving i lived outa my truck no rent, no utilities the company was great and let us use our tractors to drive locally around town so did't need a car, if i did i'd use a cab, think about it the fuel, insurance, rego etc etc i was saving around $5000 per year my only real expenses were food.

 

If I did not eat, or sleep I'd be filthy rich.

 

Nothing. There is no home most of my time out there excepting what is required for licensing. But it is not home for more than what is required to decompress and make ready to head back out again.

My outlook says the entire USA is home. Therefore where I am today is home it does not matter where. I do miss the Sea but we will get that taken care of again someday a good sail on the bay would fix that really well.

Possessions. Literally one briefcase for company papers, permits, and envelopes etc. One suit case for clothing including a laundry bag capable of holding exactly one wash load (Approx 8 days) and two separate outer wear, either a storm set that defends against the rain and wind etc and a winter set that makes -50 comfortable for about a hour or so at most.

Food, fluids etc for several weeks under the bunk. And that's it. It evolved to suit a husband wife team with a few additions such as freezer, coffeepot, TV (Which finally burned up last month, that one saw 9-11) and inverter etc plus a human toilet and necessary supplies expanded to 6 weeks for both people.

It don't take very long to change out a tractor, disinfect same with a roll of shop towels and 10% bleach and move on. And it does not take long to do the necessary chores associated with laundry etc.

Paperwork has supplies needed to stay away from Company HQ up to 6 months or more. I never want to see them. To sit there means to lose time. To go home means to lose time and money unless it is necessary for renewal, decompressing and spiritual needs.

Even today living in a house, I can easily just take one suit case and a brief case and it wont bother me to take off.

 

My first 3 years was OTR with CFI. I put all my stuff in storage and had no apartment. On my time off, I would stay with friends or get a motel. I saved money by having no apartment and paid off thousands in credit card debt. Year 4, I got a home daily job and moved in with the girlfriend. Long story short, after 7 years of storage, you will realize the storage costs are worth more than the stuff being stored. After year 7, I rented a box truck and took 95% of it to GoodWill.

 

Got rid of big things like furniture I didn't need, stored other stuff in my car which stayed at the terminal, and would take occasional breaks at hotels.