How much actually personal LIVING space do you have on the road?

Trucks today are MUCH better for driver comfort than they were back in the cabover days. If you get a chance take a look inside one of those old cabovers. In the photo below you will see what the typical cab looked like up till sometime in the late 80s. You had a space to hang clothes and most everything else went under the bed. Now think about this space in regard to a team operation? One more point, in most cases the AC was on the roof and those units were notorious for not working right. They either froze you to death or burned you up.



Honestly, in regard to how it used to be? Today's drivers are living in luxury!

 

"If it's not perfect, it's no dang good."

 

When I worked local. Day cab. I was never home. Come home just to shower, eat, sleep. Then leave. Got one day off a week at best. Then had to clean house, mow lawn, etc.
My local area doesn't pay. I made enough, but.
Now I make a ton more. More than a states attorney here.
I get home for my 34's. If we're not busy, I can extend that without any fuss.
I got shower bathroom facilities that are the best. And they clean it for free.
Eat whatever I want, whenever I want, wherever I want.
Because of my job. wallyworld is a convenience store to me. Very convenient.
Now I easily pay someone else to mow my lawn, clean my home, etc.
I got it made now.

 

It is for me but 'your' millage may vary...

 

I pretty much always ran solo, but much of the time had two bunks, so I reckon I had much more room than I needed, a whole bedroom for a guest room. lol
As far as a fridge and tv, tried them both and got rid of them. If I had to run elogs, I would likely put a tv and maybe even a fridge back in, a coffee pot goes with me anyway, but would be mandatory if running e logs.

 

Pack light and travel fast!!!!

 

I was given a tour of an apartment on wheels a few weeks back, it had a frickn bidet in it.

A bidet ....

 

That looks like an old Emeryville, maybe an early International Transtar (about the same truck really). And just think, this is the good old days some want to go back to!

 

To answer the OPs questions, as a car hauler that ran day cabs I had access to most, but not all the items on his list. I stayed in hotels nightly when I wasn't on local short hauls, ate at restaurants always and was home every week for laundry and such. For the short few times I had a sleeper truck I still had the option of hotels whenever I wanted, never did bother with a fridge or microwave. Tried but it didn't work in the cramped sleeper on my car hauler so it became wasted space.

Now when I drive, which I still do quite often, I always stay in hotels because I am delivering brand new car haulers and tow trucks for a dealership that does not want anyone sleeping in the trucks. Piece of cake to be comfortable, they pay for rental cars for local travel and have no issue flying my home often. Example, I delivered a trade in from Newburgh, NY to Chicago, IL last week, drove out on Thursday to drop Friday morning and they happily spent $400 for a plane ticket home same day. Other driveaway companies would have had me take a bus or rental car, both wasting my time.

All that to say that trucking is what you make of it, each of us has different points that we will not compromise on and other things that don't matter. The beauty of it is there are so many different driving jobs in the US that there is a seat for each arse to fit comfortably in! Some love local work, others over the road is the only way to live! Me, I have always been a vocational driver and loved owning and operating tow trucks and car haulers, never did enjoy my limited time in a dry van doing typical OTR work.

Lastly, as for space, this was the last tractor I owned. Pretty basic inside but more than comfortable enough for my needs.