Thinking about a career in OTR trucking, have a few questions

I'm not a newbie bud I've been driving for 34yrs. I managed to shower back in the 90's.

 

I’m lucky, I’m only out for 5-ish days at a time. I go out on Sunday evening and get back by Friday evening. But in between is totally dependent on my loads. They can be a couple hundred miles apart, or over a thousand. I might be driving in the daytime and sleeping at night, or driving all night and trying to sleep in the daytime (not my preference, but you do what you need to).

I find eating healthy is much easier if I cook for myself. I have a little dorm fridge from Walmart in my truck, and a toaster oven and a hot water kettle. I cook a week’s worth of food on Sunday, omelets for breakfast and something simple for dinner, which I put in plastic containers for the fridge and reheat in the toaster oven (I prefer it to using a microwave, but some guys get good results with those).

I bring a big jug for iced tea and a couple of gallons of water to make coffee or more tea or oatmeal (when I’m tired of eggs).

I never start driving without a plan for where I’m going to sleep. Best is at my delivery destination if possible. Second best for me is a rest area with plenty of truck parking and clean rest rooms. If I can get there before 4 pm, truck stops work, particularly if I want to take a shower (more on that below). I’m rarely going out more than two days drive from Dallas, and over the last six years I’ve accumulated a fair number of parking spots in all of the areas I’m likely to visit. Don’t hesitate to ask for suggestions here, I had a rare trip to Southern California a few months back and got some great suggestions here that helped me a lot.

I take a shower on Sunday before I roll out, take another at a truck stop on either Tuesday or Wednesday, and take one when I get home on Friday. I change my shirt, underwear, and socks daily, pants as needed. I use Gold Bond powder in the funky areas daily. If you’re not able to make time for a shower (it happens), I’ve found that alcohol-based hand sanitizer works well (body odor is caused by bacteria, right?). I clean my hands daily with Goop waterless hand cleaner (it takes that black stuff from the steering wheel right off my hands), and I scrub my face with wipes before I go to bed.

Most customers will let you use a rest room or at least provide a porta potty. Most of us carry a pee jug for emergencies, and though most of us don’t like to even think about defecating in the truck, in an absolute emergency I’ve found that a tall kitchen bag works surprisingly well.

 

Wasn't meant to be directional buds. Just stating a general statement.

 

You've certainly picked one of the best places (trucking websites) to get some good advice mate, asked some good questions too. Yes you'll have plenty of time to cook if that is what you like, think the hardest part is just setting up your truck to do so, personally I just preferred eating at the Flying J buffets, when you add it all up for me it was not that much more expensive, however for anyone that may not like the food served or has a particular diet they need to follow then by all means take the time to cook your own. Depending on your pickups will determine if you'll have to drive at night, most of the time if you pick up over the weekend you'll have till Monday to deliver so will be able to just drive during the daytime, however the return load may be different. Traveling down steep mountain ranges there usually will be warning signs placed saying things like "STOP FOR Brake check" "Trucks must use low gear" "Steep grade use Low gear" many drivers seem to have different interpretations as to what exactly "trucks must use low gear means" basically it means a gear that will hold your truck up without having to use your brakes which is the whole point of protecting you and your cargo if your brakes were to fail. Some may say well I use the retarder which is fine but what if that also fails? Bottom line is your in charge of your vehicle and it is your choice as to whether you choose to ignore the warnings or apply them. As far as personalities go, no it takes all sorts to make the world go round, its more about having the patience to put up with the nonsense that goes on at loading docks, receiving docks, freeways, fuel stations, and company administration.

 

No problem. Just remember that when you go OTR, convenience goes out the window. Until you get more experienced, everything will be challenging, from getting groceries, to finding a place to shut down, etc.

Sorry. I didn’t mean to come off as gross or anything. If the baby wipes are just water based I usually add some rubbing alcohol to kill all odor causing bacteria.


If I can I like to use a shower, but in my personal experience using wipes leaves me feeling fresh and clean. I go to bed smelling clean and feeling clean.

 

Baby wipes are cheap, but thin. Use 2. They are in EVERY grocery store.

 

If you can't shower at least every other day, you are running away from showers for some reason.

 

I buy them by the case in Sam's Club. Runs $12 to $14 a case.

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I never had to do that running OTR unless I was just lazy that day. Could always find a shower and that goes with trip planning or just seeing a truck stop somewhere and decide, "I think I'll stop and take a shower; won't take but 45 minutes max."