Is your truck your only home?

Really glad to hear some of you are really sticking to a plan. I used to tell young folks this all the time,if you can get your girlfriend or wife to team with you,start and keep a 401k,don't buy a home right away and put the kiddo plans aside for just 5 or 6 years,you can pay cash for a home,car for her,new pickup for you and then have kids and work a local driving job. It's as easy to do as anything in your life ahead and you will never be hurting for anything,or just stay by yourself and have fun.I don't believe there is another occupation that can hold up to these rewards if you only try and succeed. Good luck to you all. Please don't stand for people cutting up trucking,if they don't like it,can't hack it,that's their problem,right? We will be still trucking looking at everyrainbow out here,for that pot of gold. Best of times out there.

 

DrivingMyLifeAway, if you don't mind my asking - are you an owner/operator? I'm very, very new to this (in tech school getting my CDL) - I was thinking that because you are able to take off several months of the year? Or do you bank the time off you have earned when you are running? Since you have been doing this for six years, can you think of issues, problems, situations, that you have faced that someone who had not lived full-time in the truck should consider? I'd appreciate hearing more about your experience with this.

Craftsman, like you, I'm seriously thinking that this is what I'd like to do for awhile. The pro's for me (driving, saving $$) outweigh the con's - and I don't mind my own company - there's always something to see or do. This country is a big, gorgeous place and while I'm realistic about spending my working hours in loading docks and industrial parks I would love to take my 2-3 days off in Niagra Falls (well, my Mother says I saw it when I was a baby - haha) or the Grand Canyon or any number of places here.

 

I'm glad to hear some of you thinking about it. Its a neat thing and will asve you some serious money just like you are reading when you can put it all in the bank and live off your advances is what i did. I wouldn't even touch my pay check just live off advance money and still had plenty to spend on the things i wanted. Now i am married and the family is all grown and gone. The house is payed for and me and MAMA are over here in Iraq makeing serious money together and putting it all back in the bank and when we get back it will be a truck and trailer at least mostly payed for and leave a bunch a bunch in the bank and we will just kind of SEMI-RETIRE get it. Any way it will be good to get back out on the road again and run into all my trucking Ham radio feinds again. I hear 14.302.5 has went to no one talking since i left i think i can liven it up again. Good luck to you all.

 

LKat:

I'm not an Owner/Operator...I'm a Company Driver. I like to keep my life simple and uncomplicated down to just bare bones essentials and human comfort necessities. Running an O/O business would complicate my life too much...I would have to invest money to make my paycheck plus it makes filing taxes much more complicated. That's just too much record keeping for me. I'd would rather just keep slamming money into my savings and investments every week.

One very important issue for me is to have the ability to manage my income every week. My paycheck is direct deposited into my checking account. I then use on-line banking to allocate funds into various accounts. With an internet air card (mine is both WiFi and cellular) and a laptop I can do all my banking in the truck. On-line banking also provides bill payment service...just set it up on-line and the bank will mail the payment. Shaffer Trucking has a web site I can log into to check my paycheck on-line.

As for problems or situations I can't think of any. The truck stop provides the human comfort essentials I need...a hot shower, a hot meal, laundry facilities.

I live mostly on weekly advances to pay for scale fees, tolls, meals, etc. I have no credit cards. I use a debit card exclusively and avoid using ATM's like the plague. As a Company Driver for Shaffer Trucking I earn 1.5 days off for every 6 days worked. Shaffer does not having a days-off banking policy. Last year when I worked 9 months non-stop, I was only allowed to take 6 days off. That's OK with me; 6 days off is enough for me.

 

I did this for a couple of years when I was younger,22-23. I had a blast. I cruised around the country staying at buddies or old girlfriends that were in college or stationed at different military places. I had my mail delivered to my parents. I should have been smarter and saved more money instead of buying new snowmobiles. atvs and trucks that I was hardly home to use anyway. This did get old after a while after the buddies started getting married and the old girlfriends moved on. Now I'm an old married man (31) too and not any fun anymore. A young guy could really have a good time nowadays with this whole internet deal. He could have ladies lined up all around the country.
I had a buddy do this also. He worked for CFI for two years. He basically didn't see home for those two years. He put all his checks into a saving account. His girlfriend had a decent job and they lived off her income and rented a small house with another truck driver. After two years (I can't believe she put up with it) they got married and had 40k to put down on a house.
I also know a younger guy that instead of renting an apartment he has a pick up truck and a 5th wheel camper that he stays in on his off days. His company lets him keep it at the terminal when he is on the road.

 

I have always had a motorcycle most of my life,I am a big fan of Charlie Daniels,used to watch him come down to Cape Cod and perform every year outside. He put a great show on,then with his big black shiny truck,he would unhook and unload his harley which was strapped to the back of the sleeper,on a special lift ramp.then off he went into the sunset of beautiful cape cod,I have never forgot those days and neither have my children of which two now have years of driving experience. Remember when you get back from Irag,I would love to meet you two,on the road and shake your hands and wish you the best in person.

 

DMLA,
I appreciate your help with the details; when my lease is up, I'm pretty sure I'm going to try using the truck as a "home" base. I use online services like you mentioned, I only go to the mailbox about every two weeks to clean out the junk and only because the post-person left me a little note telling me the USPS wouldn't deliver more until I cleaned the box - I said, "That's fine" - but noooo...they said I had to clean it out anyway - haha. I really would rather save money than pay a huge amount for someplace that I would be using as storage. Thanks again for the info.

 

Is this only for the YOUNG guys? Some of us OLD guys might still be interested in having a good time once in a while too.