Own my truck or drive theirs?

Well your best route is to pick one out from somewhere that will let u return it, I just got done testing a garmin 565 against the cobra 7750, for me the 5" garmin won over the 7" cobra for several reasons, but I did find the 7"screen of the cobra very distracting driving at nite, so I kept the garmin and took the cobra back.

 

i have had the cobra for allmost a year now i love the big screen it changes the back ground for night and day it will list truck stops truck wash and dot scales is nice i guess the truck route and low under pass list sucks all in all not worth the $400 i paid for it

 

How are things working out for you?

 

You just walk into what is commonly known as a Lease To Own

 

Yes, you just plug them into a cigarette lighter. You may also find a small regular refrigerator that you can use. I saw one the other day at a truck stop. I don't remember if it plugged into the cigarette lighter or needed an inverter. Either way, you should be OK, since you have the inverter. I am not sure how well your inverter will work with a single battery system or how you would wire it in a 3/4 ton van. I would hesitant about drilling holes in the floor on a van that I didn't own. As far as the GPS is concerned, I don't own one so I can't help in that area. Since you don't have to worry about truck routing, I would think that even an inexpensive one would do the job. I have a friend who received one from his wife a year or two ago for Christmas. I think she paid about $100 for it. Although it doesn't have truck routing, it does what he wants it to do. Good luck on the new job and lease purchase.

 

That is a little high on pay right our of school from what I have seen. First year earnings should be between $30-35,000. There could be a few who would pay more, but that is a good range where most will fall. If you get into flats, you might do a little better. The industry isn't "starving" for drivers right out of school. If you are relying on a company to pay for your school, you may check with some of those carriers before putting your money down. There are plenty of jobs available, but a lot of applicants. Most people who have a clean background and a CDL should be able to find a job. Once you get a year or two experience you should see your income rise. In fact, after a couple of years you should be earning over $40,000/year as long as you have kept your mvr and work history clean. A good way to enhance your value is to not job hop. Plan on staying with a carrier for at least a year or more. Most carriers prefer those who have had no more than 3 jobs in the last 2 years.