free time

It really depends on your personal goals. Do you want free time, or do you want more money? Every driver is different. Any company will have a base number of miles they want you to run, as they are in it for a profit. If they are not making a profit on your truck, you probably won't be in that truck for long. As long as you exceed their mileage goal, though, most companies will give you some flexibility as to how many miles you run beyond that. At that point, it's a personal decision whether you want to run hard then sleep then run hard again, or if you want a little extra time each day.

I recommend a bicycle over a scooter. It would be very difficult to store a scooter.

 

They are right, after a long day on the road, by the time you shower, eat, and get your personal bizz done, your are ready for the bunk. Most companies will not let you drop your trailer in a truckstop, and bobtail anywhere. It is there truck and there fuel, so they don't want you to "waste" it running around. You will find things to do that are within walking distance of the truckstop, that is about as good as it gets...

 

me thinks you can not go 24/7 in 4 or 5 days so you may want to rethink your idea of who the dumb@$$ is. when your driving your working. when your not driving your either at a dock unloading/loading or out of drive time. You bring a bike or anything with you and drive off to someother place your company finds out they can pop you for abandonment. Your gone for an hour your truck gets broken into, someone hits you cops come no driver around, company gets called told your no where around what you think they will say?

 

Ihave too agree with everyboby here so far, but thing's do happen , like i was out in winnamca nv, ya the cat house road, well i wanted too make ca by nightfall, but my truck had other ideas, it decide too puke it waterpump out right there , o this is just great, got towed into that little ghost town, no nothen there, ecept the cat house across the train track's, good thing i just got stocked up on food,the day before, so i told dispacth and now i got 4 days free time, i went over too the shop and i never heard so much bs in my life, they told me they had too send a guy too ca to pick up a speacial rod too weld too the stud in the head too get that out, that they snapped the head off, but yes , i had a book with all shippers in it with there unload time , that was my free time book, if i knew they took 12 hours too unload, i gave them my phone number and keys , i had my spare, i would just go for a walk down the block and back, but dang those blocks in vegas i think are a mile square i think, that felt really good after driving all day,

 

I don't think many shippers will let you unhook. Unless it's d/h anyway, you wouldn't want to lose your trailer. 34hr resets are different. You can get a motel(on your dime of course)if you want. Or just park at the t/s, then take a cab, or ride your bike where ever you want to go. You can get a little book at the t/s that shows what's on every exit. There are usually restuarants and beer joints close by. You only live off t/s food if you want to. I can think of better ways to part with my cash. Around here the strip clubs have a free lunch buffet, but finding a hair in your food at an all nude strip club takes on a whole other level of grossness.

 

You know, I have yet to drive one professional mile. The last thing on my mind would be to bobtail with a company truck, logo and No. on the door to a tatabar. The truth does not matter to these companies (as I am learning) but perception does. A lot of the members on this forum are trying to promote a positive image of an American Truck Diver and not confirm to the public that we are a bunch of sleazebags, illiterates, uninformed or we are lacking in social skills.

I don't believe anybody on this forum cares about what you and your dog do at 2 am in the privacy of your own home. When you are driving that truck you are representing yourself, your company and others on this forum who are trying to be a positive role model for the younger generation and for all those we travel with on the open highways.

 

JCW is w/ Prime, just about 60% thru his training miles. (Therefore,not solo). He's had 2 restarts. One they were most certainly not empty, but had time on the load, and he was almost out of hours. The second was an involuntary restart, waiting for a load assignment. Today. It's the luck of the draw when you run out of hours.

He doesn't eat truck stop food. He eats real food. They occasionally stop at Wal-Mart, or the equivalent (once a week), and he picks up groceries for the week. Eating out every night is going to eat your check up. What you don't spend on food, apparently, you are going to spend at the bar, and hopefully not on booze. What do you suppose the LEO is going to do if he sees a truck parked at a bar? I know what I'd do. I'd follow your behind. And more than likely, find something to ticket you for. Even if you hadn't touched the alcohol.

Trucking isn't just a job. It is a lifestyle. It's up to you to make it a good one. For my husband, he seems to be enjoying it. Given his last career, I don't blame him. That career cost him 36% use of his hand. Yes, Prime knows about it. It's painfully obvious.

There are ways of going to restaurants along the way, I'm sure. But I would make d****d sure my truck was in sight at all times. And that includes the trailer. It isn't YOUR equipment. It belongs to the company. But if anything happens to that equipment, it's your rearend.

 

Well most companys wont let you bobtail anywere, i even offerd too put fuel in , too no avail, but anyway back too the point at hand, like everyboby says , stay out the truckstops both the resturant and store and really stay away from the arcade room , and lastly stay awy from the phone room, them calling cards will eat you up in a hurry,buy everything at k-mart-wall-mart, just as if your still living at home, much better applance too chose from too then them 12 volt junk coffe pot the truck stop sells and with wall-mart, you pay extra for warenty and trk stops you cant do that, and lastly most compay now are going too e logs , now, meaning once you put that key in , your on duty and eating up your hours , you have too work with, so bobtailing is out,