Living within a budget within a truck

I took the $88 hit at wal mart and bought the coleman 12v cooler, possibly one of my best investments yet. Saved almost that much in my first week i had it between keeping my drinks cold and being able to keep perishable food in there (lunch meat, cheese, etc.). Now all i need is a microwave and ill be eating in the truck all 3 meals a day 7 days a week. You just have to make smart sacrifices, yeah i get sick of ham and turkey sandwiches and bottled water it saves bundles and most importantly is far more healthy which i find crucial in our line of work.

 

I am single. I lived in my truck for 20 years. Over this time I have bought 2 new trucks. Paid cash for each one . I have saved a considerable amount of money. So I am a good saver. And I avoid wasting money. I put off buying things, sometimes even when a purchase is perfectly reasonable.

What I should have done differently : opened a retirement account to reduce the taxes I have paid and also invested more in the stock market. I do have a roth IRA, but I am lax about making contributions. Setting things up for automatic investment would be good for me.

I have enough money to buy whatever I want .

So , I spent a lot of years working 7 days a week . No wife. No kids. Not much of a life outside of trucking. Sometimes I got sick of trucks.

I have spent about a year caring for my elderly parents. Fortunately, I can afford not to work.

Eventually, I will probably go back to driving when I am not needed at home.

. Just an example of what you can do. My intention when I began driving was to build wealth. But I thought I would drive for only a few years. But then you just keep going.

So there's my story.

 

First go to wal mart. Go but things you can eat with or with out having to keeping it cold. Gallons of water vs 44 oz pop at truck stops. Another little trick, dont park at truck stops @ night, get your shower during the day, and park at rest area even 2 times a week you probably save your self 20-30 bucks with just bs trips inside the ts out of boredom. Another trick get a plug in cooler keep milk cereal thats a great cheap meal. Finally be smart, lunch meat feed you for 2 -3 days for 10 dollars or mc Donalds will cost you 7 -10 and make you fat. There are plenty of tricks , and the biggest trick is dont by things from the ts.Too expensive and usually have access to wal mart some where. Hope this helps

 

Astoh, Forget the gps, get your self the deluxe atlas, and a cell phone with good service. Little tip out side of your expenses I ALWAYS get directions from someone before I leave with my load. 9 times out of ten the places your delivering (assuming dry van) will have automated directions from the phone number provided by dispatch. Also your dispatch may supply with qual comm directions right them down ! Gps will get you lazy, to busy watching that rather then using commonsense to find your way. You need to train your eyes on watching the road and signs and other drivers rather then a square on your windshield. Even tho its a trucker gps its still a computer and dont get to comfy with it you might get pinched because of it. Get a Colman cooler they work great 80-100 @ wal mart, and depending on your price range for boots get red wing and pack winter stuff now winter comes unexpected when your not prepared. I was chaining over snoqualmie pass in WA in shorts and cloth gloves and it was first week of October , Whoops.. Good Luck

 

Dont cheap out on a cooler not worth it, Spend the extra dollars it will save you in the long run. Also keep a small note book of directions. This way should you ever go there twice you already have the directions, and its more common than you think. Also in that note book ( start from the other side) make note of any major construction you may find, bad roads, anything you may wanna avoid in your travels. This way when you trip plan you can check the back of the note book to see what you may encounter. This industry is always full of unknowns, try to be prepared as possible in every aspect. Get gallons of water and ice tea mix for drinks, than pour them into smaller bottles to store in cooler while your driving.

 

Keep a notebook of construction? That's ridiculous. My gps is updated with all construction already. Between my phone and my gps I have yet to need my atlas. I still have one but don't need it because my rand McNally gps has everything that the atlas has plus a lot lot more. Truck stops, rest areas, walmarts, repair shops etc. invest In a good god and keep it updated with the latest maps and updates and you'll be doing just fine. Been trucking for 5 years and still no need for a atlas. Never got lost and never got on the cb to ask for directions.never leave home without it.

Good cooler is a great investment. Coleman is $100 at truckstops. I upgraded the fans in mine with bigger fans from RadioShack and it runs like a dream. If I'm not careful it will freeze my milk.

 

I agree that a gps is great to have. And I would also carry an atlas.