Being on the road and saving money

It MIGHT matter. I had mine, I got them probably my first few days on the trainers truck. BUT i rarely used them on the trainers truck. You also get 1 cent for every gallon of fuel you put in the truck, so those points are HIS points. Which is understandable. Its his truck and if he simply let his students have all the points, he wouldn't ever get any. He did let me use my cards a few times toward the end of my stay on his truck, so i had a couple of showers saved up on my card.

 

I bought my GPS (A Rand McNally, link below) while i was on my trainers truck. It is a GREAT thing to do, especially if he has a different type of GPS. He will most likely teach you how to navigate using a motor carriers atlas, so do the atlas, check with the route plan the company wants you to take and set your GPS. Chances are you will have 3 different routes. This will teach you a few things:
1. GPS's make a lot of mistakes. They are helpful guides but don't rely on them
2. The company's directions are usually optimized to save the company money (tolls, fuel stops, etc)
3. a Motor Carrier's Atlas is a very important tool to have (link below to one)

RAND MCNALLY TND-520: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...N=B00C7FKT2A&linkCode=as2&tag=lifofamodtru-20
They also make a 720, but i think the only REAL difference is it is a lot bigger. This one is fine for me, and cheaper than the 720

MOTOR CARRIER'S ATLAS: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/05...N=0528009192&linkCode=as2&tag=lifofamodtru-20
Several different companies make them, several different types are out there. Get the Deluxe Edition. Its worth the extra money.

 

I wouldn't buy any of the specialty items (GPS, coolers, etc) until you're actually assigned and settled into your own truck. You get a better feel for what you want and need once you're in your truck and moved in. Spend a good amount of time researching GPS units and shopping different cooler types and models to make sure you get the one that works best for YOU and your truck layout.

 

One thing about all those points and money you get from Pilot/FJ, Love's, etc. is that if you want to save your points when making a purchase make sure you tell them to don't want to use points. My brother saved all his P/FJ points for 18 months and recently bought a Rand McNally 720 with all those points.

That being said it is sometimes a blessing to be able to walk away from the counter with a purchase without spending any "real money".

 

Yeah I bought pigtails the other day,and it covered 3/4 of the cost. I like how they let your shower points "ride" now instead of expiring!!

 

I appreciate all the info you guys share. Well the cooler and gps I thought of buying soon, cause I currently have a income still and it wouldn't put much strain on the bank account while on the road on my own. I was looking at the rand mcnally trucking atlases, gloss pages of course. I have no problem reading maps and definitely know not to completely rely on any gps, even google maps sometimes doesnt get it right. But I figure if I can start getting some big ticket and smaller items now, I would save more money in the long run while on the road. Be safe out there guys and gals.

 

Ive been researching every aspect OTR trucking, one thing I always hear is that they dont have enough money to get certain things they need. Borrowing money from company to buy stuff and just struggling. So im trying to take my approach to be prepared as possible.

 

I have yet to take an advance from any company I've worked for, even going through the meager pay of training with Swift and the first months solo. Keep expenses down and you should have something left over each week. The real issue for a lot of new drivers that get through orientation is the shock that the first paycheck is two weeks away and that first paycheck is going to be SMALL due to cutoff date for the paycheck that is issued the following week. After that your weekly paychecks will have regular hours or miles so you can get by. You need to survive the first couple of weeks.

 

I found a trick that helps the cooler to work a great deal better. Go to Walmart in the baking isle, get a cooling rack (little wire rack with feet that keep it about half inch off whatever surface it is sitting on). You may need to bend it a little to make it fit, but put that in the bottom of the cooler. Now don't overfill the cooler and you will get air circulating and everything will keep better. That #### reefer floor has grooves for a reason. You also will not have to worry about things getting wet if you have condensation accumulate in the bottom of the cooler.

 

Wow. Had not been on here for a long time. Guess I should loose that signature line