Single guys, do you rent a home?

I wouldn't consider myself to be 'special'. I've been on my own since I was 15, and had a pretty rough childhood before that. I was pretty much 'single' until I was in my 30's, so I had no troubles adapting to life on the road.

The hard part is settling down with a woman and having a permanent address....... Believe it or not. 3 years after I left OTR, I'm still trying to adjust to what is typically a 'normal' life that I never had. Luckily my wife grew up with a family of drivers and drove herself, so she's helping me adjust.

The road will continue to call for you once it's in your blood. I've actually wanted to quit the post office more times than I can count to go back on the road, so I started to do part time short hauls to quench that thirst.

 

I've worked on and been inside just about all these apartment style trucks. So for a week or two out yea sure but having to live in one 365 just to afford a condo not worth it to me.

 

Me either. I considered it briefly when I was younger, but after 3 weeks I was done and burnt out from living in that truck. I like having one area of the country I can call home that comes complete with a mattress that doesn't vibrate and a bathroom less than a 1/4 mile away.

 

VolunteerTrucker,

Spending time in the Financial Planning/Investment business of my own, I have witnessed the public be advised to "Buy your own home, build equity, it's your best investment". I don't agree and here is why (in my humble opinion). Let's take a $100,000 home with 20% ($20,000) down on a 30 yr loan @ 4% interest. If instead of buying that home you would place the $20,000 and 30 yrs worth of interest payments AND saved upkeep $$$ into a good mutual fund (averaging 10% long term-yes you can)what you cash would have grown to VS what (if) your home grew to in value is where I question the "buying your own home" as the way to go. You can often times do better renting, and oh yea, you will have to put money it that home over those 30 years. The questions "against" owning is: will the home grow in value? What will the market be like when you sell it in the future? You can win either way, but owning is not necessarily the superior choice.

 

I didn't spend 24/7/365 in a truck. Throughout my twenties, I lived a wild lifestyle that most guys can only dream about. That's kinda why that at 33, I have the mentality of a 60 year old.

Sometimes I would spend 2-3 weeks in Mexico........ And.......... Well........ Use your imagination.

I miss Mexico. :'(

 

Hi brsims, I hear ya. The very 1st TT job I had, In the late '70's, I teamed with a friend that had a KW (just like "Snowmans, '76 W900 single sleeper), and he was leased to a company in Iowa, and we ran packaged pork to Jax, Fl. It was cool at 1st, but one setback after another, in a few weeks, it wasn't cool anymore, plus it was a torsion bar suspension, ( we called it "torture bar") and rode like a lumber wagon. I'm a light sleeper, so I'd try and sleep when he was driving, he'd hit a bump, I'd go flying around, then I couldn't fall back asleep. After a few weeks of that, I decided then and there, this wasn't for me, and the next 35 years, I did local work. I did have sleepers on my trucks when I pulled the RR cans, but that was just for naps or an occasional overnight.

 

Maybe owning a duplex and staying in one side when you are home? Real Estate is a good long term tangible asset to invest in and there are management companies out there that will manage it for you for 10-20% of net rent usually. I feel with some looking, you could even find someone that would find and secure homes for you while you are out moving freight. Investing in real estate slowly, over time and WITHOUT getting caught up in all the hype can be a very good long term investment like few others when you look at tax, depreciation and a lower tax bracket if you sell AFTER 12 months. Always ck with a trusted CPA and whenever working with professionals of any kind, ASK THEM ANY QUESTIONS, don't allow them to make money from you and speak in a way you feel you "need them" in order to make sense of it all. I have seen this happen many times, people blindly trust without asking any and all questions when they come to your mind. Trust but verify. Time will show if your trusted professionals look after your ###-ets like you do. Those that choose to be professional truck drivers as a career may have a challenge preparing for your future. Please do so, you will get old someday and want to slow up or place someone else in your truck. If your company has a 401 plan AND a match, participate. Most of the time, you can't afford NOT to. BE SAFE.

 

Just pitch a tent where ever

 

Renting a place to someone can be a nightmare. Unless it's to family, or well trusted friend, I've found renters are generally pigs, and will destroy an apt. and walk away, and good luck trying to find or prosecute them. They flush underwear down the toilet, plugging that up, smoke when they're not supposed to, pouring junk down drains, plugging that up. At a 8 family I lived in for a while, the owner knew I was handy, and asked me if I'd do some repair for her, and I said, NO WAY. You don't need that while being on the road.

 

why is it this guy asks the exact same question I do, you all answer him and give him good advice, but I ask the same question and I get attacked/flamed?