OTR Full Time? How Do You Recharge Your Batteries?

Everyone is different on the amount of time they can be cooped up in a truck , you will know when you need a few days out of the truck

Some WHINE and COMPLAIN about getting a layover in whatever city they might be in others take advantage of it and enjoy life , go to a movie , checkout the history , take in a sporting event .

 

You can take your hometime where you want.Far as reset you take that where your dispatcher sends you.Its usually done after you're unloaded and at the nearest trkstop.If you wanna see a game you'll probably need to take a cab.Most companies won't let you take the trk.With a few companies back then I use to take my reset at a hotel and bobtail shopping or a nice restraurant.But with most the companies on elogs you would have to talk to your company.There's a line 5 which is personal conveyance means you can drive on your time as long as you're not under a load.But I don't know how many companies let their drivers use it.I imagine the starter companies won't while on reset.Also you may end up taking more resets then every 3 or 4 months,alot more.

 

My husband has seen a bunch while out. Corvette Museum has truck parking. A couple of places in Vegas near the strip have truck parking, and if you can't have fun there... we have met him in CA, left his truck at a terminal to hit the beach or theme park. He visits family and friends in 4 other states who don't mind letting him stay and providing transport. You may have to rent a car, but you have the whole US at your fingers. As for how long to stay out has been a financial choice, devoted wife, cute kids, good food, beer and big screen TV, is better than working OTR.

 

Probably the fact most of us have families and bills to pay is what keeps us going. I would hold off on selling your earthly possessions, because in the winter when u start seeing your trailer try to pass your truck. Or you dodging tornadoes in the south, and trying to keep the truck from blowing over in cali or Wyoming. That's usually all it takes to pack your flip flops,Fannie pack, and crush any get rich preconceived notions you may have had about this gig.

This post has not been approved by the steering wheel holders association.

 

I recently went local in Miami! Coming back from too many years OTR working out of the truck. All my stuff went into storage but then wound up being given away eventually, except for a few personal things.

Took hometime at motels and rented a car, had to Park the truck "hometime", before going off duty.

I would take a week off at some tourist hotspot. From Seattle to Miami, LA to Maine...seen a lot done a lot and made many friends out there. Home was that place called paradise, but I still hadn't found what i was looking for....until I got lucky in Miami.

As for the 34, never had to because I never needed to. Would go 6 weeks straight without a day off. Never stayed in one place more than 24 hours, rarely had too.

If you love to travel, then go for it...but be advised, the days are long and the road goes on forever...

 

I like to use layovers and resets to explore and enjoy. Usually you are going to break around some urban area. I usually rent a car or during baseball season I take a cab to the stadium. So far I've been to Rangers, Astros, Padres, Giants, A's, Dodgers, Angels, Reds, White Sox, D-Backs and Pirates stadiums. Last time I needed a reset was 2 months ago in Reno and of course I had to wait 2 days under that stupid rule so I rented a car and went to Lake Tahoe and then drove up the original Donner pass.

For just longer breaks I have a PS4, a HDTV and a bunch of games and movies. Plus my phone with unlimited data so to me a layover is no big deal.

 

Most companies will not give you a lot of time off, they want you running down the road. The 34 hours reset doesn't give you much time to do much. You will be able to find a few areas to explore from some truck stops but a lot are outside city limits. Taxi's are very costly. I have used rental car companies that were close to the terminals but was afraid to leave a truck with all my belongings at a truck stop for too long. Meaning there are not many things to do within walking distance. Most companies let you bobtail but only 30 or so minutes for a round trip. Most truck drivers I've seen keep to themselves, they are sleeping, or watching movies, internet, making comments on the cb's watching drivers coming in and out of the truck stops, etc.

 

ROTFLMAO,,,LOL YUuup that sounds bout RIGHT 2 ME!! LOL
Unless your on a dedicated run and that gets boring QUICK!!