Something doesn't sound right. As another poster mentioned, call payroll and find out what the issue is.
If you are picky about your matress, you may want to bring a set of sheets. With dozens of students sleeping on the same mattress, many that may not have the best hygiene, you may want a sheet between you and the mattress. I carry a spare set of sheets for students just for that reason.
If you are flatbed, with hot summer coming bring extra T-Shirts, as sometimes you will use 2 in a single day. Tarping in 100 degree heat can make a clean shirt pretty nasty in a matter of minutes. Also, you can cut room by packing just 2 pair of long pants, and pack several short pants. I stay out for 2-3 months at a time and only have 2 pair of long pants in my truck, and about 10 pair of shorts. I wear shorts until I get to a customer that does not allow them. And only wear the long pants long enough to get loaded/unloaded and back into the truck where I promptly put my shorts back on. Also, bring shower shoes/flip flops for the showers. They are cleaned after every use, but I still don't like the idea of standing barefoot on a shower floor that some driver just pizzed on. Seen to many cases of the "funky foot rot" to want any part of that. As for room, try to fit everything into 1 large suitcase/dufflebag, 1 smaller gym size bag, and a laptop size briefcase. You should be able to manage fine with those 3 bags.
Thanks for the advice Viking and Scott..that is exactly the kind of specific information I was looking for. I know exactly what you mean about the shower shoes, we have a showers at my current job and there is no way that I would go in there barefoot! Do the truck stops supply towels then, I haven't read anywhere about this. I'm going into the Curtainside division so I think the T-shirt thing is still an awesome idea. Do you keep the dirty clothes somehow stored outside the cab?? I would imagine that could become quite "funky" itself?? Thanks again...and Viking84 - that name wouldn't happen to be someone's old football number/team would it????
Although not as dirty as flatbedding, curtainside will definitely be dirtier than van/reefer. I keep my dirty clothes in a mesh laundry bag inside the truck. And even with 2 of us in the truck, the smell doesn't get bad. But I do laundry about once a week. 99% OF Truckstops do supply towels and soap, Especially the major chain ones that Roehl fuels at. I have only been to a couple that do not supply towels and those were very small back woods mom and pop truckstops. But bring a towel as some of the toll plazas in Ohio have free trucker showers, and they do not have towels. Viking84 is indeed an old high school football name and year of graduation, not a jersey #
Many have opted to pay the penalty in lieu of getting insurance, but I certainly wouldn't. One major medical problem can bankrupt you.
