Breakdown of Weekly Expenses as A New Driver…

Hotels are expensive. They usually kick you out of the truck when you drop it off at the shop so you don't have a choice. I've trained drivers who spent their 34 hour breaks in hotels though.

I can't recommend Visible highly enough. Not only do you get Verizon service for $25/mo. You get unlimited data with that. Unlimited, uncapped, unthrottled data. You can link one device to your phone with bluetooth at a time for data. I use my iPad Pro as my TV on the truck.

Yes. A regular GPS won't know about low bridges or roads with truck restrictions. A truck GPS will. Some drivers try to save a buck and use a truck GPS cell phone app BUT Smokey doesn't care if you are using your phone as a GPS. He will write you a ticket for using your cell phone while operating a CMV. FMCSA cell phone policy. There's the federal penalty (fine up to $2,750 and possible disqualification) as well as a patchwork of state laws. In Oregon (and other states) there are criminal penalties if you get caught using a cell phone while driving. They cuff you and throw you in jail! You can pick up a Garmin Dezl on sale for around $200, why risk jail?

 

When I drove over the road, the only time I got a hotel room was when I broke down and the company paid for it.

A truck specific GPS is helpful, however you should not blindly follow it.

 

Washington and Oregon law enforcement has been known to dump your prescription medications out and count the pills...If they count more pills than the lable shows should be in the bottle, "YOU'RE BUSTED."

 

Friends and family. I use a second line for my home internet.

 

Here is the cooler. $90 on Walmart.com's website, so probably about $120 after tax. I promise you that will be the best $120 you will ever spend in that truck. This cooler is reliable, sturdy and rarely does it freeze up in the vents where you have to defrost it. And I mention that because all of the truck stop coolers I ever got always had a bad habit of freezing up in the vents where I had to defrost it a few times a week. This one I rarely have to defrost the vents, this is the best cooler that I have found by far.

You plug it in your cigarette lighter up front by your radio/heat/AC/ etc. etc. Let it run 24/7. I've had mine for 2 years now and it is STILL going strong! I've just had to replace the black cord on it because it got bent after a few years, which you can purchase separately at Walmart.com's website, for like $20 or something like that.

I use that cooler to keep up front with me while I'm driving and I store all of my drinks (bottle waters, occasionally a gatorade or something like that) as well as a few food items such as maybe sandwhiches to munch on while I'm driving down the road, or apples, or anything like that. Most of my big food items will go in the company trucks fridge in the sleeper birth.

Here is the cooler:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Igloo-28...V8QWICR3XJg7EEAQYAiABEgJWiPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

As far as hometime I never stayed in hotels. I ended my lease when I went OTR 2 years ago and for hometime stayed with family and paid them $100 for each week I was home. They were good with that as my family (luckily) gets along with each other very good, so I was basically paying to come and visit them lol. So if you want to be technical about it, I paid about $1200 in rent each year.

 

Wilson Logistics has no restrictions on dog breed or weight.
You'll have to call Trailiner and ask about their pet policy.

 

Weekly expenses was what this thread started as, but... it never goes that way.

I probably need about $300 weekly to cover food and scale costs, as well as a few reserved spots when I need to..
Scale costs are reimbursed if I chose to do so, but that is in the future.

But that is shopping at Walmart for fresh food, with little fast food/truck stop food in the budget.
Cooking meals means having the appliances to do it with, which an upfront cost.

And then you have to plan your time correctly to allow you to actually cook those meals.
So the expense may also include more break time, because cooking in the truck usually takes more time.

 

Some drivers use a crockpot, so the meal is cooking while you drive. George Foreman Grill, Air Fryer, Crock Pot.
Can cook a whole chicken or roast that way. Fresh, hot meal is ready when you stop to eat.
Beijing Duck