I shower every other day. I don't have the shower credits, I've only paid for a shower once. That was at an independent truck stop, because there were no other truck stops near by and I would be stopping at the receiver and staying there. If I'm home, I shower everyday. I don't have time to fuel 50 gallons every day to get a shower credit. When i was in the Army and we were in the field, we didn't always get to shower for 2-3 days at a time. This is out working and training, not sitting and driving. Don't get me wrong, I love a good long hot shower, but I take my time, it takes me about 45-60 minutes to shower. I relax and enjoy it, unless I'm in a hurry and I try to boogie in and out.
Not enough time for a shower every day from the guy who needs 12 hours off between driving shifts lol I'm just playing with you.
If you believe a personal attack was made, feel free to report my post. Just because I'm not all sugar and spice doesn't mean I attacked anyone. My statement was a general indictment of all new drivers, not the OP.
Very soon you will realize being a successful trucker means you have to do the little things to maximize your miles. I was just like you, I had to have a shower everyday. I think everyone would like to have a nice hot shower after a long day under ideal situations. You can certainly do that, but you will not run the miles. Let me give you some scenarios... 1. You have a del in the morning and a preplan ready right after that. So instead of taking care of biz at the receiver in the morning and having full hrs to pull your next load you decide to stop and take a shower. Sure no big deal, you did the math and doing this won't burn into your 14. Somewhere down the road you run into a traffic jam, and another, now you have 4 hrs to drive but only 2.5 on your 14. 2. You have 2 hrs left on your drive, you see the next truck stop is 40 miles away, and the next one is 112 miles. Let's say the t/s 40 miles way is one of the big 3 where you can redeem your showers and the one further away is a random mom/pop t/s. Now you have a decision to make, run 40 miles, shut down, and get your shower in the morning or run off your allotted hrs and do the best you can to clean yourself up. If you want the shower that's perfectly fine, just keep in mind you ran 72 less miles today. Maybe not a big deal you think, but what if your next preplan is something that would be doable if you only had an extra hour to spare? 3. You've been driving all day and just made delivery, it's about 20:33 and you have roughly 1 hr left. Big 3 is only 4 miles away and you proceed there to shut down for the night. After all, your next load doesn't p/u until the next morning at 09:00. You have plenty of time to do your 10 hr reset and shower in the morning before rolling to the shipper. Let's say it's 43 mty to the shipper from the t/s. Had you just drove straight to the shipper the night before you would have full hrs to roll in the morning. Now you're burning your hrs going thru morning rush traffic, and you have... you guessed it, 43 less miles you could have driven for that day. It's not about being the biggest and baddest trucker out there, it's about being the most road savvy and time efficient. Like the old timers like to say, trucking is not a job...it's a lifestyle.
I shower early in the morning BEFORE I start my 14 hour clock. This way I don't take up any duty time and I rarely have to wait for a shower. The ONLY time I shower after my clock starts is if I was unable to shower in the morning.
Don't be surprised if truck stops stop offering free showers for points soon. With water prices going up every day and electricity going up to heat the water, the rich CEO's of these truck stops will probably put an end to the practice of offering showers for points very very soon. Just like parking used to be free everywhere, now some truck stops charge to park. The free shower for points will be a thing of the past soon.
I normally avoid quoting an entire lengthy post, but THIS is GREAT advise. The more independent you can be from HAVING to stay at truck stops the more PRODUCTIVE you can be. Get baby wipes or adult wipes (in the adult incontinence area of the pharmacy in Wal-Mart) and use them for "wipe showers" when you can't get a real shower. Put a water bottle or in the dash to heat by the sun for your shampoo. I've arrived at a receiver and been complimented on how good I smell after going three days without a shower running mid summer through Texas. LEARN HOW TO STAY CLEAN IN YOUR TRUCK. Same goes for untethering yourself from the truck stop "mothership" by having GOOD food in the truck. The best nights I've ever spent WEREN'T at truck stops.
It's funny, isn't it? I begrudge the time for a shower while on the road, but I take a shower every day when I'm on home time. When I'm home it is a part of my day, and out here it is a chore. Maybe because I can't simply walk into the bathroom and take a shower. I have to get everything ready, go in to the truck stop and possibly wait for 20 minutes before I get in, then put everything away again. It's just too much work and takes too much time, especially when I don't really get dirty very quickly doing this job. I do, however, try to not be stinky at any shipper or receiver. I wash up and comb my hair every morning, with clean clothes. I'm not a dirtbag by any means; but I also don't need to shower every day to remain presentable.
Yes, well, my lifestyle is what I make - not what everyone else makes for me. My trucking lifestyle is a bit more laid back than many prefer. But then, I am mot all about the miles and the money. I am more about enjoying the moment. And being time efficient all depends on where you want to invest your time. For me, it's half on and half off.
