I'm sick of this!

The condo's I purchased were basically concrete boxes. New condos aren't finished inside, in most cases. All the rooms are just plain concrete, walls, floors, ceilings, and no appliances or bathroom finished. Had to buy commodes, sinks, cabinets, etc for bathrooms and kitchens. Finish them out like you personally want them.
One I bought had been vacant since the condo complex was started. When we noticed it, we were told that it's not for sale because something is wrong with the title. Not believing that, a little research showed the construction workers were using it to store tools, wheel barrows, etc. So, we made an offer of $30K at the condo office and it was accepted. The construction workers weren't too happy about that. Now it's a beautiful, ground floor, 4 bedroom, 2 bath condo, crown molding throughout, worth several hundred thousand USD; just under a Million USD.
Ground floor condos are the most expensive and each floor above that goes down in value.

 

The homes in Japan are basically free, compared to the prices in China.
The Japan homes have the added attraction of being single family homes vs. condo.

 

There are TOO MANY truck drivers. How much would you pay for a glass of water during a rain storm? How much would you pay for a glass of water in a desert?

 

If you disappear for half the year it makes it harder to stay at better employers. Please look at things from the employer's point of view. They aren't Santa Clause just handing over money because they want you to be happy. They have work that needs to be done and they don't need more employee problems, like employees that leave quickly. Good employers hate that.

 

It depends, basically they want to keep the truck occupied and moving. That’s the real expense involved. In this scenario I know plenty of drivers who make this arrangement in advance and everything’s upfront and planned. They work six months or however, many months some of them work eight months and take four months off in the winter or whatever it might be. It doesn’t cost the company anything other than a little bit of administrative paperwork to do this. The real reason behind the denial Industry wide, well we all know why. They want to own your life / soul. As an OTR driver, there is no way to sugarcoat it, if you do OTR work that is your life. Going home two days a month doesn’t cut it. You are in fact, a gypsy as an OTR driver like it or not. There is absolutely no reason why driver can’t make arrangements with a company to work six months on knowing their exact departure date and their return date. Other than you are owned. Here’s the kicker, when that driver comes back he’s gonna be refreshed. You probably gonna outdrive a lot of annual drivers in six months as it is.

I know a lot of drivers that are doing this type of setup. You have to understand the prospects for a lot of young men in this country surrounding women is nil at best. They are going overseas for wives, etc. most of you don’t realize how hideous It is out there for a man, especially a younger man trying to find a life partner. The game has changed and men didn’t chance the rules here. Lol

and the alternative is what? Drive till you’re 67, maybe 70? Companies happy with you. They say goodbye to as you drifted off into Retirement and then a week later you drop dead didn’t get to enjoy any of it. Life is short, VERY SHORT. Each of us as OTR driver should be setting up our lives as we see fit that’s best for us. Nobody including your company is going to be there in the end.

 

I hear ya... I'll drive until I'm 59 1/2 & can start withdrawing from my IRA. I'll look for something to keep occupied like running seed & feed in the spring & chase harvest in the fall, that will give me lots of "me" time. I definitely won't sit on the couch. Maybe call a temp agency if I really get bored.

 

I plan to go to 67 myself. If my health permits. But I’m doing a trip or two a year. Only way I’ll keep at it. Otherwise it’s pointless. At least for myself. Each of us have different scenarios I’m just saying make it work for you if you’re gonna do this gig long-term.

 

Cruise ship night club dancing:

 

Excellent post.
I was talking with a guy that was in his sixties, and I mentioned I took a couple years off, did some traveling and lived over seas This really seemed to anger him, he started ranting about how he's worked his whole life, never missed a day, yada, yada. Then he started saying I was probably a trust funder, I wish!

To me it sounds like he wasted his life. My goal when I'm OTR is to make money so I don't have to work. I save, don't drink alcohol or spend my money on frivolous crap. Work to live, not live to work!