More questions from a WannaBe truck driver

depends on your definition of good food....I eat a lot of subway and salad bars at dennys and the country inns at the petro/ta stops..
I keep abput 12 cans of soup plus crackers on my trk all the time cause you don't know when you will be somewhere were you cant go to a restaurant.
WATER....have about 8 gallons of water....you need this to drink..brush teeth..etc..plus I make a lot of ice tea...
most companies don't give you a fridge or microwave..you have to buy them....
if you have a sleeper in your trk..that's your hotel..
the IRS allows you to write off 80% up to $59 per day you are at least 50 miles away from home...for food..save your receipts..
unless your a team driver...2000 miles per week is about the norm...for dry van drivers...which is what I do..
free time? depends on how much time they give you to del and pick up...and downtime for next load assignment..
my trk is ok for space...its a internation pro star...I like...my 1st was a kw..it was tight..
hope this helps..good luck

 

Hope that gives you an idea

 

You'll find good food but you have to find a restraurant with trk parking or bobtail there.You're not going to find good food at any trkstop,all they have is fast food and overpriced stale food in the coolerSome trkstops have a deli at the casier stand.Its alright I guess if youre really hungry..Their restraurants are basic.Some companies do have trks equippe with fridges.That you'll have to find out yourself.I prefer a cooler.Food expenses no lodging,maybe if you have a brkdown and mechanics can't get to it till the next day.Otherwise just to get out of the trk for a night,you pay that.Free time varies,it all depends on your company/dispatcher.Some sit hrs some sit a day or longer then some are constantly running.Trks are'nt that spacious that I know of.

 

happy motoring

 

Before I've made statements that I loved the food at one place but can't remember where. Or the parking was tough and things like that. Nowadays you have laptops that would be great for that kind of info. If I was back on the road I would have folders on the laptop that would have tons of information that I could look up and go. There's so many facets to OTR you can not remember them all. So instead of taking notes, like we did in the old days, use a laptop to store the daily happenings so you'll have the memory of items that are yours.

 

You won't drive 5000 miles a week as a solo driver. You don't need that many miles to make a good living if you go with a decent company that has other pays, ie, accessorial pays.

Go with a company that has APU's in the truck; with an APU, you can, on breaks, watch TV, use computer, refrigerator, heat or A/C, without running down the trucks batteries or violating idling laws or states or the trucking company.

Many companies use APU's, but check before you apply. Some have terminals in Denver. Check these websites.

Prime Inc.
System Transport
Mesilla Valley
Melton Truck Lines

Very few companies put the driver in a motel; some companies using day cabs do. The best I ever actually worked for, put the driver in a motel once a month for a 34 hour restart only & complained about that.