Sacrificing family time at older age.. why u?

What many people don't seem to grasp is that this is not a job paid by the hour - it is paid my the mile.
No overtime, no certainty of pay even if you are available to drive.

The only 'overtime' pay we get comes with detention or layover pay.
Detention pay is usually not a problem if you show up or deliver on time, as it is billed to the customer.

Layover pay can be avoided by simply sending you a pre-plan within that first 24 hours of sitting.
It might mean another day or two of down time, but if you reject that first offer the layover pay doesn't happen.
The planners have to really mess up if you are to get any layover pay.

 

Mindset is the important factor... a lot of drivers get trapped into some serious negativity... they look at things in only one way and then feel jilted...

For me, I look at the whole picture... it is like when your painting a picture.. sometimes you have to step back away from the easel to get a clearer view of what your painting..

for me, trucking was a nice break.. I wasn't on my feet for a 12 hour shift... most of day was sitting and driving.. going from a fast paced physical 12 hour shift job to a 14 hour day with very little physical work was no trouble.. especially considering my 2 1/2 hour commute to work I was already pulling 14 hours a day and actually working the majority of it.. obviously there was a little adjusting to going from being up and active all day to sitting for so long... but it was an adjustment I could deal with.. lol

For some they stress out about the cost of living on the road.. but, they are usually also the ones buying junk food and energy drinks at the trucks stops... for me, I went from feeding several mouths to just one.. also I like to be frugal.. so I wasn't wasting money at truck stops... the coffee I made in my truck was better than the truck stops.. and my truck wasn't getting cluttered with trash...

My dad had this annoying thing he used to always say.. it started when I was very young and getting an allowance... if ever I acted or hinted that I needed more allowance because It wasn't lasting me all week..he would, well, spend less and your allowance will feel bigger... later when I started working and didn't like what I was earning he would say.. spend less and your paychecks will feel bigger... it actually took awhile for me to get that.. that my paycheck would feel bigger.. but, once I finally got it and started living within my means.. mt paychecks didn't feel as small.. that is so true in trucking.. if you smoke don't buy your cigarettes at a truck stop.. and if your in Missouri where they are cheap.. don't just buy a pack then complain the next day when your in Minnesota and they are twice as much... where I live the cost of living is low.. so, I buy bulk, and would stock my truck when I was home.. if you live where the cost of living is high and your OTR.. go to a Walmart where the cost of living is lower and stock your truck...

For me, I loved the challenge of being frugal on the road.. it was a part of the experience.. I still ate well and had all I needed.. it was just nice when I spent less than I budgeted for myself...

It is an experience and you might as well make the most of it..

 

Watch out for Jody!