What do you do in your downtime OTR?

Luck really didn't have much to do with it.

...More like hard work, sleepless nights, lots of numbers crunching and financial planning, busted knuckles, etc...

Gotta know what you want, come up with a plan to get it, and work towards your goals. If you ain't gonna do the work, you shouldn't expect to reap the reward.

 

Owner operator choice versus company driver and the company policy is not the same here.

 

pretty much what i was trying to get across...thanks...

 

Lol i just bought a small TV for when i get out on the road.. its a small 20in LED TV.. All i need is my Xbox and I'll be a happy camper on my downtime

 

And I was simply stating that luck had nothing to do with it. If you don't like the way things are, you can either suck it up and deal with them or you can put forth the effort to improve your situation. Be forewarned, though, that most of the time, that improvement in one aspect of your life comes with a trade-off in another.

 

Are you able to sign onto live using the hotspots near you? Xbox live and NFL football is the only entertainment I prefer!

 

I'll probably be playing video games all day long during the so called "downtime"
OP sounds like we have the same idea; no bills, no family as far as having your significant other and your kids, and just pursuing to live a solitude life on the road and enjoy the scenery.

 

Well, your perspective will likely change after a month or two on your own as reality often has a pesky way of messing up the plans you envisioned.

I'm not going to be a killjoy just realize that during your week you don't run your life as much as you think. The load planners and fleet managers tend to mess stuff up. Your 10 hour break can go by quicker than you might think. But by all means exercise, walk around, be active and avoid all the truckstop food that will make you fat and sickly. During the week it was pretty much eat (food I prepared in the truck), shower, internet, read a book or watch a red box DVD on my laptop. Mornings I walked and did exercise before my pretrip.

During your resets is your golden oppurtunity to sight-see. Rent cars, take public transit in the larger cities, go to sporting events, museums if that floats your boat. I'm a baseball fan so I went to ballparks. Watching the Cubs/Cards game at Wrigley Field was almost a religious experience for me. I've toured all of Cleveland, most of the sights in Chicago, taken bike tours, went up in the Gateway Arch in St Louis, took a cajun cooking class in New Orleans, went on a swamp boat tour among other things.

It can be done but it takes planning. Google Maps and Google directions should be among your best friends. Google directions has a public transit option that will help you to know how to get around using buses and subways. Google Maps is helpful in finding truck parking in a pinch or scoping an area out before you actually take your 75 foot rig into a place you can't get out of. I use hotwire to secure cheap hotels and car rentals. Often times you can get 3 and 4 star hotels for a song booking last minute using Hotwire and I've never had a bad experience.

Good luck, take lots of pictures, buy momentos and be safe.

 

Most be were not trying to be an ###, they were just trying to be frank with you. As for construction zones and bumper to bumper traffic, you have no idea what that is like in a truck. When you start to get a shaky clutch leg you will know what I mean. BTW, 2mil miles in 8 years has to be some sort of record. If you drove 500 miles everyday non stop it would take you 11 years to get that many miles. Trust me, life on the road is very very different.

It may take you 1 min to shower, but depending on the times, it may take 30 mins until one opens up. As for trip planning, ALWAYS check the atlas. Don't just follow the qualcomm blindly, the directions sometimes still send you where you shouldn't go. Also, NEVER follow the GPS without cross referencing the route with the QC AND the atlas.

I really don't want to burst your bubble, and I really am here to help you as a young driver myself. I started when I was 21, got my CDL when I was 19 so I went out on the road the same week as my 21st birthday. You will NOT be making $2900 min a month as a new driver at ANY of the larger companies. $1500 - $2000 a month take home may be a more realistic number, and probably still high at that.

Unless you plan on renting clubs, you are not going to want a golf bag in your way inside the truck. Yes they are big, but not that roomy. Also, if you want to hit $2900 a month, you are going to have to run your ### off. When you run your clock down everyday, the last thing you will be thinking about is golf. Trust me.

Thats good that you can run on 6-7 hours of sleep every day. When you are running hard and have to take a 10hr break, that is about all you will get after you fuel, do logs, shower, post trip, take care of paperwork such as trip packs, and get something to eat.

Again, not trying to be an ###, but you will not have room for a scooter, nor are you going to have time to use it out on the road. When I was OTR my girlfriend at the time rode with me. The most we would ever do is pull off on one of those rest areas with a scenic overlook or nature walk. Sometimes, we hardly had time for that.

Just some things to think about, and we are all here to help. I wish you the best of luck with your career and I hope that is is something you will enjoy.