Comments By Tracy W.

What chickens are you getting Brett? we got Rhode Island Reds......Thanks for the heads up Anchorman

We have Golden Sexlink. About 20 layers, usually get 5 or six males every year and butcher them at 6 months for fresh meat.

Tracy

Verizon. Hands down. More expensive, but works way more places than the others. With any of them, be careful driving near the Canadian border. It's easy to pick up a Canadian tower and you will get charged ridiculous fees for international calls.

Tracy

If you have a Simple Choice plan from Tmobile, they do not charge anything extra for International Data and Text's in Canada. They charge 20 Cents a minute for calls made while roaming in Canada..

And there is my point. $12 an hour for International. If you call much, you will get hit hard. My son works the Bakken oil field in North Dakota and had several hundred dollars the first month he was there. Get the international plan if you are going to be running the border much, or don't call.

Verizon coverage is still way better than T-Mobile.

Tracy

If you get rid of any mortgage/rent payments, no utilities, and get your mail at a relative or friend's home, you can probably get away with only having the regular expense of your cell phone and food. I made over $40K my first year as a driver, if you are single you should be able to put away a significant chunk of that, especially with per diem and expense claims on your taxes.

Tracy

If you are taking the "standard per diem" deduction - what other kind of "un-reimbursed expenses" are you taking?

Rick

Anything I buy for the truck that could be construed an expense. Tools like a socket set, drill, etc. The company would probably reimburse me, but I prefer owning it myself. Clothing that is job related like coveralls for chaining up, steel toed boots, etc. Bedding for the truck, FedEx expense if I have to send something, ATM fees, etc.

Do an Internet search for 'Trucker Tax Deductions' and you will find a lot of information.

Tracy

Hi. I'm not a trucker. I'm a writer who writes stories about trucking. I've written for Freightliner, Western Star, Detroit, RoadPro, Wilson, RoadKing etc. I tend to do articles about truckers' lives, life-work balance, families etc. Right now, I'm working on an article about how truckers on the road use technology to participate in family events (birthdays, recitals, football games etc.). Does the stay-at-home spouse post pics to Facebook? Tweet the game? Does the driver Skype into the birthday party? Facetime?

Would like to hear from any drivers who can speak to this. Also, open to any story ideas or suggestions for articles you'd like to read about.

Thanks and I hope to hear from you.

My wife and I Skype occasionally, but 95% of our communication is still via phone. Since a Bluetooth headset is pretty much a requirement for a OTR trucker today, I'm able to call my wife while driving, and I probably check in with her more than husbands who live at home do during their workday. As far as family events, one of the nice things about being a driver is I can schedule days off in the middle of a week, which allows a lot of flexibility to be home when I like.

As an OTR driver, I'm certainly away from home more than I like for personal relationships and it does present some problems dealing with financial issues, but I have a laptop computer, a scanner, a printer and a smartphone that acts as a hotspot which allows me to do most things as if I was sitting at home or in an office just down the street. I also download audiobooks from my hometown public library to my iPod or a USB Drive and play them through my truck stereo system that is every bit as sophisticated as what comes in higher end 4 wheelers.

Many truckers today have or can have a pretty sophisticated suite of equipment at their beck and call, most truck stops have wifi or the drivers has their own hotspot to access the Internet on. I know of some drivers who play online games such as World of Warcraft in their downtime while on the road. Technology being what it is, space is the only limiting factor to what technology you can have on the road.

Hope that helps. Tracy

I'll put in my bid here also. Watkins Shepard!! Great company, treats drivers very well, pays actual miles driven, not the zip code to zip code scam many companies do. Mostly Dry Van, good long runs nationwide (and Canada if you like). About 20 terminals around the country. New trucks, upgrading trailers, good benefits.

They have treated me very well, and I love driving for them.

www.wksh.com or call recruiting at 800-392-2470

Tracy

How's the home time?

You accumulate 1 day per six out. The technical rule is that you have to be out at least two weeks to take home time. I usually roll harder, and rarely take home time, but that is because I often roll through my home town of Billings, MT as it is on a freight lane. I'm often out for 4 to 6 weeks at a time, but it is a personal choice.

Tracy

I really have no desire to see Montana in february behind the wheel of an 18 wheeler

LOL, from the guy sitting in a restaurant in Shelby Montana waiting for our next load...

There is less snow here right now then there was when I last drove through New Mexico.

Dang....I'm sitting in Billings, MT right now, my home terminal. My wife is having a hip replacement operation, so have been here a couple weeks. If you roll through, give me a yell!

Tracy

I don't flatbed, but have come across a few interesting loads. This one is of a HUGE Kenworth truck that I assume is headed for a mine somewhere, caught this pic in Cheyenne, WY:

And here is the world's largest barbecue. It's a tanker truck converted into a barbecue, caught this pic in Modesto, CA:

Tracy

Verizon. Hands down. More expensive, but works way more places than the others. With any of them, be careful driving near the Canadian border. It's easy to pick up a Canadian tower and you will get charged ridiculous fees for international calls.

Tracy

If you get rid of any mortgage/rent payments, no utilities, and get your mail at a relative or friend's home, you can probably get away with only having the regular expense of your cell phone and food. I made over $40K my first year as a driver, if you are single you should be able to put away a significant chunk of that, especially with per diem and expense claims on your taxes.

Tracy

All the reality tv shows are scripted....except, of course, Duck Dynasty, which is 100% real.

Tracy