Comments By Tracy W.

I am single and am in a place in which I can move anywhere, no dogs, girlfriends or lawns to mow. Will most companies run you constant once they can trust you? Do some drivers make mini-vacations and visit surrounding areas? Hike, jog, etc. ? How do some spend their down time?

My friend, you are in the best place you could be as a trucker. Make a deal with a relative or friend you really trust and get your mail at their house. Move into your truck and live there, store stuff you feel you have to keep in a storage facility. Pare down your payments...you don't need a car or anything else but your cell phone.

You can put half or more of your income into an investment portfolio with a reliable organization. Start with your bank, and after you have built up a good nest egg, find a good investment broker and put it a mix of conservative and high return investments.

If you do that, and truck hard, after 5 years you will be in a really good position. You could pay for college outright, or have enough down payment to buy a property and rent it out. Use a management company to take care of the property because you can't when on the road. In ten years, you could be in a position where you will not ever have to worry about retirement.

Good luck. Tracy

I admittedly don't have as much experience as others here, but I am just shy of the two year mark.

With my company, if you drive hard (at least 600 miles per day, 550 in California and Oregon due to speed limits), always pick up and deliver on time, don't wreck the equipment, and treat others with respect, you will be treated very well. I always average well over 10,000 miles per month and could do more, but sometimes I do go home. There is no such thing as an 8 hour day when you drive truck, 12 hour days, 7 days a week are much more common. If you can't do that, don't get into the career.

A few drivers I run into ***** all the time, complain about the shop and dispatch, the DoT, don't like their truck, etc, etc. ad infinitum. Upon questioning, they only drive about 500 miles a day, take lots of breaks, have tickets and accidents.

Don't be one of the complainers....get out there and work, you will make good money and have a much better life. The dispatchers will give you the good runs and the shop will be happy to fix something for you, or change something you don't like.

Be positive, and treat others with respect, and don't believe a lot of the horrible stories a lot of truckers repeat. I believe many of them just love to stir up discontent, and relish dragging others down into their pit of sadness and chaos. Conspiracy theories are usually mostly crap.

There is such a shortage of drivers right now, that if you do what I've mentioned, you will quickly rise to the top, get the best runs and best pay.

Tracy

I have had two instructors tell me two different things.

1. Count the holes after the stop bar( the holes that are usable)

2. Count all holes, even those in front of the stop bar

So, who's right. Usable holes, total holes?

All holes, including those welded over.

If you aren't sure...measure, because the DoT will.

Tracy

I have Sprint and am finding that lately they just plain suck all across the board, was thinking of switching but I've been a customer for 11 years so idk....................Has anyone heard of Clear? They have unlimited for 35 a month?

If you travel all 48, Verizon is the best option because their coverage is far better. The TV adds are telling the truth about this. Used it before trucking as an auditor in all kinds of remote places and glad I have it as a trucker. I have a droid phone that is a hot spot for my laptop. I pay $100 month for the phone and 17 GB of data, unlimited text, 1400 mins of talk. I can identify 10 numbers to speak to for free, so my dispatch and shop numbers are in there. Any other Verizon phone is free to call.

It's worth every penny, and it's rare I don't have service....sometimes in mountain passes out in Montana, Washington and Oregon, or in some remote areas of Montana and Wyoming.

Tracy

I think I am gonna print cards up with this and leave them on trucks that do this.

Tracy

I was just thinking about you the other day! Glad to see you reappear.

Oh no....if you folks are thinking about me, I'm in deep doodoo!

Tracy

Hiya all. Red Volvo .. Watkins Shepard logo...tractor 2533. Running nationwide so ya just never know where I'll be. Headed home to Billings for a couple weeks. My wife is going in for a badly needed hip operation.

Hope to see you guys out there. I'm sure we have shared stops more than once.

Tracy

Woah! It's Epic Beard!!! Good to see you again.

Black Cherry #659027 2015 Freightliner

Good to be back! Thank you!

Tracy

I have an HP 100 in my truck. It's a small mobile printer, works really well. I also have a Neat Receipts scanner and software. All my purchases get scanned into the Neat software, very easy to use and great right now at tax time. The scanner can also be used to scan regular docs into Adobe or other applications, you can then print them on the printer.

I purchased both items at Staples, but Best Buy and Office Depot have them too.

If you get just the scanner and software ($179) you can use the free online fax programs to fax from your computer, or a pay one like eFax.

The printer and scanner have saved my butt several times and don't take up much room. The scanner is so small it fits in the backpack my computer is in.

Tracy

I forgot to mention....the printer is AC and battery powered....so you can use it anywhere. I charge it about once a month from my inverter during the day while driving.

Tracy

I have an HP 100 in my truck. It's a small mobile printer, works really well. I also have a Neat Receipts scanner and software. All my purchases get scanned into the Neat software, very easy to use and great right now at tax time. The scanner can also be used to scan regular docs into Adobe or other applications, you can then print them on the printer.

I purchased both items at Staples, but Best Buy and Office Depot have them too.

If you get just the scanner and software ($179) you can use the free online fax programs to fax from your computer, or a pay one like eFax.

The printer and scanner have saved my butt several times and don't take up much room. The scanner is so small it fits in the backpack my computer is in.

Tracy

Hey that's super cool! Thanks for sharing that Tracy!

You are most welcome...and thanks for helping us be better drivers.

Tracy