Comments By ravenswood_65

It seems from what I have been reading on these forums late that the controversial per diem is not that good an option to take if a driver can opt out of it at a company. Simplifying tax prep is not always in one's best economic interest.

I think it would be just worthwhile to opt out of PD and hire a competent CPA at tax times. I am no tax accountant myself.

As a driver I would save every last receipt (for everything I spend out of pocket that is job related or I THINK is job-related) for any possible itemized deductions to hand over to my CPA in a brown paper bag annually. A good CPA should apply whatever is lawful and applicable to the return to minimize my tax liability as much as possible.

-meals/tips at restaurants
-unprepared food on the job
-water
-telephone
-utilities including WiFi
-clothes
-shoes/boots
-showers
-lodging
-tools
-computers
-bedding used on the job
-appliances as food coolers, etc.
-pens/notepads
-transportation as bus fare (if needed)
-security dog/service animal related expenses as food, vet bills, leashes, collars, etc.
-sunglasses
-hats

I understand the fuel and lumpers are always paid for by the company.

Don't I have to pay for lumpers out of pocket to have the firm reimburse me later?

Should I still save any lumper receipts for the CPA?

What are the things that American truck drivers for companies can write-off for filing their taxes each year?

1. truck stop meal costs? 2. work clothing? 3. shower fees? 4. lodging? 5. laptops, smartphones used on the job? 6. dogs, security animals used on the jobs? 7. other?

For example, if I were to pay $10 for breakfast at a truck stop, would I be able to write off 100% of that cost or just a smaller percentage?

Is it still cheaper in the long run for drivers to prepare their own meals on the road because restaurant write-offs don't "pay off that much" on the IRS returns?

I know you must keep all those receipts for your CPA in a safe place.

Isn't it still prudent to go to a CDL school that teaches to shift the old-fashioned way?

Some companies may still have rigs that shift old school.

How will computerized shifting handle steep downgrades so the truck doesn't quickly accelerate out of control and brakes are not overused?

It seems to me the old-fashioned manual gives the driver the best absolute control.

I would think double clutching would be a blast and avert some of the long-haul boredom inside the cab.

I never thought of automatics as efficient, fuel-wise, for heavy vehicle use.

I knew one man who was an ex-driver who said a master driver can often shift with no clutch if engine speed is synced correctly. The tach is often useful to observe for the greenhorn to learn this technique.

I only have experience with 5-speed manuals and Allison 5-speed automatics in the army on certain 5-ton trucks. They also had a transfer lever, since they were 6 x 6 vehicles, along with low and high ranges for those transfers. There was a front axle switch on the dash if I recall correctly. Some trucks had a PTO, power-take off as for a winch.

There were no range shifters or gear splitters which I still have yet to learn.

I take it some company workers put in time as drivers "on the front lines" then get into homebody positions "in the rear".

Actually this is unusual.

Very few drivers transition into other trucking related jobs. It does happen, but far less than you'd expect. Once a company finds a good driver they do everything they can to keep them in that job.

I'm sure many drivers use driving as a stepping stone into a more desirable career for them, but not necessarily trucking-related. It is something to do to pay the bills or build their bank accounts up meanwhile. They might apply for other jobs in the interim. I knew a man that my mother had for a realtor at age 45. He said he was a truck driver early on in his life. My grandfather said he knew a truck driver in the construction company he worked for. The man studied law books whenever he had time. He was in correspondence school and eventually graduated to becoming a lawyer.

I went to college to get an associates degree in computers but may have trouble getting hired in that field at a dedicated IT firm like HP, Intel or Micron or even govt. civil service. Old-aged and under-qualified with just an associates and no IT certifications. Some trucking companies may have even an IT department for managing their computer systems and networks. My AS may still look good on a resume for that reason. I'm rather a geek for a man interested in the grimy, gnarly world of trucking. My geekiness and the college degree might also give me an edge in these modern techy tractors with aircraft-like ****pits should I decide to go into service tech/mechanic position. I'm a very analytical man. How often does commercial diesel Class 7/8 truck technology change? In the army, vehicles seem to maintain the same level of legacy technology for decades. Railroad locomotives also follow that "long legacy" suit too as they often keep those same diesel-electric engines for 50 years or more. Designs of train equipment rarely change. Many airplanes and helicopters stay the same for decades too in the aviation field. I have known aircraft mechanics/crew chiefs in the service over the years.

Sounds like dispatchers have to be able to make plans and calculations. I imagine they have computers and specialized software at their desks to help with this the way booking agents at airlines do. I wonder if even drivers use modern electronics to help manage their own schedules and HOS logs while on the road. Is every food stop, fuel stop, break, shower and vehicle check neatly planned scheduled? I am a man who likes to always be in charge of his situation. Boy, I do hate nasty surprises and unexpected delays too.

My wife is a dispatcher and has been one for 2 years for a small company of 15 trucks consisting of mostly O/O.

She is on a salary of 3,000 per month and works 0600-1200 M-F with weekends off.

Tanx very much, Mr. Daniel B.

I take it some company workers put in time as drivers "on the front lines" then get into homebody positions "in the rear".

As compared with drivers and fleet mechanics/techs, that is.

Do they usually have some driving experience?

I got my AS in CIS Network Management, MS Windows concentration back in May, 2014. I did a short internship in late 2014 but yet have to be employed for pay in IT. I am now age 53. IT is not old-age-friendly. I have heard time and time again it may be impossible to get in IT without at least a bachelors. I got an AS at a California JC/CC (community college) because that's all voc/rehab would pay for and support. I have applied in Sacramento, California for state civil service in IT (information systems analyst as well as office asistant) but never even got called in for an interview even with veterans preference putting me at the top of the tier level as well as certain "LEAP" positions for the disabled. One woman job counselor I had even admitted that the state of CA laid off a bunch of older white males. I need a professional job or SKILLED trade that is "old white male veteran American" friendly. Can't go wrong in trucking or even maybe as a mechanic if my back doesn't fail me when I get fit and slim. I moved to Nampa, ID last summer because of a cheaper housing opportunity than in CA and have written a letter to the voc/rehab division in this state. I am still waiting for their reply today. I told them I either wanted an Idaho govt. civil service, a local govt. job, a federal job or to become a truck driver if trying to get into civil service proves fruitless. Hell, working for the US Forestry Service or as a forest ranger might even be great for me since I love outdoor life. I had not mentioned other possible trades to voc/rehab yet I might be also interested in as fleet mechanic (lots of military experience there in that field already) or a new skilled trade as electrician, heavy equipment operator or machinist. I don't want to be out in the heat and the cold with a shovel in hand at my age whatever I do.

Even old ladies with cats now drive trucks OTR these days.

My disabilities, for several years now, are chronic fatigue syndrome and sleep apnea which should greatly improve when I lose 50 or more pounds. I have current health issues related to obesity my doctors have said. I am on a serious diet, exercise and weight loss program which seems to be working for me slowly but surely. I also suffer from arthritis. Bending over under the hood of a car even to fix my own car kills my back.

I am 293 now down from 325 this last December and plan to get down to 185 eventually, weight-wise. I am 5-10 tall. I am clean-living just like a Mormon. No booze, beer, smoking, gambling, dip, snuff, street drugs or ladies of the evening.

It also depends on what kind of work you want to do. Lets say you work for a fleet ( I can not speak for all of them but most of them) you will do mostly brakes,pms, lights, things of that Nature most of the in depth stuff is sent to a dealership for warranty purposes. If that's the type of work you want to do a fleet is a good place to be.

pms, preventive maintenance services?

lube, oil, filter, battery, cooling system, clutch adjustments, fan belts, that sort of thing?

AIR brake work was routine in my army MOS as was complete brake jobs with both hydraulic brake systems as well as hybrid air over hydraulic brake systems

I never had the opportunity to tear transmissions and engines apart or even put in new clutches. Unit trucks in the military were sent up to direct support or depot level maintenance for that. Some army mechanics in my unit were 63S series for their MOS, heavy wheeled vehicle mechanics, who would have covered up to the 10-ton models. I think Class 7 and 8 trucks in the private sector fall in that weight-class neighborhood.

What is the difference between a mechanic and a TECH anyway?