Any Homeless Truckers Out There?

I've been wondering about this topic too. One question not addressed already is how do you maintain an address if you're truly "homeless?" You have to have an address for a bank account, filing income taxes, credit card, voting, cell phone etc.

UPS stores show up as real addresses, and then forward mail to company terminal..

Be careful with UPS as "real addresses". I tried that route and was denied in TN. They do not accept UPS "Real Addresses" for the purpose of residency, so make sure you find out what your state approves of or not.

I've been homeless for nearly a year now and set up a legal residence via a mail forwarding service in Sioux Falls, SD and it has been perfect for my needs. I have a " Real ID compliant" DL/CDL from SD and my W2 from TMC shows my "legal address" and thus I do not pay state income tax, since SD doesn't have any.

Be careful with UPS as "real addresses". I tried that route and was denied in TN. They do not accept UPS "Real Addresses" for the purpose of residency, so make sure you find out what your state approves of or not.

I've been homeless for nearly a year now and set up a legal residence via a mail forwarding service in Sioux Falls, SD and it has been perfect for my needs. I have a " Real ID compliant" DL/CDL from SD and my W2 from TMC shows my "legal address" and thus I do not pay state income tax, since SD doesn't have any.

This has become an issue - where many states are recognizing that UPS Stores and other places that have been used as "legal addresses" in the past, are being DQ'd from use, because they are not.

Most states DMV databases have these addresses flagged, and won't issue DL's in those addresses. I live in a warehouse/commercial property, and got the "hairy eyeball" when I went to change my DL to that address the first time. They DID IT, but it showed in their database as commercial.

It's one thing to use one of these type places as the legal address for a business (that typically doesn't have a fixed physical address), and another for a residential legal address for tax & licensing purposes.

This can create issues for the "homeless trucker", who is full time on the road, and doesn't want the expense of maintaining a homestead for the 3 days a month they might actually be there. And it gets a little stricter for CDL holders (especially wth HM endorsements), because stuff like this is looked at seriously. Not that there's that many of us that are "arch criminals", seeking to avoid LEO knowing where we actually are - but they still like to have an actual home if they need to go looking for you. It can also make emergency notifications more difficult.

The other consideration is TAXES. If you're not maintaining an actual residence there, it doesn't make much sense to keep a legal residence in a state that taxes you to death (NY, NJ, CA, etc.).

Rick

If I didn’t have a wife and kids and a 200K mortgage I would be a homeless trucker. I would save up until I could buy my own little sandwich shop at a good location. Hire 4 minimum wage workers, pay one of the 9 bucks an hour to be the manager and I would live the rest of my days on the beach someplace.

If I didn’t have a wife and kids and a 200K mortgage I would be a homeless trucker. I would save up until I could buy my own little sandwich shop at a good location. Hire 4 minimum wage workers, pay one of the 9 bucks an hour to be the manager and I would live the rest of my days on the beach someplace.

🤣🤣

Texas too is cracking down on this. I was a homeless trucker for 4 years in the 90's and rented a private mailbox from a mom & pop box, copy, mail company in a strip mall. I just changed my box number to apt number. I went through driving school recently and there was a couple of young students (in their 20s) that had moved in with their parents. Parents paid the bills so they had no proof (bills in their names) to show they actually lived there and they couldn't use their previous addresses because someone else occupied those domiciles and they had not set up forwarding with USPS. It created a situation for me, but since I had recently moved and had my mail forwarded, I used my old address until I got my CDL and then did a change of address on-line. I am renting a room from a friend so I have no bills at current address except my mobile phone bill and TX DPS was asking for two bills to verify. Today being a homeless trucker is a bit easier with smartphones and the internet. Uber and Lyft, rental car apps, hotel apps, AirBNB, etc can make getting around and finding a place to stay a lot easier. Shelling out $600+ a month for a place you spend a few days a month in is ridiculous if you are single.

My husband & I are about to do this. He finished school and got his CDL 2 weeks ago and left today with his trainer. I start school tomorrow. We are putting things that are sentimental or that was just too hard to part with, in his Mom's garage, and giving up everything else, including the car. Our daughters LOVED being able to split up all of our furniture and home decorations! Some people think we are a little crazy for doing it, but in our opinion, what do we have to loose??? We are super excited about seeing the country from the rig and deciding where we want our next little "vacation" to be, then ultimately deciding where to settle down for retirement. This is a sure fire way of making sure you save enough to have that "fun money" when you retire!!!

Tana... just a heads up, you may want to add yourself to a relatives car insurance. Reason being, when you go to buy a car again, you would have been uninsured for X amount of time. in NJ, more than ten days uninsured and your premiums skyrocket... like by 1/3 for years.

I was added to my brothers and it works out fine. There are "liability only policies" that insure people who sell their cars, but not only is it temporary (6 mos.max) but not available for CDL holders. good luck

I've been wondering about this topic too. One question not addressed already is how do you maintain an address if you're truly "homeless?" You have to have an address for a bank account, filing income taxes, credit card, voting, cell phone etc.

Get a Post Office Box in a town where you have "family" of some sort and in one that you may pass through on occasion.

Get a Post Office Box in a town where you have "family" of some sort and in one that you may pass through on occasion.

Can't use a P.O. Box for your CDL. For you bills or other mail, that would be fine. I would just have my mail go to my friend's or family home.

Laura