Question:
Just went and applied to my local truck driving school here in Dallas, if accepted, ill start the 29th. Debating on whether or not to go OTR or to stay local, the company im looking at quoted me 27 cents a mile, and said id average around 2500 miles a week. So I was just wondering how much should I budget to spend out of pocket each week living OTR? Thanks

Answer:
Just remember:
Any place that accomodates trucks and drivers (Truck stops, rest areas, turnpike oasis', etc) are notoriously expensive, voire rip-off) Of course, when I started out I had to have my three squares at the 'hook or Petro or wherever and I averaged $20.00 a day just for meals. (ususally the buffet) That doesn't factor in all the extras, sodas juices, coffee, and other odds and ends (I also thought I had to have a shower every day..$7.00 and up...)
I finally bought one of those coleman 12V coolers and began eating my breakfast and noon meal out of the truck. Wal-Mart supercenters became my stop wherever I could find them. Reasonably priced, open 24 hrs and almost no hassles about parking.
Figure one hot meal a day (restaurant) and the rest out of the truck. Try to eat what you normally are used to at home. Stay away from junk food and sodas. Carry and DRINK lots of bottled water. Avoid the canned stuff as it will give you the green-apple high step and with 40 miles to the next crowded rest area, it can be a challenge to keep it together..(been there done that!!)
Start with $80 a week and actively look for ways to save bucks. The earlier the better!
Good Luck!

Answer:
Trkstp meals will run about $10-$15 per meal.
Trkstp washing machines:$4-$6 per load...Dryers:$3-$4 per load.
Showers at a trkstp will run $5-$10 without a shower coupon.(most carriers do NOT reimburse for showers)
When you fuel...you will be given a shower coupon that can be used either at that time at that trkstp or can be used at a later date at a Different trkstp.(within that same chain)
I suggest getting Every Frequent Fueler card that is available.
Frequent fueler points can be used for Anything in the trkstp(restaurant food, soda, electronics, maps, books,showers, etc.)EXCEPT fuel, tobacco, lotto tickets, alcohol.
Toll roads will vary.
Most carriers will have you get APPROVA:L Before you can take a toll road.(if you want them to reimburse you for it.)
***Most carriers will NOT pay for Ohio & Indiana toll roads.***
You will find out during Orientation what the carrier will & will NOT reimburse for.

Answer:
Choclit Sunda brought up a good point. Sign up for all those frequent fueler cards. They are free and most can double as a phone card and your shower credits will go on them when you fuel. Even if you are a company driver, those points will accumulate and you can get all kinds of free stuff, from food at the restaurants to showers to merchandise, etc etc etc.

Answer:
Thanks for the info, im 25 and young, and can eat sandwiches till my eyes turn blue! I figure i could leave the house with about 20-30 bologna/tuna sandwiches, and eat out every blue moon. Hopefully I can get by on $75 a week, that will be my goal, and i pretty much only drink water......thanks for the info, just have to decide with company to go with now LOL.......the instructor is really pushing TA and Central Refrigerated......

Answer:
Originally posted by runninhorn:
I figure i could leave the house with about 20-30 bologna/tuna sandwiches....
I don't think I'd take that many sandwiches, tho, every now & again, stop at a super market and get fresh food.
BTW, if you took 20-30 tuna-salad sandwiches, figuring a couple of sandwiches a day, I don't think I'd want to touch the last few!!! (unless you scrape the green stuff off )

Answer:
If you get a cooler..probably between $75-$120
give or take some here and there..
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Answer:
I always tried to keep it under $20/day on my expenses. These expenses include food, snacks, drinks, video games (occasioanlly), etc. so on and so forth.
I strongly suggest that you do not get to wrapped up eating sandwiches in the truck. It is very important to get out of that truck for more than just to use the bathroom. Also eating 1 hot meal a day in the resteraunt does wonders for your overall moral while on the road.
I will always be a mutter trucker at heart.
Answer:
1 meal a day in a restaurant, $12-15 x 7 days = $84-105. Even eating from the buffet will cost ya right at $10. Even eating biscuits & gravy for your 1 'hot' meal a day is gonna cost ya $6 (w/ coffee).
Smokes @ 2 name brand packs a day, $8-10 = $56-70 (buy cartons).
Soda, snacks, juices, $5 a day = $35.
Laundry @ $2.00 per load to wash & dry (not including detergent).
Shower (if ya dont fuel), $5-8.
The above listed figures are truckstop prices (on average)
Go to Walmart for snacks, sodas & smokes before you leave out each trip. This will save you big dollars each week. If you can, take enough clothes to last you at least 1 week before ya have to do laundry on the road.
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"Got the bird dog on...
Dodgin' the scales...
80 miles an hour and a step outta jail..." From "Rollin' Home, Pirates of the Mississippi)
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Winding up somewhere, one step ahead or behind.
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Owner Operator Division

Answer:
Ask if you can have a power inverter installed in the truck to power a microwave and a dorm-size refrigerator/freezer. Going to Wal-Mart about once a week and stocking up will save you money, and if you get hungry at the most inopportune time (at a shipper/receiver, or in the middle of nowhere), a hot meal is only a few minutes away!
Another bit of advice: don't buy ANYTHING in a truck stop whenever possible, as they usually charge three times what a grocery store will charge for the same item.
Don't play Cherry Master, or arcade games- talk about blowing money, then whining about not being able to make a decent living!
"If we keep electing the same lousy candidates into office, we'll always have a lousy government!
ASE Certified Master Diesel Technician who found a love for the road!
No liability for information posted, which are my opinions based on personal expreiences.Not liable for any information posted.

Answer:
Originally posted by Hoss:
1 meal a day in a restaurant, $12-15 x 7 days = $84-105. Even eating from the buffet will cost ya right at $10. Even eating biscuits & gravy for your 1 'hot' meal a day is gonna cost ya $6 (w/ coffee).
Smokes @ 2 name brand packs a day, $8-10 = $56-70 (buy cartons).
Soda, snacks, juices, $5 a day = $35.
Laundry @ $2.00 per load to wash & dry (not including detergent).
Shower (if ya dont fuel), $5-8.
The above listed figures are truckstop prices (on average)
_Go to Walmart for snacks, sodas & smokes_ before you leave out each trip. This will save you big dollars each week. If you can, take enough clothes to last you at least 1 week before ya have to do laundry on the road.
Yea, I dont smoke, dont drink cokes, and will be doing the one week clothes thing, hopefully will get home every 7-10 days, or so the other drivers say you do--we shall see. Only thing i might spend $$$ on is the hot meal a day, and the shower, hopefully can keep it all under $100 a week.......

Answer:
Figure on $100-$120 a week; those sandwiches are going to get old real fast, and besides, if you try living off them things, especially boloney, you're not going to be worth squat physically and especially mentally in a very short time, I don't care how young you are. Mental alertness is most important, for safety reasons especially. Take lots of vitamins and supplements; these can get expensive, but that is better than dying or killing somebody else, just to haul some silly azz freight around.
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Answer:
Man I can't believe how much you guys spend OTR. Using a food saver vacuum, coleman frig, burton oven and the use of microwave at truck stops and shipping and receiving stops the only thing I purchased per day was coffee.
Prepaired my meals and sealed using food saver. Heat and serve. Never ate any sandwiches. Had home cooked meals. Same thing I do when I go Canoe camping. Except camping used coleman cook stove to heat meals in boiling water.
You can use that food saver to seal most anything air tight. Salads keep well that way. Sausage & biscuits as well.
Do a little creative thinking and save a bunch of money.

Answer:
Theres realy no need to spend 20 bucks a day on the road. Do like Hoss said by your regular stuff at Walmart before you leave. Get a 12volt cooler at walmart also, about $70.. The prepare a bunch of food before you leave. just not more than about a weeks worth or it will spoil.
While some think you need that good hotmeal once a day you need to be picky where you eat. truck stop food for the most part is crap and not good for you at all. A good sub is alot better. Or look for eating places you can walk to. just try and eat good food not TS crap.
Although all the stuff you buy before hand also counts for youre over all exspense. I have not spent more than $5. a day at Truck Stops overe the road in a long time.
One thing I dont do is carry a thermose or alot of sodas and drinks. It makes me have to stop to get a dring of coffee or whatever. Getting out of the truck is a good thing to do throughout the day.
'Carpe Diem' does not mean 'fish of the day'.
"If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles."

Answer:
I usually never leave the house with less than $150.00 every week. This usually takes care of tolls/scales/food/snacks etc. I also hit the WalMart Supercenters and pick up canned fruit in plastic jars. Also usually get the cooked chickens , and have a meal down the road. They also make a damned good pie, in individual sizes, 2/$1.00. I usually get at least one good hot meal/day. I try to find a restaurant off the beaten path where I can park, but that's not always possible. Personally, I avoid the fast food joints unless I'm in a hurry. But I also would avoid those damned bologna sandwiches. One thing good about the Supercenters is that they have a pretty good deli where you can pick up different cheeses/meats, along with Ritz crackers. Hey, I can make several meals out of that!
Better to have it and not need it as need it and not have it!Just remember:If the world did'nt suck, you'd fall off!
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