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For those in today's job market, finding a balance of work life and home life can be a real challenge. With the economic pressure many families face, too many times home life suffers in order to make financial ends meet. Individuals that have (over-the-road) OTR truck driving jobs experience this dilemma repeatedly, particularly with presently high fuel prices pinching take-home pay. So what's the real deal, out there on the road? Fleet drivers and independents have many things in common. You will sleep in your truck on most nights. Trucking companies will only put you up in a motel if you experience a breakdown and you have to wait a long time for repairs. Some will allow you to stay in a motel, but you may have to pay for it. For haulers that own their business, each dollar spent on lodging is one dollar less that could be spent for other things such as mortgage. You need to accept that you will be purchasing food on your own when you are away from home. This could cost a lot of money if you dine in restaurants constantly, even if you eat at cheaper priced truck stops that cater to OTR people. On the other hand, there are all kinds of mini-refrigerators and cooking appliances available for use in your rig. Bringing along food from home can help cut costs. In either case, keep all your receipts for food purchases in restaurants and in grocery stores. You will need them at tax time when you can claim your meals as a deduction. How much driving is required in order to make a good salary? An unscientific study says about 2850 to 3200 miles a week should cover the bills with some left over. Much is dependent upon the type of freight being hauled, the company being hauled for, whether you drive for a fleet, whether the OTR truck driving jobs companies offer discount fuel incentives and more. One has to consider all the abovementioned points and others if need be, to derive a mileage figure that is suitable for oneself. Consider it your lucky day if you actually lined up a drop and hook gig. No hassle or mess, and goodbye. But if it's necessary for you to do your own loading or unloading, or to find a lumper locally to do it, this can leave you out on the road longer or take money out of your paycheck, sometimes both. You should consider this before you start an OTR truck driving job. It should be really clear to understand that our income might fluctuate each week. The mileage given is dependent on the amount of freight that is available. You can go from “bored silly watching the grass grow” to “insanely, dementedly, absolutely crazy busy” in a short time. This presents difficulties when making family plans, but this is the way it really is.
Article Source: http://articles-mart.com
Jim W. Arnold owns OTRTruckDrivingJobs.org and has more than 25 years of experience driving trucks, both as an Owner Operator and as a Company Driver. ------------------------------------ otrtruckdrivingjobs.org
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