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OTR Truck Driving Jobs: Life of a Trucker

By: Jim Arnold

Balancing work life and home life is a challenge for most people in the job market today. Due to the financial difficulties confronting so many people, often family life bears the brunt of budgetary troubles. 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, whatâ€™s it really like out there on the road? Whether you are a fleet driver or an independent, there are many things both have 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. If you are an independent hauler, every dollar you spend on a motel room means one less dollar you will have to spend on the other things in your life, like your mortgage.
You need to accept that you will be purchasing food on your own when you are away from home. This can become expensive if you eat in restaurants all the time, even if you stop at reasonably priced truck stops that cater to the OTR folks. In contrast, there are multiple types of small refrigerators and cooking appliances offered in the market that could be use in your rig. Taking some of your own food along helps cut down on your cash outlay. Either way, when you buy food in restaurants and groceries, hang on to your receipts. Keep them in a special place so you will remember to use them at tax time.
How much driving is required to get by financially? Between 2850 and 3200 miles a week should be enough to pay your bills, plus provide some extra spending money, according to one study. A lot depends on what kind of freight you are hauling, what company you are driving for if you are a fleet driver, if OTR truck driving jobs companies offers any fuel savings incentive programs, and so forth. To get an accurate mileage figure, these are just some of the things that you must take into account.
Consider it your lucky day if you actually lined up a drop and hook gig. Without any hassle or complication, and its goodbye. There are times when the shipping/receiving departments will not have loaders or unloaders available. When this happens you may have to do the loading/unloading yourself or pay a local lumper. If this is the case, it could effect your income and schedule. You should consider this before you start an OTR truck driving job.
Your income might oscillate greatly from month to month. Depending on the amount of freight being moved, the actual mileage will vary. You can quickly switch from being insanely bored to being overwhelmingly busy. This does make it more difficult to plan things with your family, however it is reality.

Article Source: http://ezine-articles-planet.com

James W. Arnold owns the website at OTRTruckDrivingJobs.org and has been an Owner Operator and Fleet Driver, driving semi trucks for more than a quarter of a century. ------------------------------------ otrtruckdrivingjobs.org

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