Best places to live cheaply while doing over the road..
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 81
Best places to live cheaply while doing over the road..
This question is basically for people who are single and/or have no true attatchment keeping them to a certain place in the U.S.
Just wondering if anyone has a specific area in the U.S that may be cheaper to run out of to rent, buy, lease etc., a home for the lousy few days a month you're actually home doing otr trucking. I know upstate New York has some very cheap rental apartments. Maybe trailer parks are even more cheaper? Any thought or input? Thanks
#2
If you have no need for a true "home", why not just stay in a motel for a few days for your off time? If you do that, you can pretty much call home any place you'd like.
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#3
agree malaki,whats he on about i dont think it hard to work out just get motel or what ever where ever you end up
#4
I have had drivers who didn't own a home or have an apartment and they just rented a motel room when they took time off. It is much cheaper than renting or buying a place that you only see a few days per month. Another alternative would be to buy a travel trailer and find a cheap place to park it. In fact, you could store it while you are on the road and then pull it to an RV park when home. When you are ready to go back on the road, just pack up the RV and take it back to the storage facility. Some storage facilities will charge from $50-100/month.
#5
Senior Board Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Somewhere between Rochester NY and Gaults' Gulch
Posts: 2,698
I have had drivers who didn't own a home or have an apartment and they just rented a motel room when they took time off. It is much cheaper than renting or buying a place that you only see a few days per month. Another alternative would be to buy a travel trailer and find a cheap place to park it. In fact, you could store it while you are on the road and then pull it to an RV park when home. When you are ready to go back on the road, just pack up the RV and take it back to the storage facility. Some storage facilities will charge from $50-100/month.
Or just rent a room somewhere, I know that I wouldn't like to stay in a motel room for home time. I want something that I could call home. Also if it matters to you legally you need a home to use the per deim deduction on your taxes.
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#7
Rookie
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 7
here's what I did. I stayed in the truck until i had the money saved. then I went on craigslist and searched until i found a cheap house. 30k is what i paid for it. the house can not be lived in. but it came with the 4 main things i was looking for. power,water,electric and it sits on an 1.25 acres. the payment were 300 a month to live near the ocean in florida. I bought the house at the end of 2009. it's now paid off. while i was paying for the house. I saved up about 8k. then i went back on craigslist and found a nice fifth wheel camper. it was $4200. I set it up behind the house. mean while. I had to clear most of the property of growth and trash and other junk. so now that it 2013 I managed to save up enough money to build a new home. so now all I have is the basics to pay for. as you will find out. the quality of live in america is really any different then it is in most of europe. you will also see. that a good 90% of truckers barely have enough money for a cup of coffee. and as you read on most of the american trucking fourms. is drivers bitching about not having any money. 85% of the drivers here. get there entire check while on the road. and they blow it on what ever. and they are usually broke by saturday night. people here lack self discipline. so they rarely save enough money for the bad times and for unforeseeable expenses. the other thing most people lack in america. is the knowledge and the ability to get things done on there own. the other thing they lack is the knowledge on how to make there money work for them. so what does all this mean exactly. when driver end up getting put out of trucking for what ever reason. they usually end up working a low paying job. and struggling to pay the bills. why? they've strayed from the original plan have what the were after in the first place.
this aside, most europeans only come to america just to see the country. so they drive a truck here for a few years. save the money the make. and when they are tired or have seen the entire country. they go back home. very few stay in america. mostly because of the culture here is completely different. and they find out that the american government does very little for their people. and to give you some idea on campers and campgrounds. most of the campgrounds have an age restriction for campers. depending on what kind of camper you buy. you may need a pick-up to pull it with. hotels vary in price. most give a cdl discount. which can be as little as $40 a night. by the week ranges from $150 to $500. the nicest hotels are higher. and the area doesn't matter that much. apartments and houses can be as little as $300 a month. and as much as $5,000 a month. the area matters. and that is for the rent only. rental homes are with the same price range. another thing to consider. truck parking. many cities and county across the country don't allow heavy trucks on city streets or county roads. so ideally you will also want to look for something near the trucking company terminal. my last bit of advice. call around and check out various places to get an idea of what the costs are. plus you have to understand. the average weekly take home for american truckers. is $500 a week. and it doesn't go very far in a traveling career.
#8
Senior Board Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Florida
Posts: 1,882
Best Places to Live...
First, relocate to a state with no individual income taxes since you now have the opportunity. Look for a mailbox rental place who's address appears to be an apartment or street address. Some states don't accept box numbers as a valid address to send a driver's license to. A motel room for your downtime won't set you back that much, just pick one with truck parking. I have a home, but I'm only home about four days a month, next door neighbor is my "admin assistant". Keeps the mail box empty. BOL
#9
This is interesting as I am going to be moving out of my apartment and going into trucking at the same time. I was wondering about an apartment, but I hate paying 500 - 650 rent plus utilities knowing I will only get home on the weekends. I really want to be out longer but this company I am starting with doesn't offer that. A motel is an idea, but I also want to feel at home when I am home. Decisions decisions! I wonder if shared housing for a couple truckers might be an option. LOL
#10
Rookie
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 1
I stayed in my truck for about a month then I did the whole motel thing. I found myself starting to get a bit depressed. I found a condo in the middle of no where Indiana and rented in for about three years. It was great I had a house when I was home but didn't have to mow and do all that not fun stuff when I was home. I could enjoy my yard. I would do it again in a heart beat best use of money.
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