The Home Support Team
of a Truck Driver:
The Essential Key to Saving Money

Every professional truck driver has certain needs that his or her home support team can help provide.

The cost savings can be great or small, direct or indirect. Every little bit saved helps. Most often we think of this team as the family members back home. In some cases (such as ours now), a driver has his team member with him on the road. In cases in which a driver has no family, he or she can still act as his or her own cost savings specialist. Have a great home support team tip? Share it!

What Are Professional Drivers' Biggest Expenses?

For an owner-operator, two of the biggest truck expenses are the truck and the fuel. Finding diesel at the lowest cost might be critical. Members of a driver's home support team who have an Internet connection may be able to find the lowest cost fuel along the driver's route by searching online. One resource is our diesel fuel prices page.

Prices are apt to fluctuate throughout the day, so up-to-date information is very valuable. A few cents per gallon on a fill-up of 200 gallons or more can really add up.

For a company driver, the cost of food and clothing may be the biggest expenses. We have provided multiple options on this website for drivers to save on meal preparation and food and recipes.

Routing and Weather Updates

Both owner-operators and company drivers may have need of advice on routing or weather conditions for specific roads. Drivers should know the fundamentals of routing by using a road atlas. (An atlas specifically geared for commercial motor vehicles is essential.) However, sometimes roads become closed (or trraffic greatly slowed down) due to construction, weather-related problems, accidents, etc.

When a driver is en route, it is difficult to use a book to find an alternate route. His or her home support team may be able to assist. Drivers who have a GPS navigator in their trucks can rely on that (as long as it is programmed for commercial motor vehicles).

There are software programs that can help a driver plan routes. There are also online mapping services such as Google Maps and MapQuest to help drivers plan routes. (Please be advised that online mapping services are not foolproof and do not necessarily provide info on height, weight or truck restrictions.)

Drivers who have a CB radio with a built-in weather band can listen to weather updates; but unfortunately, the updates often given don't tell drivers which roads go through storm-affected areas. A home support team can provide assistance.


Work Clothing

		Vicki has helped Mike save money on work shirts by shopping for them at thrift stores. One of her favorite places to shop for Mike's work shirts is a store that sells all garments for $1 (yes, a dollar) apiece –- no matter what size or condition the piece is in.
Occasionally, she'll find garments that are brand new or like new -- including long sleeved dress shirts with brand names like Van Heusen! You may be aware that many times clothing in big and tall sizes can cost more than the same style in standard sizes. One day in 2008, Vicki purchased from this thrift shop 10 shirts for Mike for $10 in various states of repair, from practically brand new to well-loved. All but one of the shirts fit Mike well. She congratulated herself on being a good steward of their money.

In 2010, Mike and Vicki were able to visit this thrift store together. Instead of just guessing at Mike's size this time and hoping all the shirts fit him, he was able to try them on. She sorted through the shirts on the racks for those she thought might be his size and made multiple trips to the fitting room. She even found one pretty shirt that fit her! We bought only the ones that were a good fit and the right color to complement our coloring.

Of course, part of being the home support team includes mending the work clothes that develop rips, tears and holes until they are no longer usable.

Laundry

Mike takes enough clothing with him that is sufficient to cover his being out on the road for 2.5 weeks at a time. When we had a home, Vicki would wash his clothes whenever he came home. Now that we are "homeless" -- and Vicki rides with Mike full-time -- he doesn't have to be concerned about coming back to their home area every weekend. Like Mike, Vicki has about 2.5 weeks' worth of clothing packed in the truck. However, no longer having a home laundry center, we take supplies with us to do laundry on the road.

Food

The most important way that Vicki serves as Mike's home support team is by supplying most of his meals in various ways. When they had a house, she provided Mike with perishable food, frozen food and foods by canning, in addition to growing some food in her home garden.

Now, she is Mike's in-truck home support team, she works to make sure that they eat nutritious food. Sometimes shopping for food on the road is a challenge, but it can be done (even if the only products at one's disposal are from the store in a truck stop.

When we go on the road, Mike loads up their ice chest with perishable and frozen foods that have either already been prepared or can be prepared. Those foods supplement the foods that Vicki canned until those run out. Mike stores the canned foods under the bunk of his truck.

Water

Vicki was filtering all of the water that Mike drank out on the road. At one time, we used a smaller Berkey in the truck to filter water resulting from ice melting in the ice chest. We carry about a number of gallons of drinking water with us when we travel. This water serves for drinking, making milk from dry skimmed milk powder, and adding to foods to keep them from being too dry when cooked in certain ways (such as the microwave oven, hot pot, or crock pot ).

Emotional Support and Sounding Board

While this section refers to no direct cost savings, it can have a tremendous impact on mental clarity on the job -- which will in turn prevent accidents -- which is an indirect cost savings. Because many truck drivers spend long hours behind the wheel with few interactions with family, there can be a tendency to get upset. Job-related stress, deadlines, delays due to construction and weather, and traffic-related trouble can all take their toll. If there are problems or emergencies at home, the situation can compound.

A driver's home support team would be well-served to understand what the driver goes through on the road. A listening ear and an investment of time can do wonders in providing the emotional support that the driver needs and wants. Perhaps a different perspective can make all the difference. What driver wouldn't want a sounding board who listens without criticism?

Speaking of loving companionship, some drivers -- solo or not -- like having a pet with them in their trucks. We have a page dedicated to pet travel as a place to help you get and share money saving tips for in-truck pets. We have lots of questions just waiting to be answered by drivers experienced in this.

Mail Processing and Data Entry

Vicki does the preliminary processing of all their mail. (Please note that opening someone else's mail is a federal offense.) She pays special attention to making sure that details from Mike's settlement sheets are properly recorded in her spreadsheet.

By helping to manage their budget, Vicki does what she can to maximize their family's savings. There is an old proverb that says, "Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow." (*)

Money saving tip: A professional driver's home support team can help save the driver money on the road. Look for opportunities that are unique to your situation. The sky is the limit. For example, if you are a classic movie buff who likes to watch full-length movies on the road, perhaps your support team can search for specific good quality but used titles online (perhaps through online auctions).

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