The majority of employees nowadays find it difficult to find a balance between their personal lives and their professional lives. With the suffering economy many breadwinners have to decide to take a second job or spend quality time with their family. Those who 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? Both fleet and independent drivers will find that their jobs share many of the same characteristics.

Usually, most drivers sleep in their trucks. Unless you have a mechanical problem that causes a long layover for repairs, a trucking company will not pay for you to stay in a motel. Some offer to house you in a motel if you need to rest; however, be aware that you pay for it later out of your paycheck. An independent carrier must remember that the more you spend on a motel room means less money you can spend on other things on life, like your mortgage.

Accept that once you're out on the open road, you will be buying your own food. 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. To reduce expenditures, pack your meals. No matter what, though, you should make sure to retain any receipts for food that you have bought from any source. Keep them in a special place so you will remember to use them at tax time.

How much do you have to drive to make a living at it? 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. All these things and more are important to keep in mind to come up with your own mileage number.

If you were able to land a drop and hook job you should be grateful. No fuss, no muss, and adios. 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. This is something to check out before you accept a OTR truck driving job.

When planning your finances you need to remember that your income is going to change from week to week and month to month. How many miles you get depends on how much freight needs to be moved. 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.