Balancing work life and home life is a challenge for most people in the job market today. With the economic pressure many families face, too many times home life suffers in order to make financial ends meet. Those who have (over-the-road) OTR truck driving jobs are facing quandary all the time, which results in less take home pay.

When on the road, what's life like? Both fleet and independent drivers will find that their jobs share many of the same characteristics.

You will be sleeping in your truck most of the time. 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. If you wish to stay in a motel at any time, somebody will place you in one, 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.

Make peace with the fact that you are going to be buying all of your own food when you are out on the road. Frequently eating in restaurants can break the budget, even if they are inexpensive truck stops targeting OTR drivers. Alternatively, a variety of small refrigerators and other kitchen appliances are available to equip your rig. Reduce your expenses by taking some food with you. In either case, keep all your receipts for food purchases in restaurants and in grocery stores. To claim your meals as a deduction at tax time you will need them.

How much do you have to drive to make a living at it? A report with no scientific basis indicated that 2850 to 3200 miles a week should spread the bills with some extra. 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. 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. This is something to check out before you accept a OTR truck driving job.

It should be really clear to understand that our income might fluctuate each week. 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.