Profile For Peltier

Moving to illinois is a bad idea not because its more than California with costs but because there are better options really nearby.

I agree with everything you stated, it's just that, as I mentioned in my other post, my partner enjoys working at innovative startups. They are just more prevalent in Chicago. Ideally, it would be a peach if we could land somewhere between Milwaukee and Madison or Milwaukee and Green Bay. Unfortunately those areas are a ghost land for what she's into for work. Indiana doubles commute time to Milwaukee compared to Chicago. It's just closer to our extended family.

I've really enjoyed reading this thread. I was surprised to read how much so many of you focus on eating right. Good tips on heating and cooling of your food. I had been reading PackRat's diary and was hoping there was more info on diet and sleep patters, but this kind of helps fill that in for me. I have had high cholesterol and when I did a high fat, low carb diet, my levels spiked. This doesn't happen to everyone, some actually have the opposite happen, but each person is different. What is the general consensus on caffeine for truckers? I personally am very dependent on it and pretty much have a constant intake throughout the day. It seems with varying driving hours and sleep schedules as mentioned here, that one would have to be careful with the caffeine so you aren't wide awake when it comes time to get some shut eye.

In order from high school BA in Econ from Wisconsin-Madison Line Cook 2 years Indoor water park reservations 1 year Hotel revenue management 12 years Studied Data Science - couple months Miscellaneous Driving Jobs (car) 1 year Box truck driver 1 year- current

Knight has a drop lot in Joliet, IL that I used to drop trailers at, or grab a relay trailer from.

Why would you move to Illinois? I can see leaving California, but then to Illinois...? Personally, I'm of the "less government is best" mindset, but that's just me.

That is convenient to be in Joliet.

I have a 4 month old (first) and my partner and I are from Manitowoc and Milwaukee respectively. Buying a house in the Bay Area is out of the question..a fixer upper is $550k. Respectable is about $700k. Good mobile homes are $225k. Condos $400k. Housing and rent prices are just out of control. I pay $1700 to rent a studio currently. Not necessarily conducive to a 3 person family. I could pay about a third of that for a decent sized place in the midwest. That kind of was the long term plan the whole time when I moved out to San Francisco originally in my mid 20s. I'd prefer Wisconsin personally, more to do with proximity to family than anything. She is an engineer and works at a start up and likes that environment. There are just more startups in Chicago. We'll see where she lands. The older I get, the less I care about government and politics. That is not a deciding factor.

Thanks for the warm welcome and helpful replies, much appreciated.

That's a super helpful tip that Knight has a drop lot in San Leandro. Safe to assume that I could park there on days off without issue?

If Walmart doesn't allow parking and you live in an urban area that doesn't have a drop lot nearby, what are some of the other places you've heard that people park? Also, on these days off, is it normal to only have to worry about the tractor and not the tractor-trailer combo?

I ask because it's likely I'll be moving in the next year to the midwest (Chicago or Milwaukee area) and I'm not sure if there are drop spots near there for Knight or Walmarts, etc.

Also the CAT plant makes people have steel toe boots, hard hat, goggles and hearing protection to drop and hook a trailer in a lot a couple miles from the factory.

Which of these do they provide and which are you required to have on your own? What if you don't own, do they send you to the store to buy before you can drop and hook?

I've been driving a box truck for a year now. It's been nice not staring at a computer screen 7 hours a day now. Backing isn't hard in one of these straight away, partially due to the fact that they have backup cameras in them. Is it safe to assume that since you are always transporting a different trailer that they don't have such cameras? Just using mirrors and experience I recon?

I'm close to pulling the trigger on starting a training program.

My concern is what will happen when I finish the company training and return home. Do I need to live by a drop lot or terminal?

To give a specific example, let's say I go with Knight Transportation which does training in Phoenix, AZ. I live in Hayward, CA which is not near their listed drop lots/terminals. Does that mean I would need to figure out how to get to one on my own if I want to continue driving for them?