Taking A Shower On The Road

I keep reading about how truckers don't shower every day...is it by choice/laziness/lack of hygiene or because rare are the truck stops with shower facilities??? This is a big issue for me. I shower every single morning to start my day, do my hair and simple quick make up, then I feel like a million bucks. It takes me 40 minutes or less to do all of it, being in the shower 5 to 10 minutes, depending if I'm shaving (I shave every other day). Only times I don't shower is because I'm very sick or occasionally spending a lazy day at home.

Personal hygiene is very important to me. I'm not feeling myself otherwise. Having access to a shower, even if for 10 minutes, is essential. I can dress and do my hair elsewhere to free up the shower for someone else.

I keep reading about how truckers don't shower every day...is it by choice/laziness/lack of hygiene or because rare are the truck stops with shower facilities??? This is a big issue for me. I shower every single morning to start my day, do my hair and simple quick make up, then I feel like a million bucks. It takes me 40 minutes or less to do all of it, being in the shower 5 to 10 minutes, depending if I'm shaving (I shave every other day). Only times I don't shower is because I'm very sick or occasionally spending a lazy day at home.

Personal hygiene is very important to me. I'm not feeling myself otherwise. Having access to a shower, even if for 10 minutes, is essential. I can dress and do my hair elsewhere to free up the shower for someone else.

You can take regularly scheduled showers. But sometimes, where you stop may not have showers, or you may be too tired, and just not have enough time, between paperwork, and such. You will be able to figure out a system that works best for you.

"Scheduled" showers?

It's more that you're not guaranteed to spend a night in a truck stop every night. Also, you only get one shower credit every time you fuel. You may also not have shower credits for the truck stop that you're at. It also depends on how tight you are on time to make your pick-up/delivery, so you may very well just not have the time. Granted that some folks get stinky because they are lazy, but I'd like to think that those folks aren't the majority.

You have ten hours you have to stop not driving so you stop for the night are you gonna sleep for the hole ten ? I don't so sleep 8 you have 2 hours to do pretty much what you want you say it takes you bout 45 mins to shower make up and what not then you have an hour and 15 to do paperwork eat or whatever

Http://www.truckstops.com/moretf1.html list all truck stops with or without showers

I'm a clean freak myself and if I don't have my daily shower I start feeling like a bum. I would imagine there would be an opportunity for a shower, if not daily, then at least every other day.

In a similar vein, can a truck be outfitted with a shower like an RV has? How common is a set-up like that?

Shower credits??? Wth is that?? Can't you just pay a few bucks to use the shower?? What is this...some kind of privilege pass or something? lol

And I'd most likely take my shower very early morning, before leaving.

Shorts run $10 to $15 Most major truck stops have rewards programs /cards that will give you enough credits to shower with each fill up . However you will not be able to fill up every day and sometimes you will have to use another brand truck stop. Add this to the problem of over crowded trucks stops where you may be able to buy fuel but will not find room to park your rig . Now if you can find local work you maybe home every nite , but the down side of that is. $$ and the fact that most local jobs require labor as well as driving .

Showers cost between $8 and $13 on the road, so shower credits quickly become part of your trip planning. And as Dan and James said, sometimes there's not enough time to get a shower.

For example, Wednesday I delivered in Kansas City. After I got empty, the nearest truck stop was a Pilot. I didn't have any credits there, and anyway as I was eating I got a load and had just enough time to get there in time for the appointment. I picked up the load and drove to the terminal to pick up some tarps (that load from heck just before thanksgiving shredded three of my tarps). I got that done and headed to the receiver. I had no time for a shower because I wanted to get empty first thing without starting my clock, and my 14 hour clock was almost out when I got there.

Next day I got empty and got a load right away, again just enough time to drive to the shipper to make my appointment. It took me six hours to get out of there, four of those just waiting, but there is no shower there and anyway I had to wait in my truck since I didn't know when they were going to get to me. Got out of there and drove to a truck stop where I had shower credits . . . and their showers were not working.

Just got empty in Kansas City this morning, waiting for a load. I could drive to the Flying J two miles away and shower, but it is literally the nastiest truck stop I've ever been to so I'm not going there. So when I get my load on today, the plan is to drive somewhere and take a shower. That's how I end up going three days without one. Sometimes that's how it goes.

When I had a regular job, I too showered in the morning. Now that I pull a flatbed, it's much more preferable to shower at night, after I've gotten sweaty and dirty from unloading and loading.