Living / Home Options For OTR Drivers

I know home time and living arrangements has been talked about a lot here but I couldn't find a thread that quite addressed my thought:

Has anyone either bought or considered buying a piece of land and putting a couple of "tiny" houses or manufactured homes on it? My thought is: Wouldn't it be kind of perfect, if you're in the position to do so, to purchase an area of land, put 2 or 3 small dwellings on it and rent out the one(s) you're not using? I figured, that way there is someone on the property while you're out on the road AND you'll have somewhere to park your rig when you go home.

I suppose purchasing a duplex or something like that would have similar benefits. Of course, you'd have to have a renter that you really trusted. For those who may not have someone whose address they can use (if they live in their rig), what other options have you considered? I feel like I'm lucky I still have 3 years to come up w/ my grand plan while my kids finish HS.

Thanks guys! =)

I wouldn't want to do the lot/tiny_home/rental thing you described, but to answer your other question, for mail I use a location from the anytime mailbox network for my mailing address. See anytimemailbox.com for options. I use their Las Vegas location so no state income tax and the price is lower with more included than many other desirable locations. One never need go there, in fact my location doesn't even allow in-person visits.

Some states don't allow commercial mail locations to be used for a driver license address, in which case someone would need to be found that would allow you to use their home address only for driver license purposes. I found someone I met at my prior company that allowed me to do that...the DMV still allowed my mailbox address to be used for mailing, so nothing was ever actually sent to him. The mailbox place emails a photo of the front of each envelope that you receive...you then direct them to scan the contents, or trash it, or forward it. On the rare occasion i need something forwarded, I forward to a relative.

To store my non-trucking clothing, I use DUFL. See dufl.com For $9.95/month they'll store all your clothing. If you're going on a vacation or to a wedding or something, you give them an address and for $99 they'll send you a suitcase of the items you select on their app, pick it up when you're finished, wash what needs washing, dry clean what needs dry cleaning, mend what needs mending, and put your stuff back in your closet for next time. It's a great deal, imo.

If you've got more junk you want to store somewhere, you can get a storage locker somewhere for $100/month or so.

All this is far cheaper than "living" somewhere you're not actually going to be living because you're an OTR trucker.

When you want to take a day or two off, do so at a relative's/friends place or get a motel. If you need transportation, take a taxi or rent a car. You can do those things anywhere you want to be, instead of being stuck going to a specific spot.

When I'm ready for vacation, I order a suitcase from DUFL and go on a cruise. I'm doing a two-week South American cruise in March. Mighty glad I don't have any household expenses sucking up my $ :-).

I know home time and living arrangements has been talked about a lot here but I couldn't find a thread that quite addressed my thought:

Has anyone either bought or considered buying a piece of land and putting a couple of "tiny" houses or manufactured homes on it? My thought is: Wouldn't it be kind of perfect, if you're in the position to do so, to purchase an area of land, put 2 or 3 small dwellings on it and rent out the one(s) you're not using? I figured, that way there is someone on the property while you're out on the road AND you'll have somewhere to park your rig when you go home.

I suppose purchasing a duplex or something like that would have similar benefits. Of course, you'd have to have a renter that you really trusted. For those who may not have someone whose address they can use (if they live in their rig), what other options have you considered? I feel like I'm lucky I still have 3 years to come up w/ my grand plan while my kids finish HS.

Thanks guys! =)

I have been a landlord, and will never again. It is a nightmare. Constantly having to repair damages after tenants move gets to you. We had one tenant even take the carpeting when she left

I thought your question was going to be to build a bunch of tiny houses and rent them to truckers as a permanent address. :)

I have been a landlord, and will never again. It is a nightmare. Constantly having to repair damages after tenants move gets to you. We had one tenant even take the carpeting when she left

I thought your question was going to be to build a bunch of tiny houses and rent them to truckers as a permanent address. :)

Haha, it would be kind of cool to have a tiny house community of TT truckers!

Dave, that is a lot of good info to consider. Rent is SO ridiculously overpriced where I live; about 32% of my annual income goes to rent (makes me want to vomit to realize it's that high of a percentage). Any idea which states will let you use a commercial mail location as an address? Suppose I could google it =)

Dave, that is a lot of good info to consider. Rent is SO ridiculously overpriced where I live; about 32% of my annual income goes to rent (makes me want to vomit to realize it's that high of a percentage). Any idea which states will let you use a commercial mail location as an address? Suppose I could google it =)

Texas used to....even took PO BOXes...not sure whether they still do. You'll likely have a tough time getting by with that these days, and I don't think Google will help. You can check each state that interests you on their driver license website. None are going to say that commercial mailboxes are accepted, but they'll all say what documents are required for identity, and that is a start. They aren't dumb though....

Food for thought; thanks! Secondary question - are CDL's valid for the same number of years as a class C license? I presume it varies state to state... And a no-restrictions medical card is good for 2 years?

Food for thought; thanks! Secondary question - are CDL's valid for the same number of years as a class C license? I presume it varies state to state... And a no-restrictions medical card is good for 2 years?

For States I've seen procedures of, they issue commercial driver licenses for the same term as others, however, if you get the hazmat endorsement, you'll have to furnish continued eligibility for that, if the State issues a license with expiration beyond the period the hazmat qualification from TSA is good for.

re the med card, yes, the longest possible is two years.

I've also been a landlord and property manager in the past, would not want to deal with that while on the road. I just have my little place in Florida that is paid for, just pay reasonable lot rent about equal to what storage would cost me, I plan to take my time off wherever a good hiking trail calls me and my dog in the summers and in Florida in the winters.

Last May I purchased 6 acres, and the intent is to put a modest smaller home there (but not a tiny one)... And have NO neighbors. Small, because I don't want to have room for my adult kids to consider moving back home. My other halfs shop/mancave will be larger than my house. I might eventually add a tiny guest house for my kids should they decide to visit us at our happy shack in the woods, otherwise they're free to get a motel room about 30 miles away hahaha.

Last May I purchased 6 acres, and the intent is to put a modest smaller home there (but not a tiny one)... And have NO neighbors. Small, because I don't want to have room for my adult kids to consider moving back home. My other halfs shop/mancave will be larger than my house. I might eventually add a tiny guest house for my kids should they decide to visit us at our happy shack in the woods, otherwise they're free to get a motel room about 30 miles away hahaha.

THAT sounds absolutely perfect! Great plan. I've always wanted a "man cave" as I have a lot of cool sports memorabilia but that stuff can certainly hang out in storage for a number of years while I establish myself in trucking and figure out what I want to do in the distant future =)