Paring back expenses on the road and at home - Part 1

 I can hear you already saying “I’m doing everything I can already”.  But are you really?  We sometimes overlook little things and it’s those little things that all add up in the big overall picture.  There isn’t any one big thing more to change that you haven’t already changed, it’s all the little things added together that make a difference.  You’ve already taken care of the obvious, now it’s time to look at the smaller stuff.

First let’s look at what else you can do in the your trucking business.  

Knowing your cost per mile and taking loads that will make you money is a step in the right direction.  

Minimizing your meal expenses by taking along fresh fruit that doesn’t need refrigeration from home to help supplement your meals.  Take along a cooler with some cold packs for sandwiches and such.  If you give it some thought I’m sure you can come up with lots of other ideas that will work for you and your trucking situation.

Good truck maintenance.  Check your tire pressure regularly.  Drive slower at a more constant speed.  Avoid quick starts / stops.  Keep the weight on your truck and in your cab to a minimum.  Extra unnecessary weight reduces your fuel economy.  Reduce idling time.  Consider an auxiliary power source to cool / heat your cab in place of running your truck.  

Take along enough clean cloths to last out your trip until you return home.  Doing laundry on the road gets costly.  Especially when you have everything you need to do laundry at home already.

If you experience long layovers with nothing to do, chances are you’ll be spending money.  Invest in a small TV/VCR.  Set up your home VCR to tape programs while you are gone and take the videos with you when you are gone to catch up on favorite programs. Take along used books and swap with other truckers for reading material.

Setup your cellphone plan to handle calling home and keeping in touch with family without costing you an arm and a leg every month.  Staying connected is important to your family and to you.  Relationships are hard enough to maintain even if you are home daily, let alone be gone for weeks at a time.  It’s hard on the kids to not stay connected with you too.

Keep track of all your road expenses to later take as a write-off on your taxes.  If you are an independent driver, there are quite a few write-offs you are eligible for. For example you may be able to deduct: alarm clocks, batteries, cell phones (and chargers), check cashing fees, de-icer, CDL driver’s license, floor mats, first aid supplies, laundry supplies, maps, map lamps, toilet paper, parking fees and paper towels.  Always check with a professional accounting for what you can and cannot write off before sending in your taxes.  Every little bit helps.

These are just a few ideas to help with the trucking expenses.  I’m sure you can come up with even more.

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