The life of a truck driver is filled with days and weeks of being on the road. And when you sit for most of the day, you naturally want to treat yourself to something nice. A dinner in a restaurant, a coffee from a petrol station, souvenirs to decorate your truck, and so on. As pleasant as these things are, they may eventually drain your budget to naught.
This article doesn’t suggest eliminating snacks and gifts from your life – enjoying life to the fullest is important, after all. Rather, it provides money-saving tips specifically tailored for truck drivers.
Purchase a Monthly Truck Parking Space
Getting the most out of truck stops is one of the best money-saving tips for truck drivers. When on the road, a truck parking stop is the place to eat, shower, and recharge the batteries before hitting the road again.
Most truck parking stops have amenities that you wouldn’t find in motels. These may include showers, restaurants, exercise rooms, repair shops, truck washes, and more. Even if a rest stop doesn’t offer places of entertainment, the least it provides is 24/7 access, a gated area, and surveillance cameras.
The truck parking price greatly varies on the amount of amenities and locations of the parking. One thing we know for a fact is that most of these places are significantly cheaper when your spot is reserved for a month.
Suppose your final destination remains the same for a few weeks, and you know there is a truck parking on the route you’re taking. Instead of overpaying per hour or day, it makes more sense to get a monthly parking spot.
Use Wi-Fi
Nearly every truck driving stop has Wi-Fi you can use for free. When mobile data is low, you can find free parking places to call your family and friends or download some music or videos to entertain yourself on the road.
Knowing whether a truck parking has a Wi-Fi connection is tricky, but it’s a common practice with the Truck Parking app. In the app or our website, you can click on the nearest parking and see whether they have Wi-Fi available, among other things.
Find Free Parking Through the App
Having the right tools, like GPS and apps, helps you save up costs when it comes to avoiding traffic jams or finding a place to park and rest. While GPS is easy, finding the app you can trust is a challenge. Fortunately for truck drivers, our Truck Parking Club application is designed to help truckers find a convenient place to lodge.
The registration is free, and it gives you access to the huge database of truck parking places all over the US. When on the road or beforehand, you can reserve a spot and know for a fact you won’t have to leave the main road to find a hotel.
Use Cruise Control
When you can maintain a long following distance without having to control speeds, cruise control is a lifesaver. Chances are you already use cruise control, as most trucks come with this feature. However, it may be a novelty for some new truckers.
Pressing the pedal for 10+ hours puts a lot of pressure on the knees and ankles. Cruise control not only lets your leg rest but can also get better fuel mileage, and that means less money spent on fuel.
Run Regular Truck Maintenance
Preventive maintenance is another important money-saving tip for truckers. Instead of paying a hefty amount for a repair, especially when you get stuck in the middle of nowhere, a few maintenance checks per year is more than enough to identify minor issues.
What’s also worrying is having those minor problems grow into major ones, potentially resulting in extended vehicle downtime. And unfortunately, you may not be able to close your eyes until you get your truck back on the road.
Keeping up with your truck maintenance is an expense, but the one keeping your truck fully operational in the long run.
Prepare Meals in Advance
Meal prepping should be a routine for every trucker before they hit the road. The prices in the stores or truck stops are usually marked up, and you end up paying more for products you can easily stock up with before work.
Obviously, it may be hard to prepare meals for every day of your trip, but you should consider purchasing snacks and water in bulk, which is usually cheaper, too. And if you have spare time, why not cook some meals, at least for a few days?
If you have a mini fridge and an electric skillet, you can cook your own food, even if it’s just breakfasts. Beverages like coffee and tea may leave a dent in your wallet – it’s cheaper to purchase a small coffee maker.
Ready-made food is another option you can consider, although there are healthier alternatives around. In any case, prepping your meal for work will save up money and time. In addition, you will have your favorite snacks with you at all times.
Always Check for CDL Discounts
One money-saving tip truck drivers tend to forget is to ask for CDL discounts. They may not be huge, but you have a chance to save a few bucks and eventually purchase some snacks for yourself or save them up for the next work trip.
You will be surprised to learn how many businesses offer CDL discounts, even reducing the price by 40%. From restaurants to fitness centers, you should take advantage of any opportunity to save up some money.
Benefit from Reward Programs
There is a high opportunity of you stopping at the same restaurant, cafe, or gas station. Most of them will have a loyalty program and give you points for every purchase you make. Later, these points can be spent for additional discounts or items on sale.
It’s a good idea to sign up for their programs and stick to the same places as long as you can save up some money and win free merchandise.
Set a Budget
After driving for many hours and stopping for a break, your mind and body are tired to the point when you don’t care how much money you spend in a place. That’s why any basic tracking app or Excel spreadsheet can help you budget your spending and set a limit on how much you can afford to purchase.
Budget tracking will help you calculate how much you can spend per day and how much you can potentially save if you lower your spending. Most applications can divide your expenses into needs and wants and on-road and at-home expenses.
When working, your expenses may include:
- Truck parking stops
- ATM fees
- Food
- Toilet
- Shower
- Laundry
- Entertainment
When at home, you will naturally have a slightly longer list, including:
- Utilities
- Rent /mortgage payments
- Internet
- Groceries
- Medical costs
- Childcare
- Car payments
- Streaming subscriptions
Knowing where your money goes will clear up the picture and show you which expenses can be lowered or eliminated altogether.
Final Word
Being a truck driver doesn’t mean having to spend all your salary on food and entertainment on the road. Whilst in some cases you will need to spend a few dollars on things like snacks and water, you can significantly lower the expenses with proper preparation.
Stock up on water and food, invest in a mini fridge and a small coffee machine, and prepare as many meals for the road as possible. Setting a budget limit will also help you control your spending and even save some money.
Truck Parking Club has created an application that makes life easier for many truck drivers. It helps locate cozy park trucking stops filled with necessary amenities and 24/7 security. Your personal spot can be reserved just for an hour or a prolonged period, e.g., a week or a month.
Our app was made with truck drivers in mind. With a few clicks, you can find a bed, a restaurant, and a shower to get rested and rejuvenated.
Register now and make your road more enjoyable!
The information published herein is for general informational purposes only. Truck Parking Club does not make any representations or warranties about the completeness, reliability, legality, and accuracy of this information. Any reliance placed on such material is strictly at the user’s own risk. Truck Parking Club shall not be responsible for any losses or damages incurred in connection with the information published herein.
