Life sure does change....we came off the road in Feb of 2014...but we are hitting the road again in a few weeks. The money at home just isn't what we were used to, so we are going to make hay while the sun shines and next time we come off the road we will come off into retirement! Luckily, we have the same truck owner, but this time back in a straight truck (that Land Yacht was nice but a nightmare at the same time). Soooo...Hello again
Pelicn, your post prompted this response which I offer to you and to others also.
Sometimes a step back helps to clarify one's vision. Now you are coming back with a very specific goal in mind and also with knowledge of the industry. Your goal will guide your day-to-day choices, which will make you that much more effective while you are out. Be patient. Stay focused. Bank the money you make each week.
When you are in a fleet owner's truck working to fund your retirement, run offers look different than if you were say in your own truck working out there as an owner-operator. The question is not, does this run pay over $2.00 a mile? It is, does this run help us fund our retirement?
Use your down time to study more about retirement planning and wealth management. Everybody thinks they understand how money and wealth work but the fact is, few people do. That is the reason why so many people live hand-to-mouth or paycheck-to-paycheck their entire lives.
The more clearly you can dial in your retirement vision, the more likely you are to achieve it. If you have not already done so, read
Rich Dad, Poor Dad and
The Total Money Makeover for starters. Continue to read about how the power of money can be harnessed to work for you. Continue to refine your retirement vision. Write it out so you know exactly what you are aiming for.
An expediter with a goal and a plan will do much better than one who is out there taking it a day at a time and hoping for the best.
Finally, you don't have to be a slave to your goal, squeezing every penny every day. Hotel stays and R&R spending for tourist attractions and trips home can be worked into the budget of course. The key word is budget. Your vision statement (written out) will help you know what to do and when.
The challenge is weighing short-term gratification against long-term goals. There is room for both in the expediting life and work. Indeed, expediting serves up travel and tourist opportunities that most people can only dream about. But it's not all fun and games. This is serious business.
Your vision statement helps keep your high-stakes retirement goal in focus and your daily deeds on track. It helps you weigh the long-term and short-term consequences of every decision you make, every day in the life.
