Eating on the Cheap

guido4475 · Jan 16, 2010

As far as cheap ways/places to eat:

Pizza Hut, the Panourmous 9" pizza,1 topping.$5.45,enough for 2 meals.

McDonalds, 10 piece Mcnuggets and small fry, $5.00
Hotcakes and sausage,1 milk, $5.00
Churches/Popeyes chicken, $5.00 will fill even me up there.

One can of Campbell's soup, carry a microwaveable container with a sealed lid, and go to Wa-Mart and spend $!.25 per can, and use the t-stop microwave and that will fill a person up as well.

There are many other ways to eat cheap as well, but these are just a few.We all fall on bad times at one time or another in our lives. I hate to spend money on something knowing I can get it cheaper some other way.AS much as I love to be clean, and take a shower,I can't stand paying $10.00 for a shower.

OntarioVanMan · Jan 16, 2010

You guys have some great ideas but some are getting ahead of my initial suggestions... I am referring to the new guy maybe driving for a fleet owner van/truck is virtually empty..every cent he/she makes just pays the bill at home..they are out there...

guido4475 · Jan 16, 2010

So it is up to us to guide and help them where we can, right?

OntarioVanMan · Jan 16, 2010

From a business point of view..I hate to see these types out here and wish they'd go away...

From a human point of view...I wish them no harm and kind of respect that they are trying to make ends meet in a very rough profession.

guido4475 · Jan 16, 2010

And we all have to admit, this is a different lifestle than most would want to be accustomed to...Takes alot of patience, from us and our spouses as well.

Slo-Ride · Jan 16, 2010

transporter said:
the sooner these people are gone the better. for the professional expediter and those people to.

Thats kinda a rought statement in these times dont ya think Bro? Really nothing good about someone trying to live and work out here and being down and out for any reason and then add slow freight to the mix things can only get worst for em.Keep in mind so many are just one break down or acciendent away from being done now.Hard times arnt allways the fault of the guy thats hungry.Shippers dont care a bit if your hungry or broke down that freight is going to move one way or another, even if its on a hook..

Now what do some of ya got against hot dogs (talking all beef here) I throw the whole pack on the grill alot..With the right trimmings and a good side dish I think they make a good meal and cheap one

guido4475 · Jan 16, 2010

Hotdogs....Try wrapping them in a crescent roll then baking them. Really good, with a little butter on them.I know, cholesterol city..

greg334 · Jan 16, 2010

OntarioVanMan said:
From a business point of view..I hate to see these types out here and wish they'd go away...

You are frikn' joking OVM?

OntarioVanMan · Jan 16, 2010

greg334 said:
You are frikn' joking OVM?

Nope..not at all...

greg334 · Jan 16, 2010

Well those are not the ones you need to worry about, it is the ones who do this for fun, a paid vacation or as a supplemental income -

dispatch - I have a run, 600 miles and it is for 63 cents a mile. Want it?

driver - ah... 63 cents ... well that's more than I was paid on the last one ... yep I'll take it.

dispatch - ok I'll send it over.

That is an actual call to a driver who was telling me that he is doing this just for fun.

A lot of the people who are struggling are not the ones who don't care what the rates are.

OntarioVanMan · Jan 16, 2010

and those ones as well...but they (the ones) you point out aren;t usually the topic here..your recreational drivers usual have food money...

blizzard2014 · Jan 16, 2010

Breakfast 2 Mcdolands egg and cheese mcmuffins 2 for 350 and lunch 1 buffet to go at the Flying J or Petro. The buffet to go is like 7.99 plus tax and you can break that down into two meals. That is going to be my diet when I head back out on the road with limited funds. Especially if one does not have a fridge or microwave. Now for beverages, you can make your own coffee in the van, or tee, and purchase your softdrinks in bulk, and just get a cup of ice every day for 10 cents.

That is like 14 bucks a day of actual real eating. If you go too cheap, you're just going to be miserable out here. I even get hotel rooms every saturday and sunday when i'm not running now. It costs about 3600 dollars a year. But, you have to have ammenities or else you will go crazy out here.

How much is too much? One can do quite well out here if your only bill is a cell phone, maintenance, and your bobtail insurance. Instead of buying a new van every three years, perhaps one could use that extra cash to live better on the road.

guido4475 · Jan 17, 2010

OntarioVanMan said:
and those ones as well...but they (the ones) you point out aren;t usually the topic here..your recreational drivers usual have food money...

Ya, the typical recreational expeditor usually have money because they have most everything paid for,And have the retirement coming in.So I would think freight rates to them are not of great importance, because they are getting paid to see the country, right?Which is not a bad way to spend retirement, I guess, but screws it up for the working class depending on every dime we make to make a living.To them it may be just spending money.

transporter · Jan 17, 2010

slo ride, yes it is a harsh statement. if they are in a state of constant hunger how are they going to repair a brake down? they wont they are done, and maybe 1000 miles away from home.
Are they replacing brake pads and worn tires. not likely. they are a danger to all motorist. if you cant make enough out here to eat go home get a local job or collect unemployment. yes we have all had bad week or weeks during 09 recession i am not speaking about these people i am talking about those out there perpetually broke.
how many of us have heard drivers complaining about their company not getting them the miles, but they turn down loads for varios reasons.
they are late on deliveries
they have a couple good weeks than blow the money on worthless shzzz.

blizzard2014 · Jan 17, 2010

Last year I blew my money on new rotors, brakes, beefed up leaf springs, a 480 dollar tune up, and new tires about 1 month before my engine blew. So, you can say I did blow my money on worthless stuff because I needed all of that stuff to be on my next van.

Bruno · Jan 17, 2010

Save-A-Lot is a good place to shop for things for the truck. You can get away with spending less than $20.00 a week for meals.

nightcreacher · Jan 17, 2010

The more I read this thread,the happier I'm with the company I'm at.
There is never a week that I have to skimp on my meals to survive.
Yes I know about breakdowns,in fact not to long ago I spent $2500 reparing my truck in California,then was a couple days getting reloaded,but my co driver and I were still able to eat real meals.
Maybe if you don't make enough to eat,you should take different loads

skyraider · Jan 17, 2010

chefdennis said:
Shadow, I removed the pass seat, i have a 120 volt dormroom frig and freezier and a 1200 watt microwave in a cabinet i built. they are powered by (2) 6 volt golf cart batteries and a 3000 watt inverter......I also have a 19 in flat screen TV mounted on the wall a twinsize bed, 12000 btu's of heat and 12000 btu's of AC....all in a CV....and i still can haul up to 3000 lbs and (2) 52X48 skids if the need arises.......one of these days ill figure out how to post pictures up here and get pictures of my setup on here....

A friend of mine has done almost the same thing u have done, except no tv. I have a one ton cv and have plenty of room for the above . I also put a platform on the back of my van that swings out to the side where I put extra stuff to get it out of my van, I now have plenty of room

OntarioVanMan · Jan 17, 2010

transporter said:
slo ride, yes it is a harsh statement. if they are in a state of constant hunger how are they going to repair a brake down? they wont they are done, and maybe 1000 miles away from home.
Are they replacing brake pads and worn tires. not likely. they are a danger to all motorist. if you cant make enough out here to eat go home get a local job or collect unemployment. yes we have all had bad week or weeks during 09 recession i am not speaking about these people i am talking about those out there perpetually broke.
how many of us have heard drivers complaining about their company not getting them the miles, but they turn down loads for varios reasons.
they are late on deliveries
they have a couple good weeks than blow the money on worthless shzzz.

Yes there is some lets say bottom feeding drivers out here or less then pristine lets say..how they ever made it past orientation/screening who knows...
I really think carriers should raise the bar..a little more in depth study of drivers, OO's they are about to put on..