Lady Expediters
- Thread starter Marmino
- Start date
I'm not a lady expediter, but I think I can give a little advice here. The best showers are at the Flying-J in London, ON - but as a rule the showers at most J's and petro's are pretty decent. I'm not much on the kitchen, but instant grits made a lot of warm, stick to your ribs breakfasts in my truck. I hope this helps, and best of luck in your new adventure!
Ditto on Flying J. I like that most Flying J's have two towels and a paper foot mat. TA lately seems to have the oldest towels in the country, and, they only provide one.
I drove with a trainer who would buy 4 frozen tv dinners and put them in his cooler. By the fourth evening, the last one was very well defrosted, but hadn't gone bad.
I agree on the grits. My crappy truck hasn't got the ability to let me heat water very fast, so I've given up on the grits and Ramen noodles. I eat in restaurants and carry string cheese, sandwich cheese slices, and some fruit for when I'm driving. Someday, I might have a real sleeper with a microwave.......
Most anything can be cooked in a micro-wave. Buy your food at Wal-Mart. And, if you need cash, get it using your ATM card at Wal-Mart. There is no charge to do that as opposed to ATM machines or ComData cards.
Hope this helps.
Chet
I drove with a trainer who would buy 4 frozen tv dinners and put them in his cooler. By the fourth evening, the last one was very well defrosted, but hadn't gone bad.
I agree on the grits. My crappy truck hasn't got the ability to let me heat water very fast, so I've given up on the grits and Ramen noodles. I eat in restaurants and carry string cheese, sandwich cheese slices, and some fruit for when I'm driving. Someday, I might have a real sleeper with a microwave.......
Most anything can be cooked in a micro-wave. Buy your food at Wal-Mart. And, if you need cash, get it using your ATM card at Wal-Mart. There is no charge to do that as opposed to ATM machines or ComData cards.
Hope this helps.
Chet
Hi My Name is Mary,RichM,s wife. In my opinion the Flying J's are the best showers available from the big three,Flying J,Pilot,and Petro. I think the best time frame is between 11AM and 3 PM, at that time they usually have showers available. I like the Flying J because they seem to have the most room in the showers ,then the other truck stops. However if you get out west the Little America truckstops in Arizona and Wyoming and Utah have extremely attractive facilities with bathtubs etc.Also a very good one is in Du Bois Pa
I generally always leave a small tip, about a dollar or so if the shower is up to snuff.Most of those attendants are working for minimum wage and if they do a good job should be rewarded.
As far as the truck goes I make sure we have alot of water on board ,to brush my teeth with and clean my face.We have one of those 12 volt stoves that can heat water in about 5 minutes.
We also have a small Porta Potty,the guy that I am married to does not want me walking into a truck stop in the middle of the night to use the restroom. We then empty this thing in rest areas at the RV dump or inside in a stall.
Sometimes you simply have to have a motel room for the night,the other half will complain like crazy about the cost,just IGNORE HIM. After 1 hour in the room when he is clean and dry watching a NFL game he will say ' Great idea to get this room "
Good Luck.this lifestyle has it's moments ,both positive and negative but the positives outweigh the ngeatives by a large amount..
I generally always leave a small tip, about a dollar or so if the shower is up to snuff.Most of those attendants are working for minimum wage and if they do a good job should be rewarded.
As far as the truck goes I make sure we have alot of water on board ,to brush my teeth with and clean my face.We have one of those 12 volt stoves that can heat water in about 5 minutes.
We also have a small Porta Potty,the guy that I am married to does not want me walking into a truck stop in the middle of the night to use the restroom. We then empty this thing in rest areas at the RV dump or inside in a stall.
Sometimes you simply have to have a motel room for the night,the other half will complain like crazy about the cost,just IGNORE HIM. After 1 hour in the room when he is clean and dry watching a NFL game he will say ' Great idea to get this room "
Good Luck.this lifestyle has it's moments ,both positive and negative but the positives outweigh the ngeatives by a large amount..
Hey thanks gal and guys. We are driving for Fed Ex. We have a 84 inch sleeper with micro, fridge and sink, but no potty (maybe next time). I really didn't know if we needed to take our own towels. This is totally new to us but more exciting than anything we have have done so far. It's so funny we startred out thinking we could get a cargo van and have a fun job and now we have a D unit, CDL's and the whole works. We were thinking of a cargo van because we figured a D unit would be every bit of $40,000. Ha Ha. I ran across a bath in a bag when a friend was in the hosp. The are mocrowavable and are kinda like a really thick baby wipe, they make a decent bath when there is no time but you just have to freshen up. They are available at medical supply stores. Also found some finger toothbrushes at Wal Mart., no sink required. These things in addition to the throw away dish cloths should make for an easy ride.
Thanks everyone!
Thanks everyone!
Great tip about Bath in a Bag.Did a Google on it and came up with...
www.allegromedical.com/bard.html
Another item we really like is No Rinse Shampoo avail at Sallys Beauty Supply.Cost $7.00 bottle and is great for those inbetween times.
Untill we can get ahold of a supply of bath bags, I just dampen a wash cloth with water that has about 10% alchol added.Thwow it in the microwave for a few seconds.Works fair and there is no rinseing necessary.
www.allegromedical.com/bard.html
Another item we really like is No Rinse Shampoo avail at Sallys Beauty Supply.Cost $7.00 bottle and is great for those inbetween times.
Untill we can get ahold of a supply of bath bags, I just dampen a wash cloth with water that has about 10% alchol added.Thwow it in the microwave for a few seconds.Works fair and there is no rinseing necessary.
Bacteria and mold which can grow a fungus can build up on your shower shoes. Best thing to do is when you are ready to put your socks on is to spray your feet and shoes with a alcohol solution.This will eliminate any type of fungus that might grow on your slippers or feet.
aquawarrior7
Expert Expediter
Another idea that took us a wile when we started is buy a "truck stop guide" and "the next exit" so you can see what exit your favorite reasturants or truck stops are before you get there. We usually go to Flying j's and we always have a shower opportunity there.
For food before we started cutting down on carbs we ould get the spagetti that comes in the plastic boxes you don't even have to refrigerate it so it doesnt take up space there. We would buy the sauce in the jar mama's or something,sorry been to long.But it was good add a little feta cheese and mmm mmm good.k now I'm hungry.
Can soup is good, make sure you get a can opener though.lol
till later
For food before we started cutting down on carbs we ould get the spagetti that comes in the plastic boxes you don't even have to refrigerate it so it doesnt take up space there. We would buy the sauce in the jar mama's or something,sorry been to long.But it was good add a little feta cheese and mmm mmm good.k now I'm hungry.
Can soup is good, make sure you get a can opener though.lol
till later
With every bit of luck we should be in orientation July 19th with out the luck by July 21st. Trying to get all the last minute detils(base plates, proof of ins, physicals, drug tests and picking up the truck in Detroit (we're across the river from St Louis) coming back home, loading up then getting to Ohio. We have also been dealing with limited service for CDL test and endorsements in Illinois. But we will make it and let you know in about six weeks.
I thumbed through The Next Exit and wondered if it would be money well spent, I might pick that up on your recomendation. We too are doing the lo carb thing but several resturants are picking up on it and serving decent meals. We only plan on one meal out a day. Personally I think this will be an easy way to diet, better than sitting at a computer keyboard all day eating candy because there is no time for lunch, at least I'll have a fridge full of veggies and legal food to get too instead of the "anything goes after 5:00pm diet.
Thanks
Thanks
We are now home after 30 days on the road. Fed Ex is wonderful, I can't say enough about their headquarters in Green Ohio, I was very impressed with the professional and friendly staff. In 30 days we hit 23 states and Ontario. We were down 5 days due to air conditioning problems in three different locations but stil very happy with our experience. I prefer Pilot for showers. Flying J doesn't accept Comdata and I'm not going to pay $7 for a shower. Sleep management was a problem the first couple weeks but we're better at it now. We have also learned alot about time management and the importance of taking an hour to shower after a run, even if it means taking ourselves out of service. We are happy to be home but unlike the traditional job with the traditional vacation, we are not hesitating to return to duty.
We too ran up against the problem of Fly J not taking Comcheck.We had our checking acct "Pre-approved" and use it instead.This saves a lot in CC fees.They will give you cash avove the fuel cost based on your pre-approved limit.FJ has a lot of advantages.Low or lowest fuel cost,excelent showers,and great WiFi.
I prefer Flying J, also. I conquered the ComData problem there by getting their PDCA MasterCard Debit card. It gives me the cash price and it is so easy to transfer from my bank account onto the card. I do it by phone right now, but they have assured me that by the end of September I will be able to do the transfers online.
I love Flying J. I love having 2 towels and a mat to step on in the shower. (I hate showers at TA cause I think they haven't updated or cleaned them in years. I think the towels at TA were stolen from a Goodwill drop box they are so thin and old! Pilot has better towels and showers than TA!!!)
I love Flying J because I don't have to get 50 gallons of diesel to earn showers. 2 25 or more gallon purchases get me a shower. I don't always need 50 gallons. Sometimes I top off cause I know I'm going into New York and I'll be darned if I will willingly pay those prices!!!
Although TA has a good deal on WiFi right now, most of their locations are so ignorant about WiFi and have networks that are down and if you ask anybody inside they say "Huh????". Flying J works everywhere I go. Including London, Ontario and Napanee, Ontario (it is dog slow in Napanee for some reason).
It's sort of funny that I care about which truck stop I go to because my sleeper has a toilet and shower . But, I hate to do more work than necessary. So, I will take a shower in a truck stop rather than using my truck shower so I won't have to fill and empty the tanks as often. I'm so lazy.
I also run for FedEx Custom Critical, but as a solo. I love the company. I'm glad the owner of my truck decided to go with them. I'm happy to hear you share the feeling.
Pasta Anytime. That's the boxed pasta and sauce. It's great. I'm a vegetarian, so I am very picky on what I can eat. I love salads. I like to get to a Wendy's and buy 3 or more baked potatos and several side salads. I put them in my refrigerator (the salads need to be eaten quickly, as they get reefer rust (a Navy expression). Also, cheese and bean burritos either frozen from Wal-Mart or fresh from Taco Bell keep well.
Hope you can use some of this information.
Chet
I love Flying J. I love having 2 towels and a mat to step on in the shower. (I hate showers at TA cause I think they haven't updated or cleaned them in years. I think the towels at TA were stolen from a Goodwill drop box they are so thin and old! Pilot has better towels and showers than TA!!!)
I love Flying J because I don't have to get 50 gallons of diesel to earn showers. 2 25 or more gallon purchases get me a shower. I don't always need 50 gallons. Sometimes I top off cause I know I'm going into New York and I'll be darned if I will willingly pay those prices!!!
Although TA has a good deal on WiFi right now, most of their locations are so ignorant about WiFi and have networks that are down and if you ask anybody inside they say "Huh????". Flying J works everywhere I go. Including London, Ontario and Napanee, Ontario (it is dog slow in Napanee for some reason).
It's sort of funny that I care about which truck stop I go to because my sleeper has a toilet and shower . But, I hate to do more work than necessary. So, I will take a shower in a truck stop rather than using my truck shower so I won't have to fill and empty the tanks as often. I'm so lazy.
I also run for FedEx Custom Critical, but as a solo. I love the company. I'm glad the owner of my truck decided to go with them. I'm happy to hear you share the feeling.
Pasta Anytime. That's the boxed pasta and sauce. It's great. I'm a vegetarian, so I am very picky on what I can eat. I love salads. I like to get to a Wendy's and buy 3 or more baked potatos and several side salads. I put them in my refrigerator (the salads need to be eaten quickly, as they get reefer rust (a Navy expression). Also, cheese and bean burritos either frozen from Wal-Mart or fresh from Taco Bell keep well.
Hope you can use some of this information.
Chet