No Home Base?

[layoutshooter]

Work, play and the relationship between them mean different things to different people. For me, work and play must be or be close to the same thing. I've never kept a job I did not like. If work stops being fun, I find different work.

Work and play are not different because one is fun and the other is not fun. They are different because one produces revenue and the other does not. I work more than I play because I value wealth over poverty, but whether I am working or playing, the fun is there.

Stuff is wierd. It can be satisfying to have, desirable to have more, liberating to throw away and devestating to have it taken from you; and whatever is going on, the stuff itself does not know it exists and it has no clue or concern about what you think or how you feel about it.

I have seldom had a job that I liked. I work to earn money. I do what I have to do. If a job is not as bad as pulling teeth is it OK. I tolerate what I do to earn money. It is not fun, it just is. IF it becomes horrible, I will leave and do something else.

All of my "stuff" are just objects. Those objects are tools that allow me to enjoy the things that I enjoy doing. I enjoy hunting and fishing. Take it away would and I could not enjoy anything that I like. Getting rid of my toys would never be liberating. It would mean one of a very few things. I am dead, my health has gone down hill and I am no longer able to enjoy what I like, or the government has taken them.

 

[EASYTRADER]

My wife and I are basically fulltime, we have taken about 1 or 2 mos out of the truck but other than that we have been in service and working.

Unlike Ateam, we didn't sell our house at the begining. We paid 106k for our truck and paid it off in 40 mos., we are not debt free. But we do own a home in AZ that is completley remodeled and paid off, plus half interest in a home in CA which has a low mortgage.

If the good lord blesses us we should be totally debt free this year. Then next year will build the nest egg and we will get out.

If finacing a truck wasn't so ridicously easy when we started, I would have never gone this route. But not to many businesses allow that king of leverage. We put 6k down with 5% interest on our truck. With todays tight bank money I don't feel this business is near as attractive as it was in 06'. I talk to many people who have chunked 50k cash as a down payment to be left with a 100 to 150k note on a new truck. That ain't to good especially when you consider with that amount of cash you can open a 'real' business and go home every night.

 

[rf1712]

I've got the exact same mindset. I just wonder if the same can be accomplished solo in a CV?

 

[ATeam]

... That ain't to good especially when you consider with that amount of cash you can open a 'real' business and go home every night.

There are pros and cons to both the expediting business and the more traditional businesses that allow you to go home every night, but there is a profound difference between the two that sets expediting apart.

That is the freedom we have as expediters to take time off whenever, wherever and for however long we wish. I know of no other business that gives you the ability to do that as much as carrier-leased expediting does. To take time off, you simply tell your carrier to place you out of service. That's it. Your off. You can stay off for a few hours, days, weeks or even months without losing your ability to step back into the revenue strream and pick up exactly where you left off.

This is possible because while you are self-employed and provide a service, it is your motor carrier that does the heavy lifting when it comes to sales, marketing, customer service, compliance and other such things. Your carrier keeps the business alive and kicking, while you take time off.

If you own a business that lets you go home every night, you may also own a business that gives you little freedom to take your eyes off it for long. The revenue prospects of that business may be better and you may be able to go home every night, but it offers nowhere near the amount of freedom expediting does.

 

[DCH474]

I would love to have the freedom that ATeam has, but like layoutshooter I love my toys.
I do agree with ATeam's fiscal outlook and planning, and appreciate the excellent write up.

Thanks!

 

[paullud]

I would love to have the freedom that ATeam has, but like layoutshooter I love my toys.
I do agree with ATeam's fiscal outlook and planning, and appreciate the excellent write up.

Thanks!

You may find your toys and things become a headache. Right now I hate having a bunch of stuff because it is just something that sits there collecting dust and without proper maintenance I might be ruining it.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using EO Forums mobile app

 

[Missie600]

Gary and I have just done this. We are using our daughter's address and splitting our home time between a few relatives and hotels. No one minds you staying for few days. We have promised to do some babysitting while home. New grand baby on the way so I am delirious with excitement!

We sold our house and our furniture and had a " moving"garage sale. We kept our favorite things and my sewing stuff and Gary's woodworking tools and saws. They are in climate control storage.

Our intentions is to wait a year or two and purchase some land and go from there. We both like to do crafty things and garden, etc. When we retire we want some chickens, llamas and/or alpacas and some dogs. Would like to grow a lot of our own food and make some of our furniture. Having a home is important to us, but being without one for a while is worth it if it helps with reaching our goal.

Now we are looking forward to getting a bigger sleeper which should be by the end of the year. That will makes things better also!

I am looking at this like an adventure!

 

[cheri1122]

Here are my tips from interacting with road bums, road warriors, traveling salesmen, traveling musicians, desert rats, gazoonies, gandydancers, roustabouts, and soldiers, etc over the years:

PO like boxes at UPS Stores often serve as permanent addresses (even for such things as drivers license) and will accept packages and regular mail. Many will even forward your mail--or specific pieces of mail--via ground or overnight to wherever you are for an additional fee.

If connected to the military somehow, USAA is the best nationwide bank, online and off, in America. Reimbursed ATM fees, mobile deposits, check deposits at a growing number of select UPS, etc.

All the above helps enable a full time road life.

Yes, it can affect your psyche. Usually in positive ways.

Yes, it can be more profitable. It's all in how one approaches it. Just not having a monthly rent, lease, or mortgage payment can often put you ahead.

Pros and cons depend on your personality and experience with the road.

Two things:
1: you don't need any military connections to bank with USAA. I like it because they offer free checking and savings accts, and reimburse all ATM fees. also, as Linda mentioned, the staff is a pleasure to deal with on the phone, should you ever need to.
2: Where on earth did you find gandydancers?!

 

[TruckingSurv]

Two things:
1: you don't need any military connections to bank with USAA. I like it because they offer free checking and savings accts, and reimburse all ATM fees. also, as Linda mentioned, the staff is a pleasure to deal with on the phone, should you ever need to.

Direct quote from the USAA website:

"Our investment products, life insurance, and shopping and discounts are available to other individuals.USAA auto and property insurance and USAA banking services are not available due to membership eligibility requirements."

I read that as you have to be a member of USAA to use the banking services, membership requires some connection to the military.

I know their auto insurance is very good as a sailor rear ended me on a base and they were very quick and fair to pay, would love to have both the insurance and the banking, BUT it seems to be restricted to members only.

TS

 

[cheri1122]

I can't explain the discrepancy, but I have had [and still have] checking & savings accts with USAA, without any current military affiliation. Try giving them a call, they're nice people.

 

[21cExp]

Two things:
1: you don't need any military connections to bank with USAA. I like it because they offer free checking and savings accts, and reimburse all ATM fees. also, as Linda mentioned, the staff is a pleasure to deal with on the phone, should you ever need to.
2: Where on earth did you find gandydancers?!

There was a period, I believe, when USAA opened up their banking to a wider customer base, but I don't think they still do, and one needs to be direct in line from, or have been married to, possibly, someone who was in the service and had USAA. It started as a way to provide auto insurance to servicemen.

- When I was a lot more of a kid than I am now, out west they still called rail workers, especially those who worked the line straightening rails and cleaning rail beds, gandydancers.

A lot of those guys wandered the country as much as I did and I met a bunch, usually camping. I had, for years, a 22# lining pole, or gandy as some call it, and used it to leverage out rocks from post holes, break through layers of shale, and pry just about anything into or out of place as needed. Kept my forearms and biceps in great shape.

 

[usafk9]

There was a period, I believe, when USAA opened up their banking to a wider customer base, but I don't think they still do, and one needs to be direct in line from, or have been married to, possibly, someone who was in the service and had USAA. It started as a way to provide auto insurance to servicemen.

There are only some insurance and investment products that are not open to the general public. Everything else is. Been with them since 1985. I know a certain retired Coast Guard fella who also used to drive a cargo van, that's been with USAA since 1967.

Strong, well-run bank. Doing my refinance with them right now. Would recommend to anyone. The ATM fee refund is worth joining by itself, IMHO.