Shower's & Porta Potties

[james_keene55]

My wife and I are thinking about starting a ET career. We've both have read many of the postings. Here's a question we would like to ask.
1.
How convenient and necessary are Porta Potties and Showers, and do you believe they are worth the extra cost?
2.
Is there a way to make your vehicle a WIFI hotspot?
3.
Are there good solutions for satelite TV?

 

[ATeam]

"ET", meaning Expedited Transportation, I presume?

Diane and I ran almost three years without a portable toilet in the fleet-owner trucks we then drove. While we know many drivers who carry portable toilets or other solutions to nature's call in their trucks, we never did. That meant we always used public bathrooms and sometimes had to drive for a half hour or more to find one at odd hours. Yes, you can get along without a toilet in the truck, but it is not always easy.

That was then. Now, as I write this, we're sitting not in a truck of our very own. It has an RV-style toilet and shower in the sleeper. At 9:30 PM on Sunday, we're backed up to the consignee's loading dock. No one is around. The neighborhood is safe. The business is closed until tomorrow. Delivery is scheduled for 8:00 AM.

Because we have a toilet in the truck, we can park at the delivery. We won't have to use fuel driving around looking for a place to park that has a toilet. We won't have to get up an hour earlier in the morning to drive from our overnight parking spot to the consignee. We'll crank the engine over one less time since when we start it up in the morning it will be to pull away from the dock we're now at.

Tonight, we'll get a full night's sleep, knowing that when nature calls, we won't have to go searching for a toilet or walking across a dark parking lot someplace else to use one.

Having a toilet of some sort in the truck is safer, more convienent than not having one. It will give you more time to sleep, reduce your fuel consumption and reduce wear and tear on your truck.

 

[cheri1122]

>My wife and I are thinking about starting a ET career. We've
>both have read many of the postings. Here's a question we
>would like to ask.
>1.
>How convenient and necessary are Porta Potties and Showers,
>and do you believe they are worth the extra cost?

Very convenient, but not at all necessary - facilities are available for free, even showers, if you're on the Ohio Turnpike, or have a friend or family member living nearby, otherwise the cost is up to $9. Whether they are worth the extra cost depends on what you would pay to not have to walk to the building, in all kinds of weather.
>2.
>Is there a way to make your vehicle a WIFI hotspot?

There is a thread currently running on this very topic, check it out. Again, it depends on how much you want to spend for it.
>3.
>Are there good solutions for satelite TV?

Sorry, can't offer any help on this one...but lots of others can!

 

[davekc]

Plenty of wifi options for internet. All the way to have a satelite internet set up. As for TV satelites, it depends on what your budget is. You can go from stational at a reason price, all the way to in motion systems.
Whether trucking or RV'ing, we love having the satelite.







Davekc
owner
22 years
PantherII
EO moderator

 

[Fr8 Shaker]

If you have a laptop and satelite or cable at home, they have this thing out now called a slingbox which you can get at bestbuy or circuit city for 250.00 there are some other similar products too but I can't recall their names. What it does, you hook this up to your home cable or satelite and hook a router up to your home computer and then anywhere you are in the (world) as long as you have a broadband connection you can watch your home cable or satelite programs and even record on your tivo or satelite recorder.

Best of Luck,
Fr8 Shaker

 

[davekc]

That is cool. Can only one external link run off of it, or several. I could see some uses on that.






Davekc
owner
22 years
PantherII
EO moderator

 

[Fr8 Shaker]

I'm not sure but they can probably tell you at best buy
www.slingbox.com

 

[brentwb2]

Verizon Wireless has a PCMCIA card that works as WIFI but you can use it anywhere that you have a cell phone signal. My wife and i have it and it shows up on our bill as an extra cell phone. I think the program is called broadband access. The card costs $100 and it is $60 per month for unlimited usage. We love it, it is fast in most areas and we are not limited to 'hot spots.' I would recommend it to anyone. As far as the toilet/shower combo...we do not have it yet, but think of it from a cleanliness standpoint. You KNOW who was in there last (I try not to think about what you can pick up from a public toilet or shower). We have a porta-potti and a sink in ours. Just the convenience alone makes those items worthwhile. Next truck will have a shower and toilet. I never thought about the safety and fuel aspect...but good points to consider....

 

[TeamCaffee]

You can also get showers at most truck stops free with a 50 gallon fuel purchase. If you cannot take a shower on your trip look in the truck stop directory to see what trucks stops are available in that area and fuel accordingly. You also need to be aware of the price of fuel because at times it could be cheaper just to purchase the shower. We also carry a port a pot and would not run without one. It is a lot safer at times to use and also if you park at a customers in the middle of the night you have a least something to use. We use the Sprint card and have for over a year now and are very satisfied with it. Can help you on TV have never felt it was worth the effort to put up the little dish or to watch what is available after you get everything set up. With XM you get all the news and current event so sure dont feel like we are missing out on anything.

 

[LDB]

You can see several satellite tv options on the www.campingworld.com website. They range from pretty inexpensive where you carry around a dish like you see on houses and get out of the truck to put it on a pole when you want to use it to ones under a dome on the roof that automatically locate and track even while you are driving.

The Sprint card already mentioned works well in most areas for personal use. I'm guessing when you asked about making your truck a wifi hotspot you don't really mean that. Being a hotspot would mean you are the wifi provider for anyone in the area. I presume you just want internet access in your truck and if so any of the major cellular companies provide the cards. The price for C/S/V companies is $80 a month unless you have a phone with them and then it's $60. T-mobile is $30 a month if you have a phone with them but it isn't as fast as the others.

Toilet and shower facilities are nice to have, especially the former. If Montezuma decides to pay you a visit it's more valuable than anything else you possess. The downside is space consumed and weight added for an RV toilet/shower in the sleeper. If you have room somewhere about the size of an attache case you can get a potentially priceless facility from www.thepett.com website or pick one up at truck shows. It would be invaluable if Montezuma calls and you can't take the time to find a facility or were parked at the far end of the lot in Jessup where it's about 3/10 mile walk to the building.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5507, 5508, 5509
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
----------
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

 

[raceman]

James_Keena, If you use this site awhile or have used it you will either know me or get to me. I hope I can be of help sometime and I think you have gotten great answers so far to your questions.

Now I am going to say something here that is not directed at you but your questions give me a forum to pose a few of my own and to point something out. DO NOT TAKE THIS PERSONAL. i SIMPLY DO NOT WISH TO START A THRED.

What ever happened to the first questions being, How much will I make? Can I bring a pillow? How much money will I need my first time out?

I ask this because as many know I failed at being a fleet owner and now simply drive for myself. Part of my failurewas not having working drivers. I seemed to get the campers. I did things my way and that was the other part of the problem but it just seems like people are more concerned with how big a TV is in the truck, how much time off they can get and how much advance money can they get.

Do people ever say how hard can I run for you and how much will earn for me?

Now back to you guys. I use a Sprint card in my laptop which allows me access to internet almost anywhere. It is about $60 a month. I canceled my home internet provider and just use this and it actually save d me money. I use Microsoft Streets and Trips for GPS and as for TV, I just watch DVDs or Video but you can get what ever you want and are willing to pay for.

As for the potty and shower. If you can afford it, A-Team is right on. If not use the truck stops for showers there are some very clean ones and some dirty ones, you will learn. As for the potty be creative with a hose, funnel and tank under truck or stop when you need it.

Best of luck in what ever you do and I hope you don't mind me posing the questions. Watch what they do you will most likely enjoy it.



Raceman
OTR O/O

 

[davekc]

Race makes a very valid point. All to often the most important items get overlooked. It can be easy to get focused on the paid tourist aspects, and forget about the business side.






Davekc
owner
22 years
PantherII
EO moderator

 

[terryandrene]

Y'all are waistin yur money on toilets. Git yurself one of Uncle Booger's Bumper Dumper.


http://bumperdumper.com/bumper2.htm

 

[Fr8 Shaker]

LOL Terry, thats all we need now is to see those bags in the truck stop parking lots. where do you find this stuff. Too funny

Looks more like a Larry the cable guy invention.

 

[silverdollar]

Can you imagine how much trouble you would be in if you forgot your wife was using it and you drove away?:7

 

[prescat]

While Raceman and Dave both make valid points, (and I agree that income potential and a business plan are top priorities and no, I don't have a bathroom or satellite TV), not only do James_Keene questions have to do with convenience, but as A Team correctly pointed out, there may be some valid business reasons for these conveniences and this could factor in to the bottom line. Also, teams that stay out for extended periods of time, without certain "conveniences" that are important to them, may suffer burnout, especially during slow periods when your stuck in an area that is either unsafe or ....boring. Yes we like the lifestyle and know the few disadvantages, but if that's important to them, I think those questions are very relevant to their decision on entering the ET world and HOW they should do it. We enjoy the freedom and independence of expediting and do pretty well, but why shouldn't our comfort on the road factor in?

 

[raceman]

Prescat, you are right on the money with your statements. That is why I prefaced my "questions" in my reply by pointing out I was not talking about the folks asking these questions in this thread.

If you interview folks for a drivers position which I did for a good while, only one ask things about the business, my business, and income. Most want to know things about time off, advances,TV,Radio, Hotels,etc. That is a horrible way to get a person or a company to hire you and if those are really ones concerns I don't want them. Let me restate that. If it is ones first questions, I don't want them.

I agree they need to know those things but in mind business is first then the ole "What about me" questions. It indicates priorities in my mind.


Raceman
OTR O/O

 

[unorthodoxneon]

For showers my one friend who trucks mentioned to me of getting a Camp Shower. http://www.wildernessessentials.com/827a706t.html

Just set it outside for alittle bit to warm up and then hang it somewhere and then shower real quick. Thats a quicky thing to do for like your hair and such. Just wear a swim suit or something to take a shower. Its a good way for in between showers or if you dont have time to fully shower.

For internet there is a really good post started in the Technology forum that i suggest reading.

 

[fredwingg]

Hi

Yes in my opinion the Porta Potties and showers are convenient. Portable toilets or the Porta Potties are large enough for a single occupant, usually about 110 cm (43 in) square by 210 cm (83 in) high. While the units are typically free standing structures, their stability is augmented by the weight of the waste tank, which usually contains an empty liquid disinfectant dispenser and deodorizer.

 

[xiggi]

This might be a dead thread record.