Trucking doesn’t pay well, but there’s lots of fringe benefits, especially if you’re an owner operator. For one, you can save a lot of money by living rent-free, especially if you live in a high-price city like DC and you’re always on the road. Secondly, the cost of your meals (80 percent of $66 a day) is tax deductible. So eat up trucker!

Of course truckers get to see the country. But probably the most underrated fringe benefit is an opportunity to visit family and friends. And when I’m in SE Georgia, I always make a point to stop visit Mom and stop for some good down home Asian cooking.

I can’t stay long of course or else I’ll add on pounds – and I don’t want to get pulled over at the scales. So almost as soon as I arrive, I’m back online checking for loads out. Luckily, I just got access to the Amazon Relay load board – another tool for this online trucker.

There was few loads heading out but I found one from Jacksonville to Pt Wentworth, GA then Charlotte. Why not invite Mom to go partways. I’ve been bugging Mom to go trucking for a while. She’s been reluctant due to the inconvenience of having to stop for bathroom breaks. But this would be a very short trip — bobtail to Jacksonville and on the way to Savannah, I could drop her off in Darien.

Yes, Amazon doesn’t pay well – was only getting .97 per mile. Plus I had to bobtail 90 miles to get there. And there was 2 drops and everytime you visit an Amazon distribution center, it’s total mayhem and congestion.

But I understand people, like my friend Dave, needs to get their packages on time (2 days or shipping is free), so I better get back on the road and pile on those miles before they start whining.