luxuries (not necessities) I know, but does anyone know.....

[drivers*wife*]

Hey drivers

My husband is out training right now and in 3 weeks we will be out of our apartment and LIVING :shock: in the truck. I have a few questions I hope someone can help me with......
First, do we shower together at the truck stops? I have heard some horror stories about truck stops and sometimes I wish I had never discovered these boards cuz all it does is scare me.
I am guessing it would be best to sleep in rest areas as opposed to truck stops?
Lastly, and most important to me.....
is there any way to watch TV while on the road? My husband said he has seen trucks parked with little satellite dishes on the roof, how can we do that? Specifically I would like to get TLC, HGTV and Discovery Health channels, do they come in with a dish? I am guessing we'd need one of those things to plug things into also?
Hope I don't sound like an idiot, just want to know if I'll still get to see my shows!!

Thanks to everyone, drive safe.

[Blacksheep]

I know you can get dish/direct tv in a truck, thing is you wont be able to use it driving down the road.

Cable is out,

A regular antenna will be fine but if you're moving you'll be at the mercy of how strong the recieving signal is.
:wink:

[Sheepdancer]

Look into something called a slingbox. You would need cable or satellite tv at home, a home internet broadband connection and a laptop. What it does it will stream your cable tv over the internet to your laptop. You will be able to watch anything you want. Keep in mind that whatever channel your home cable box is on is what you will be watching on the road. So if you are at home and your husband is on the road, he would be able to actually change the channels from the road.
Other than that...You could get direct tv or something and carry a dish around and set it up everytime you stop. Kind of a pain in the butt to do it that way. Also, Direct TV makes a moble type dish that will mount on top of the cab or motorhome that will actually follow the signal while you are moving. It works great. Two problems with that though. No company is going to allow you to mount that on top of their truck and they are very expensive.
I would go with the Slingbox

[drivers*wife*]

thanks sheepdancer.....

problem is, we won't have a home :shock: We are so far in credit card debt we are going to put all our things in storage for a year or two and drive as much as possible. Atleast thats the plan for now. We do have a laptop but the slingbox won't work without a home signal to feed from.
Anyone else? Sounds like I will only be able to watch while we are parked, is that right?

[4roses]

sorry ... but from the sound of things ... you more concerned about watching TV ...... sorry to tell ya this but there will be areas your not going to get good reception for your TV .... and as for showers .... either do it together or alone ......... I've never had trouble while showering ... being a solo female driver there's not been any problems .... for the most part .... truck drivers are honest people .... they may say and talk alot of trash, but when it comes down to it .... that's all they are - - - talk - - -- harmless.

and sleeping .... there's no reason why you shouldn't sleep in a truck stop ... it's actually safer than sleeping in a rest area .... at least there's a business close by ..... These scary stories :shock: you've been listening to - you need to forget them .............. why don't you concentrate on the postive side of trucking .... the good things that drivers do for others .... We're good people ..... and to think .... your husband is about to become one of Us :!: .......... is he scary :?: ...... neither are 99% of the drivers out here :idea: ...

If you really want to make good money - - you need to get your CDL too and start driving with him .... your income could almost double :wink:

[VerminNate]

There is a satellite tv tracker you can buy, but it is quite expensive they run about 3 thousand installed right now. You can check it out http://www.kvh.com/. If you don't own the truck, though, no company is going to let you install one.

You can set up a dish satellite when you stop if you want, its similar to dish at home except you set it up each night.

Or as the other two have mentioned antennas and the slingbox.

As far as truck stops go, it varies. The majority are just fine, a few are on the scarier side. It all depends on the locality and the management. Rest areas are a nice option if there is space, some rest areas can be bad as well.

[Sheepdancer]

One thing you might be able to do is when you stay in truck stops a lot of them will have a service called idleair. It provides cable tv. You could pay for that service, watch tv and while your sleeping hook it up to your laptop( you would need a TV tuner card) and use your laptop like a DVR, recording shows while you sleep. That way you could watch those recorded shows while you are on the road.
Either that or just invest in a lot of DVDs.

[drivers*wife*]

I am hardly concentrating on the negative side of trucking. My daughter is raised and moved out and now it's just my husband and I. We will be giving up our home in an all out effort to clear our debt, I have no problem with that, I just wondered what ways I can bring a little bit of home with me.
Now.....when I have my husband telling me about "trucker bombs" (plastic jugs full of urine) scattered about, and truck stop bathrooms with sh*t smeared on the walls, and the recent bodies found behind the truck stop in New Jersey, people running a hose with ether into your cab while you sleep, lot trash soliciting you while you sleep, etc etc.....is it any wonder truckers have the reputation they do?
Yes, we are about to become one of you, I am guessing the majority of drivers are decent honest people just supporting their families, maybe yourself included. I only wondered about how I can make living on the road a bit more comfortable.
Anyone else with some good advice it's greatly appreciated

[Twilight Flyer]

I am guessing the majority of drivers are decent honest people just supporting their families

Concentrate on that and just roll with the rest of it.

As far as bringing a little bit of home with you, get yourself some books, some DVD's, some audio books, etc. You might have to do without the TV signals for the most part, but there are plenty of other ways to relax.

I agree that you should look into getting your CDL and driving team. With no children left at home, you are perfectly situated to do that. But if driving isn't for you, then make sure you have some things as stated above, to pass the time.

[millersod215]

I don't know of others preferences on here, but the company i worked for gave us options for fueling, i chose Pilots because with 60 gallons of fuel i would get a free shower, and atleast 60 gallons of fuel was an everyday thing, i showered at the end of everyday no matter what time it was, that is the one necessity i wouldn't do without, but anyway back to the cleanliness issue, i never came across a pilot with nasty showers, after each use, and i'm sure this is the norm in most places, a janitor, man or women, would come in and freshen up, the bathroom, shower, sink and towells and when you go in it's all nice and fresh. My only bit of advice would be to try and stop at large chains and not the mom and pops stops, i just believe the larger places have better cleanliness.

[Mr. Ford95]

people running a hose with ether into your cab while you sleep

Keep your windows closed then. If your windows are closed along with side vents, you shant worry about someone running a hose in without you knowing. You *should* be able to hear if someone is trying to jimmy the window open or at least feel the truck move if someone climbs up the steps. I know I do and I am told that I sleep like a rock.

I'd be more worried about someone with a weed burner exhaust(exhaust exits underneath the truck) parked beside me than someone possibly running a hose of ether into my cab. Those exhaust's have a tendancy to cause a carbon monoxide buildup underneath the truck beside them on the exit side of the exhaust. If your cab floor has any type of slight hole or crack, it will be in your cab. To fix this, do not park beside a truck that has one, park elsewhere well away from them.

[silvan]

Now.....when I have my husband telling me about "trucker bombs" (plastic jugs full of urine) scattered about

True.

and truck stop bathrooms with sh*t smeared on the walls

False. I've never seen this anywhere, and I've been into some seriously skanky run down *****hole truckstops. They may be nasty, but not covered with *****.

and the recent bodies found behind the truck stop in New Jersey

Unconfirmed, but possibly true. I don't know one way or the other.

people running a hose with ether into your cab while you sleep

Urban legend as far as I can tell. I've never heard a verifiable story of this happening.

lot trash soliciting you while you sleep

I've never actually been solicited by a lot lizard at a truckstop. On the side of the road, yes. They say the cure for lizards is to hang an old bra from the mirror.

[serbie]

Direct TV and Dishnetwork I believe services in-motion satellite. Think the cost of service was around $50-60 a month. The antenna is upwards or $1600 from what i've seen online. Not sure about the install charge.

an example I found http://www.tracstar.net/resources1.html

[drivers*wife*]

Thank you Serbie, thats exactly what I was looking for!

[inmate1577]

I've seen a few "pee bombs" but never any tossed out of a window, though if I had seen one tossed, I'd call the Highway patrol and report the truck number.


As far as dead bodies behind truck stops, you can find dead bodies anywhere , but then again.........I'm not looking for dead bodies.

Never heard of the hose trick, I agree I think its an urban legend.
Now I had a driver tell me he had one of his tanks siphoned while asleep but he must have been really knocked out not to hear all that commotion going on. I tend to think being he was a new driver, that he might have put both nozzles in the tanks, but only turned one on. It happens.

As far as satellite tv and all that junk. By the end of the day, you'll have enough time to eat, shower (if your lucky) and sleep. Personally I wouldnt carry all that electronic crap around. Its bad enough finding space for this junk with only one person but when you add two people it gets challenging. You also have to remember (depending on who you drive for) that some companies dont allow inverters or have limitations on inverters. So you have to be able to power up that sat receiver and all the other assorted stuff. Just have someone tape the shows for you and when you get near that person's home, pick up the tapes and watch your shows. To me, living in a truck full time, without a home to go to, is a great way to kill a marriage. It gets awfully small in that cab.

I only get bothered by the Jesus freaks who want to sell me their religious nonsense. They are usually harmless just annoying with their "jesus loves you " jibber jabber.

[pogo379]

Sounds like she is just a passenger and not driving so that must be why she is asking about tv....for something for her to do. 24 hrs a day of doing nothing. I'd look into getting your cdl yourself to double your money, heck your in the truck anyway.

[emerlin]

Having just come out of training, I can say that it gets pretty crowded in a truck with two people in it. You'll want to get it down to as little as possible. But you do need something to do to relax at the end of the day.

I highly recommend getting a recent laptop with a good sized monitor, lots of memory, a big hard drive, and a DVD burner. I use mine for GPS, internet, and watching movies. I also have a good deal of my CD collection ripped onto my hard drive. A TV tuner card will allow you to watch TV on it. If you have a friend or family member with a DVD burner and a TV tuner on his/her computer, they might be able to record your favorite shows on their computer and you can download them when you get home. Then, watch them and delete them, or burn them to DVD if it's something you want to watch again.

Also, with my cellular service, I have an aircard for my laptop that allows me to access the internet as long as I have a signal, even when the truck is moving. (I only used it when I was in the passenger seat).

The truck I was in had a stereo with an AUX jack for XM, iPods, ect. and my laptop has the same kind of jack, so I could plug it in and watch a movie or listen to my music collection through the truck's stereo. If your truck's stereo doesn't have a jack, you can get an FM modulator that will allow you broadcast a signal from your laptop to the truck's FM radio.

Well, that's enough from me...

[Skywalker]

There is an age-old saying: Don't believe a thing you hear, and only half of what you see....

Another one is the difference between a "Trucker's story" and a "Fairy tale"...

The trucker's story starts out: No $%#$ man, this is the truth. The fairy tale starts out: Once upon a time.

Yes, there are some scumbags out here....who live like scumbags, and leave urine filled bottles about.... but for the most part... its not that prevalent. You will learn where to go, and where not to go.

Showers....truck stops. The only place I know of where the two of you are not supposed to shower together is "Oregon".....seems they don't like the thought of two people using a shower together. My wife rode with me for more than 5 years....and there was never a problem finding a decent place that was clean to take a shower. They are cleaned after every use.

Alot of the other stuff is urban legends.... and it seems with the scourge and awareness that many STD's are terminal nowadays, the number of "lot lizards" aka "recreational reptiles" has severely diminished. If you're worried about being bothered anywhere.... just put a sign in the window with the word NO!! in big letters on it.

TV in a moving truck...expensive. Books would be easier.

If you need to make extra money, then teaming would be an option to look at.

[just_froggy]

If your going to be in the truck, you should look into driving yourself. Many companies has train your spouse programs. Before I got my CDL I rode along with my better half alot. It gets old and boring really quick.

And don't belive all the stories you hear. The pee jugs are 100% true, but I have never seen anyone hurl one out the window, be I have seen more than my fair share sitting on the side of the road or in the TS parking lot.

[drivers*wife*]

Thanks for all the responses, Skywalker, you were very helpful, thank you. I would love to double our income and team with my husband but that is not a possibility. I just wanted to ask cuz he said he saw a truck with a dish on the roof one night at a truckstop and he never got to ask the guy about it.

For you who said that driving together is a fast way to kill a marriage, an even faster way to kill a marriage is for a husband to go drive for 3-4 weeks at a time and leave his wife home alone.....and those words come straight from my husband.

I will say his options were very limited so he went with Swift. I can also say that as soon as 3 months is done, we will be going with another company. I could start a new thread on his experience so far in his first 3 weeks of training but it has been incredibly bad. If we had an option we'd quit now but it's just 3 more weeks til we can go together and then 7 weeks after that we will switch.

I appreciate all the responses, y'all have opened my eyes a little.