Still moving my business forward? Yes.
Still frustrated by the lack of time to do so? Absolutely.
Do I have a solution? Not yet, but I’m working on it. And I’ll keep working on it until I’m generating the type of income that it takes to meet my goals!
I finally got my taxes done for 2011 (Yes, TurboTax is my friend) so my focus is back to business. For the past few days, the thoughts have been about how (and where) I can make more time to complete the projects that I’m working on. And the best way for me to figure out where I might have more time available is by starting with figuring out where my time is currently being spent.
Right now my boyfriend and I drive a big rig as a team. We haul from San Diego, CA to San Antonio, TX and back twice a week. Then at the end of the week, we go back to Phoenix.
So here’s how our week has gone so far. We started our week on Tuesday afternoon. We loaded the car with food for the week, a few changes of clothes, extra water, and my computer… All the necessities for our time on the road since we know we won’t be home again for at least five days.
We drive to the yard, locate our truck (this particular company actually washes it for us while we’re home for our “weekend”), and transfer our stuff from the car to the truck. We park the car and my boyfriend hooks up to our trailer while I organize everything inside the truck. Once everything gets checked out (lights work, tires are good, etc.), clothes are put away, items are strapped down and our log books are updated, we’re ready to roll (just one more quick stop to get ice for the coolers).
This week I started out driving first. My boyfriend had been up all night finishing up some of the food that we take with us. We do our best to cook before we go so we can limit the amount of crappy food we’re exposed to since that’s mostly what’s available at the truckstops. He heads to the sleeper to get some rest. I now have up to 11 hours to drive.
As long as everything goes well, I can get us from Phoenix to San Diego to pick up our load and then back out again. There’s a truckstop about an hour back from San Diego where we typically switch out (his time to drive, my time to sleep). And so it goes. Phoenix to San Diego… Pick up our load. San Diego to San Antonio… Drop off the load. Back to San Diego. Grab another one. Back to San Antonio. Then, on most weeks, we head back to Phoenix. Depending on whether the week goes smooth or how many issues we run into determines the amount of time we’ll have at home.
For example, when everything went well, we got home on Sunday evening and we didn’t head out again until about 3 AM on Wednesday. This week, our first load in San Diego hadn’t made it across the border before the border closed, so we had to spend the night at the truck stop until it opened back up in the morning so they could bring it across. This week wasn’t too bad because it showed up about 8:30 AM. Then on the way back from Texas, we ran over a big truck tire tread that busted the fitting on the trailer air tank. That left us sitting for three hours waiting for the repair guy to come out and fix it.
A few road construction and border patrol backups later, it’s now near 6pm on Saturday and we’re headed to San Antonio when we should be headed home. We’re about 200 miles out. We just switched out again at a rest area so now my other half’s driving. I should be sleeping but I do as much as I can on business stuff before the drowsiness takes over. Besides, I can’t remember a time in my life when I slept for 10 hours…not without having spent 24 awake!
I will admit that I do end up much more tired out here than at home. A lot of that has to do with bathroom breaks. When I’m home, I can sleep for a straight 6 or 7 hours and, even if I have to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, it’s a minimal disturbance… short walk to the bathroom, leave the light off (we have a night light), do what I gotta do, then back to bed.
Out here, it’s a whole different story. I have to stop every 2-3 hours because the truck bounces and vibrates my body the whole time we’re moving. Then when we stop, it’s at a truck stop or rest area. That means I have to get up, get dressed, go outside into the cool/cold air and bright lights, and get adjusted enough to it all that I’m not tripping over someone’s dog, kid or grandparent because I’m still half asleep. Then it’s back to the truck. Change back to sleep clothes and see how fast I can get back to sleep. By this time I’m fairly wide awake so it takes a while. Since I do this all week, it starts to wear me out!
Then of course is the shower stops. We shower at the truck stop after we fuel so no matter what time of day or night it is or which one of us is sleeping, we get up, grab our stuff and head in to shower. It doesn’t bug us if we’re the one driving, but it’s tough to get back to sleep after that as well.
Okay, probably a bit more information than people want to know. But when I tell people that I drive for a living, they typically think that “all” I have to do is drive when I want and stop when I want. It doesn’t work that way. We actually LIVE in our truck during the week. The one advantage I have is that there’s a whole lot less room to have to clean! I suppose you could sort of equate it to going camping every week and getting paid for it… sort of.
To top it off I’ve had to deal with allergies for the past month or two. Between the itching, sneezing, blowing my nose, trying to breathe, etc., not to mention all the medicine I’ve taken to try to kick it in the butt, that’s been wearing me out even more.
When we get home, we unload the coolers, dirty dishes, and laundry from the truck into the car, take it home, and unload it. I’ll do some business for an hour or two and go to bed. Then we’ll spend Monday doing laundry, grocery shopping, and cooking for the next week, all while visiting with my son. Thankfully, he’s an odd hour person as well so if I don’t get to catch up with him during the day, we can always catch up at night. The goal is to get it all done and together by Monday afternoon or early evening so we can actually spend some relaxing time together Monday night, especially on weeks like this.
We have to be in San Diego for our next load on Tuesday afternoon so we’ll have to head out again on Tuesday morning. Plus, this week they want us to do three runs instead of two which means we won’t see home for two weeks. In the middle of all this, we work in doctors, dentists, chiropractors, haircuts, housecleaning, auto repairs, bill paying, and everything else that has to get done to run the house that we rarely get to see!
Since it’s tough to keep two weeks worth of food from going bad in a cooler, we pack for one and then stop at a Walmart for week two and restock. Most of the Walmart stores on our route are truck friendly so it works out really well.
Well that’s it in a (large) nutshell. My job life. I love driving big trucks but the lifestyle sucks and I’ve had enough. THAT’S why I keep moving forward with my business whether it’s 5 minutes a week or 25 hours!! I know what it’s like to work at home and travel whenever I want and I want that life back! Hell, I’ll be happy initially just to get MY bathroom back to the one that I primarily use! It amazes me how many women don’t wash their hands after using the restroom… Can I just say GROSS!!
Well, on that note, I gotta go get some sleep. I’ll be back later to talk about what I AM able to accomplish in spite of my job.
Until then…
Debi, I love that you shared this! I mean that. My dad used to drive for Haliburton and would be gone sometimes for two or three weeks at a time. He didn’t have a “sleeper” so many times (if they were on location) he’d crouch down on the truck seat.
Those oil wells and drilling rigs were on the back side of the next planet. And, once, I went with him. Wasn’t supposed to, mind you, but I did. We were only there for the length of time to unload the sand and leave, so no overnights or weeks. Many times, though, I didn’t see him for a long time.
You’ve brought back some good memories for me. I didn’t know that I was missing anything, so I didn’t. We were a close family in spite of everything. He kept the family fed and Mama kept the Bible read, as the saying goes.
But, I get why you are keeping on. I’m kind of hanging on, too. Not because the same reasons, but because this is something I really want to do.
I believe, really believe, that we are going to be successful, whatever definition we put on success. You keep on keeping on, and when you go by, blow that horn.
Ruth,
Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it. I completely understand the “if you never had it, you never miss it”. Maybe that’s why it’s a bit more frustrating for me. As a single mom, I’ve been fairly blessed in the amount of time that I’ve been able to spend at home and with my son. Whether it was during my time in college, corporate America, or my own home business getting to travel the world, he and I have always been able to spend a ton of time together.
I’m guessing that with all the rules and regulations that the government keeps putting on the trucking industry, that your dad would have felt like many of the “old timers” are feeling about it at this point… It’s not fun anymore and they just want out.
By the way, I finally got caught up with my e-mails yesterday and I have several thoughts and ideas for you. In fact, you had actually answered part of your question in the note itself. 🙂 I’ll write up and send my response once I get to the other side of Tucson where there is less traffic.
Debi I LOVED this post!
My life is very different from yours and yet much the same in that I too am trying to figure out how I spend my time. I constantly deal with the frustration of not being able to spend the time on my business that I’d like; however I do have 3 children at home who will all be grown and gone in 10 years and so I try to give my time and attention to them as much as possible – which means my business gets neglected.
Couple my lack of time with my long learning curve and what happens is that e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. takes longer than expected. I’m not naturally patient – but I’m learning! 🙂
Thanks Tiffiney! I totally understand the learning curve. I’ve spent hours that add up to months (maybe even years) learning. Every time you start to do something that seems completely simple, like let’s set up an affiliate program or install CommentLuv, you find out there’s a lot more technical stuff involved that takes more time than initially anticipated (which is why these two are still on my TO DO list instead of my GOT IT DONE list! LOL
Take this past weekend as a prime example. We finally got home early so I had an actual 2 days off this week. I was totally psyched thinking I’d get the layout done on at least ONE of my Squid Pro Quo lenses (I’ve done the research for 30 but have none of them completed). My taxes are filed, house was cleaned up….everything personal off my plate enough to have a day to do this. Then I got home to a note from the apartment people that my patio had to be emptied…there went 3/4 of my day!! DRIVES ME NUTS! 🙂
We’ll both keep plugging away. I have NO doubt about that!! 🙂
I feel so humbled that you are moving forward with so many other things filling your life. By comparison I am very lucky to have the time I have available.
But, oh, the steep learning curve. I can watch a five minute “how to” video and still be implementing it hours later!!
Joy
Joy Healey recently posted..Online Nutrition Services
I understand. Seems like each time you start to do something, there’s at least 1-3 technical things you have to do before even starting. 🙂
If I could tell you one thing I’ve learned during the past 3 years, it would be to figure out what type of work fulfills you first, THEN find the marketing plan that meets your criteria. If I had figured me out before the method I chose, I could have saved a ton of time trying and dumping stuff that just wasn’t right for what I wanted to do. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by. And I’m not a technical wiz by any means, but feel free to throw out questions. If I know, I’ll tell you. 🙂
debij recently posted..Monday Check-In on Health & Work Progress – Vlog Challenge Day 8
That is SO true! The time I have wasted chopping and changing makes me mad.
I’m working hard at focusing, instead of keep re-learning new stuff. It must be easier in the long-term!
Joy Healey recently posted..Webforms in GetResponse – Two Obscure Lessons Learned The Hard Way
That is SO true! The time I have wasted chopping and changing makes me mad.