Just To Clarify

Last week I shared a little bit about what the company Josh and I work for does, MRA. This week I thought I might continue this series by dispelling some “rumors” about us.

• While Josh does drive a truck, we are not Truck Drivers. Trucking a whole different profession from what we do in marketing events. To be part of a team with our firm you one of you must have a Class A CDL, Josh does. He has had once for many years, before college actually.   He worked as a truck driver for a spell and has also been a delivery driver, once again a different job than Over-the-Road trucking. Driving the truck, while important is such a tiny portion of our work responsibilities that we often brush over it. We are marketing people, tasked with making sure an event goes according to plan. That does mean we are responsible to getting the marketing vehicle to the location, parked (WAY different from that what OTR drivers deal with), setting up and the actual show. I don’t like it when someone calls us truck drivers, certainly not because I think that job is not important but it’s not what we do.

 

• We live out of the truck, not in it. We are on the road about 11 months of the year, so whatever you want to have during that time you need to have with you. Unlike OTR drivers we don’t go home between loads. Our things, what little we have, are in the truck with us. Clothes, toys and the rest go with us. However we don’t sleep in the tractor. I have done that just once and there were extenuating circumstances at that. I hope never to repeat it. I have a friend who drives OTR and I see some of the places he bunkers down for the night at, I don’t know how he gets any rest sometimes. Moving around so much and repacking all the time does get old but having a bathroom is much more important. We have to be show ready, clean and usually is dress clothes for our events. Not gonna get that way at a truck stop.

 

• We are homeless, by choice. Before taking tis job Josh and I lived in the Twin Cities and had a house. A place to both loved but after the first year on the road it started to be a burden. Not financially but when we had time off we felt obligated to go up to it instead of staying in Illinois with family. It took us a few years to sell it and we said that after it was gone if we felt like we needed a home base we would get something in Illinois. Not a day has gone by that either of us wishes for that. Having the freedom to holiday wherever is amazing. Just another reason why we are in the best place for us.

 

• We are working not vacationing. I often see comments on the “Coming this week” posts about how we should enjoy our vacation or have a great trip. There are weeks that go by where we are putting in 60+ hours, yes I am in a new city but I often see nothing but what it out the doors of the trailer. We do strive to make the most of the places we go but often when a day off comes I just want to relax and go nowhere.

 

***This is part of a series of posts called “Travel Tuesday“, each covering topics unique to our lifestyle***