Planning for Murphy’s Law

By Sandy Long

Murphy’s Law is not a real law, but a rule of life for some. When bad things happen, one can blame poor old Murphy for it. The law reads, “if something can go wrong, it will.” As truck drivers, planning for those Murphy’s Law times makes dealing with them easier.

Emergency fund

In trucking, major events can occur quickly and without foreknowledge … accidents, major breakdowns, companies closing suddenly, or serious illness of the driver. While one could hope that a company would get a driver home in these cases, it is not a given. The driver is left to their own devices to get home.

Every driver should have emergency funds set aside to cover the expense of getting home from anywhere in the country. This might be a credit card dedicated just for emergency use, or cash in a special account that can be accessed. Rule of thumb is $1,000 for a driver, or $2,000 for a team, add $500 per pet if one has one. That may sound like a lot of money. However, these days, one cannot carry all of one’s stuff on a bus. A car or rental truck might have to be obtained, especially if one has pets.

In addition, if a driver is the sole or major income provider for their family, then one should have at least six months of what it costs to run the home. It is not uncommon for major illness, injuries, or a job hunt to take that long to overcome.

Some companies offer an account that a driver can tuck money into. Though it is better to set up one’s own system. One good way to save the money quickly is to put 10-20% of weekly checks into a separate account. Some banks can automatically do this for a customer, or it can be handled from an ATM. If one makes this routine, what is not seen is not missed.

Some drivers do not spend coins and save it for emergencies as it accumulates. While this sounds simplistic, pocket change can accumulate quickly. Any money kept on the truck, paper or coin, should not be allowed to build up too high. The money is for emergencies, not to enrich some bad person robbing one’s truck, and coin can add weight to the rig.

There are some drivers who do not have bank accounts. Cards that one can add money to and build up are an option. But many charge monthly fees. An option might be if one has a really good friend, or a trusted family member, have them hold emergency funds for you. This is not an optimal option and adds more work to accessing the money in need.

The main thing is to be aware that Murphy Law rules all people. However, truckers being thousands of miles from home when Murphy strikes are more apt to feel the pain. Planning for emergency situations eases that pain and having the knowledge that one can get home and one’s family is going to be able to pay the bills will go a long way to making a bad situation better.

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