Long-time lurker, first post here. Been running OTR for about 18 years — Pacific Northwest, Oregon to Alaska corridor mostly. Cassiar Highway, Denali approaches, all the way up through BC in winter when most people have the sense to stay home.
About two years ago I got tired of budgeting a full 15 minutes at every truck stop just to find coffee that didn't taste like burnt rubber. You know the ones — the pot that's been sitting there since 5am, it's now 11pm, and you're trying to make the Cassiar border before dark. I started bringing my own gear instead and eventually just said screw it, I'll roast my own.
Now I've been running a small batch coffee operation out of Oregon called Blacktop Life Coffee — roasting single-serve capsules and whole bean blends specifically for people who drink coffee at 2am in a sleeper cab, not at a breakfast table. It's a side thing that grew from a "I'm sick of bad coffee" problem into something real.
Not pitching anything here — just curious if others have done the side hustle thing while keeping the wheels turning. I know a few guys who started building custom sleeper accessories, one guy who does mobile truck repair, someone else doing podcast work. Seems like the road gives you a lot of time to think through a business plan.
Anything you've built on the side that grew out of life on the road?
About two years ago I got tired of budgeting a full 15 minutes at every truck stop just to find coffee that didn't taste like burnt rubber. You know the ones — the pot that's been sitting there since 5am, it's now 11pm, and you're trying to make the Cassiar border before dark. I started bringing my own gear instead and eventually just said screw it, I'll roast my own.
Now I've been running a small batch coffee operation out of Oregon called Blacktop Life Coffee — roasting single-serve capsules and whole bean blends specifically for people who drink coffee at 2am in a sleeper cab, not at a breakfast table. It's a side thing that grew from a "I'm sick of bad coffee" problem into something real.
Not pitching anything here — just curious if others have done the side hustle thing while keeping the wheels turning. I know a few guys who started building custom sleeper accessories, one guy who does mobile truck repair, someone else doing podcast work. Seems like the road gives you a lot of time to think through a business plan.
Anything you've built on the side that grew out of life on the road?