Commute, Sacramento to Tracy (Manteca, Lathrop: renting, how much, home)

[bigT808]

First off, any opinions from anyone that may be making a similar commute from Sacramento to Tracy or any areas around Tracy for work?

My job is relocating to Tracy soon, and I'm currently considering if I'm willing to make this commute or not. I live in the Greenhaven area of Sacramento close to I-5.

Work shifts will more than likely start around 5am. I'm hoping for 8hour shifts but it is not uncommon for me to work 10 to 12 hour shifts daily. 5 days a week.

Today I took a quick trip down there and got on the freeway literally at 8am on the dot. I noticed most of the traffic was on the opposite side heading North, and going South wasn't too bad at 8am. Took me about 1 hour and 5 mins to get there. I know the speed limit is 70mph so I tried to stay around that to see how much gas I would burn up on a trip there, but I noticed quickly everyone else on I-5 wanted to do more like 75-80mph if not more. So I caught myself doing the same every now and then.. Also the expected amount of semi trucks on the road .

68miles total there, my needle was slightly below the half tank mark when I left. And reached the quarter tank mark just before elk grove on my way back home from Tracy. I drive a 4cyl Honda Accord for work.

My pay isn't anything great at $20hr. $40hr if I work longer than 10 hours, but with a commute like this I don't even want to hear the mention of OT..

I have possibly 3-4 coworkers that may be willing to make the drive that live within a mile or two of me now, so I'm thinking we all carpool together and take turns driving 1 or 2 times out of the week. That way we are not all constantly spending money on gas and the inevitable frequent oil changes and other vehicle maintenance etc.

My options are to make this commute or take unemployment and look for work closer to home, but will most likely come at a pay cut. Ive done the whole unemployment thing before and I absolutely hated it, seemed like finding a job was even harder. I could not even get my foot in a door for an interview for 2 years. Being jobless and at home online looking for work all day is stressful, soon it gets to the point where you cant really afford to be driving around knocking on doors looking for work with gas prices.

Mids 20's
No Kids
G/F, We want to get married/have kids soon.
No car notes
Currently Renting

[NickB1967]

Unless family or other considerations keep you in Sacramento, I would move to Tracy. It is more expensive (as you get closer to the Bay Area everything is) but it is still affordable. Or try Lathrop and Manteca.

[bentobox34]

It sounds like you have a pretty realistic picture of this commute. It is a reverse commute, and if your shift starts at 5am you'll encounter practically zero traffic.

In a Honda Accord you'll end up filling up your tank every 3 days doing this drive. I'd look into outfitting your car with cruise control if it doesn't already have it, to keep your speed at 70. Even though "everyone else is doing it," gas mileage really plummets above that speed.

Carpooling = good idea.

Honestly, despite the distance it's really not a bad commute, in terms of time or stress. There are thousands of people in the Bay Area who take longer to drive less than 20 miles on I-880, in aggravating stop-and-go traffic. I'd trade that for Sac to Tracy any day.

Moving to Tracy would be great for your commute, but you have to consider all the factors. Most of your neighbors will be long-haul commuters who were priced out of the Bay Area. The city itself is nowhere near as nice as the good parts of Sac, there isn't much to do, the weather is worse, and if you're looking at having kids soon, you'd want to be near your friends and extended family. Just some ideas to consider.