Well the training wheels are off and now its time to really start your career as CDL truck driver and also the time to stock your new truck so I provided a bit of a shopping guide to give you an idea of what you are going to need in order to get yourself rolling in a comfortable fashion. This particular shopping guide will have links however they are not affiliate links just helpful information for you. Obviously you are not going to want or need everything in this shopping guide however it will give you an idea on where to start and what to prioritize
Shopping Guide For The Interior Of The Truck
The company that you joined has issued you a truck and chances are it has seen many miles before you ever got your hands on it. In this part of the shopping guide we will break the truck down between the drivers area and the sleeping berth just to keep things simple
Drivers Area
Now you are going to spend the majority of your career in the drivers seat and for whatever the reason semi truck manufactures do not build seats that will last so you will feel every single bump in the road after awhile
The best purchase I have ever made in terms of comfort in the drivers area is a product called the Purple cushion. Which most drivers swear by in terms of comfort. The purple cushion is not cheap by any means however it will last years sand help save your back. I ordered mine online as the markup at truck stops is just ridiculous.
Extra electronic cords are a definite must especially if your company uses tablets and/or cell phones. The last thing you want is to be stuck in the middle of nowhere with no way to be able to contact your employer. Make sure that you have extras of each kind.
Coffee cup. Everyone drinks coffee on the road and if you are not buying it at the truck stop than you are making it in your truck. I purchased a Coleman coffee cup that is insulated and spill proof. The coffee stays warm throughout an eight hour shift and I can bounce it off the truck floor without a drop spilling.
Trucker GPS. When it comes to a GPS most companies will have their own but to be honest the ones I have used are horrible. They will take you down small roads in order to save a couple of miles. The two most popular models are built by Rand McNally and Garmin. Each have their own pros and cons with the cons of both being extremely expensive. There are now trucker GPS apps out there but I have never used them so I can not comment on them specifically
. When it comes to Rand McNally and Garmin GPS every OTR driver will have their favorite but in the end it comes down to personal preference. What I do know is you will save a lot of money by not buying a trucking GPS from a truck stop
Sleeping Berth Area
Already lets move to the back of the truck into the sleeping berth where you will spend the rest of your time will driving OTR
If your truck does not come with an inverter you are going to be extremely limited when it comes to cooking. As someone who spent nearly five years driving Over The Road in trucks that did not have an inverter when it came to cooking all I could use was a lunchbox cooker which basically you put the ingredients into a tin pan and it proceeds to heat it up. It works pretty well for soups and stews however it takes forever
Without an inverter in the truck you are also not going to have a fridge in the back of the truck. Which means the only way to keep your food cold is a cooler or more specifically a twelve volt cooler
Now lets say that the truck does have an inverter, which every truck should by the way, so you are going to want to have a microwave but what you need to know before you purchase one is the size of your inverter in terms of wattage and the size of the cabinet for the microwave inside of the truck. I probably used the microwave more than any other appliance I had in my truck which included a dual hot plate
Obviously with cooking you are going to want a plate, cup, bowl and utensils. Do not spend a lot of money on these cause they are going to get damage. The good ole dollar store stuff works just fine OTR or go the paper route for easier clean up
The most important item in the sleeping berth is the mattress which is provided by most companies. For awhile I used both the mattress from the upper bunk and the lower bunk at the same time. I used the upper bunk for storage. What made the most difference is when I bought a mattress from Walmart and then bought a mattress topper. It is essential to get the best sleep possible each night. By the way the size of the mattress is a twin XL which is important to know when buying sheets
A sleeping bag. Well having a sleeping bag in addition to having sheets for the bed may seem counterproductive however if you break down in the middle of winter in Wisconsin you will be glad you have it
Laundry bag. A nice cheap laundry bag will allow you to separate the clean clothes from the dirty and it is easy to carry into a terminal when it it time to do your laundry. Most company terminals will have laundry machines and worse comes to worse you can do it at a truck stop. Laundry pods are the way to go in terms of convenience
Entertainment. My last truck that I ran OTR I had a thirty two inch television and a Xbox. I had the television propped up against the sleeping berth wall and while driving I just buried it in blankets along with the Xbox. I also had a laptop and a iPad. The laptop I mostly used while parked at a terminal as the WiFi was free and the iPad I had downloaded movies, television shows and books
Tools Of The Trade Shopping Guide
When it comes to the tools you will need while driving a commercial vehicle it is handy to have an assortment. However the following are what I found to be the most useful
A hammer. Obviously you need a hammer in order to conduct your pre and post inspection. A hammer is also handy when a glad hand refuses to move. Again you can probably pick one up cheap at a dollar store
Bolt cutter/ Cable cutter. This will depend on what type of security your company uses at the back of the trailer. Currently the company I drive for uses airplane cable so I have a cable cutter. The last company I worked for used both so I had to carry both types of cutters with me. It is a pain in the butt attempting to cut an airplane cable with a bolt cutter
Zip Ties – It is rather amazing how handy zip ties are when it comes to emergency truck repair. Not only are they nice and cheap they are easy to store. When your airlines are hanging wrong a zip tie will quickly solve that problem. Bungee cords will also work in a pinch
Safety equipment. Most companies will issue a safety vest and depending on the type of trailer you are pulling may also provide other safety equipment. If it does not then a cheap plastic helmet, safety glasses and gloves for some shippers and receivers require all PPE when you are on their property. I delivered to a mine site once and they had me shave before I could enter their property so their safety mask would seal properly
Flashlight – A flashlight is an essential piece of equipment that you will need in order to ensure your fifth wheel is properly connected and for everything else if you are working when the sun is not yet up. Try to get an LED flashlight as they are much brighter and last a lot longer
Shopping Guide Overview
Obviously there are a ton more items I could have listed in this particular shopping guide however I believe that I have covered the essentials. If any driver has items that they think should be on the list please leave them in the comment section. As mentioned throughout this article the worst place to get the majority of the items listed is at a truck stop and during my time Over The Road I made it a mission to only use points when I bought anything from the Flying J/Pilot in order to save the most money
