cooking in truck....what about cleaning?

i always carry 5-8 gallons of water,a bottle of dawn dishwash wich cuts grease and is good in summer to wash off bug guts off the windshield,and paper towels,a songe/scrungee.crockpot liners,and non-stick cookware for my butane burner.

 

Buy foods that are prepared and placed into nuke plates. Nuke'em, eat, then throw away the plates. Done deal. I never cooked in any truck I had, never will.

 

U also can get cooking bags for crock pots.Just toss when finished.

 

I've used the ladies room hundreds of times with no issues, but if you are a germophobe there are other things you can try. Carry your own water, as has been mentioned. Most truck stops have a sink in the coffee area which you can use. A lot of rest areas have water pumps in the picnic area. Depending on what company you are with, most terminals I've been to at various companies have a kitchen area with a sink. There are lots of options. Look around.

 

After my man nearly starved to death during orintation. I've decided to fix him prepared meals that he can nuke, so what are disposable "nuke plates" that will hold up in a cooler. Also could they be frozen for a longer keep fresh time.

 

I have a 12V oven, and it gets cleaned with Windex.

Plastic (because I find that paper folds too easily, and foam breaks too easily) glasses, plates and utensils.
The plates and glasses are 'use once and throw away', while the utensils are wiped clean until they break.

 

So are you talking about the plastic dixie plates and if so how do you wrap them for keeping in a cooler ? tin foil ,plastic wrap? You gotta keep the water out right?

Sorry I need specifics. I'm slow but I will catch on.

 

I don't take that much food from home; the coolers are fairly small, so it is mainly used for drinks and things like cheese and mayo and stuff.

About the only thing I bring from home is a few small (single meal size) containers of fried rice. That's all that will fit, along with my milk and a few drinks and a pack of sliced cheese or two.


I have a 12V oven that I heat things in. Baked beans, soups and such.
It lets me get a hot meal on the cheap.
Add some rice to the soup and you have a nice casserole.

But trying to pack a weeks worth (or more) of dinners in a small cooler is just not practical. And forget about frozen stuff, since coolers only cool to about 40 degrees below ambient temp. (as in inside temp, not outside)

And there is no water inside the cooler. In fact, you are not supposed to put ice in them either.
I'm talking about the 12V coolers that cool with power, as apposed to an ice chest that you have to add ice to each day. (both a pain to keep things from getting wet, and to fill each day - especially if you are not near bagged ice. Not to mention the cost. $60 per month for ice, when you can spend $100 for a good cooler that does the same thing, but lasts far longer.)

There are actual refrigerators that can hold more, and that use more power, and that can have a freezer section. But they usually require a large power inverter, and as a company driver I am not allowed such luxury's.

Truth is, it is hard to eat well while driving a truck.
In fact, that may be the thing that drives me away from driving.

I can bring stuff from home, but it only lasts a couple days.
I can 'cook' in the truck, but that seems to be problematic. The oven I have heats up the plugs so much that I have to cook in stages, or things melt. Or, it simply blows the fuse or burns out the socket.
As I type this I have been making dinner. For the past hour. An it is still nowhere near done.

And I can't live on sandwiches for weeks on end.

So that leaves me with spending a lot in restaurants if I want any variety at all. And that food is so hyped up on salt it is, simply put, dangerous to one's health.

 

There are 12v freezers available, but they are pricey. Like over $450 pricey. I've heard they work well, though, and am considering buying one.

Moosetek- it sounds like there's something wrong with the electrical system in your truck. I have never had a lunchbox oven melt the plug or blow a fuse in any of the Swift trucks I had. I know how horrible the wait times are for shop work, but maybe mention it when it's due for service next time?