What kinds of repairs.....

I carry pretty much a full set of sockets, wrenches, screwdrivers, bit sets, pliers of several different types and sizes. 5lb hammer, 4 ft crowbar, smaller 2ft bar. all of them get used from time to time and that hammer is worth it's weight in gold lol

I don't get into heavy repairs but minor things such as lights, hanging or torn mudflaps, fuses, a broken trailer door hinge, readjustment of the air slide solenoid on some of our older trailers to allow the pins to retract......company issues a toolbox with an assortment of lights, fittings, wiring pigtails ect and encourages minor repairs for those of us who are so inclined.

learn how things work and why and what the parts and pieces are. many times with a little initiative and knowledge and not being scared to get down on the ground and get dirty you can be rolling much quicker than calling in breakdown and waiting on a service truck.

and don't forget an air pressure gauge and use it. every day. on every tire.

 

A basic set of tools is all a company driver really needs. At a minimum, you ought to be able to change out any light bulb on the tractor, and any light bulb you can reach on the trailer. That usually can be done minimal tools...maybe a screwdriver. You'll also find those tools come in handy to snug up screws and bolts that might work themselves loose in the cab.

If you want to be able to do more, miscellaneous air fittings are probably going to be the next most useful thing you can carry so that you can replace or repair air lines if you have an issue. Without air the truck will not move, and if you have a big enough air leak, you won't build air. Make sure whatever company you are working for is OK with you fixing air lines, though, before you go and do that...and make sure the air fittings you buy are the DOT-approved ones, not the el-cheapo ones you find in the discount bin at the hardware store.

Most of what you'll do as a company driver, though, is figure out what the problem is and call the company, and they'll send somebody out to repair it. Of course if you can repair it yourself in 20 minutes with a few basic tools, it could save you HOURS waiting on a service truck.

 

Back in the day, I carried every tool I could think of, heck, I could almost do an in-frame major on the road. Today, however, i'd bet on a random check of trucks, you'd be lucky to find a hammer. Depending on what kind of trucking you do, for example, a flatbed would require all kinds of tools, sledge hammer, come-along, crow bar, etc., where a van or reefer or tank, not so much. I'd suggest at minimum, a socket set/ screwdriver set, a good hammer ( for protection), some extra lights and fuses ( maybe an extra light cord). Trucks are a lot more complex nowadays, with most electronics that you can't do much with anyway.

 

As a company driver I would carry 2 crescent wrenches one Phillips head screw driver and one flat head, one needlenose pliers, a box cutter, a hammer of some sort, a tandem puller, gloves, air gauge for tires, and flash light to start.

always carry one one extra head light wether or not your company supplies one ahead of time. They are easy enough to replace and will no doubt save your CSA score.

 

agreed...basic hand tools to change lites I can reach....

 

Your "back in the day" just described the tool box on my truck right now. It is a completely different ballgame when you own the truck, and the money to pay somebody to come out and fix something that you could have fixed yourself IF you had the tools with you comes out of your own pocket. A lot of companies don't want drivers turning wrenches...and with some drivers, I can't say I blame them. They want their trucks fixed correctly.

 

I cant count the number of times I have been in a shop for a tire change and some steering wheel holder is waiting in a 1hr+ line to have a headlight replaced. I've offered to lend them the screwdriver necessary, the usual answer was "I dont work on the truck I just drive it". Unreal!!!

 

^^^^^^^Ive witnessed this also--BUT--I have had a couple of mega drivers tell me they are restricted from doing anything--Now I really do not know how anyone would know WHO replaced the headlite==but anyway

 

I drive/work for an asphalt company so we are "local" (we do specialized commercial parking lot work from NJ to Maine). I have the tools to fix just about anything "minor" on the truck or trailer that breaks. I also carry the tools to fix all of our equipment from excavators to saws to paint machines. It only takes a 3 drawer toolbox to hold 95% of my tools and that box sits behind my seat. The other things I carry are required for the jobs we do (picks, shovels, 20lb sledge).
I never understood the mentality of "I just drive the truck". Hell i drive my truck, get out and unload the excavator, demo whatever needs removing and get the truck loaded with debris, go dump, go pickup asphalt, return to the job, raise the bed of the truck, grab a tamper or compactor, or wheelbarrow and get to work. Then I'll go home when the job is done and done properly. If only my generation understood the fact that hard work and dedication and initiative are what will get you noticed and move you forward in life.