i am currently in a truck driving school at my community college.im in my 2nd week.just got my c.d.l. permit.after argueing with the dmv for 2 weeks it was determined i didnt need to take the general knowledge test.the week before i took the air brake and combination and only missed 1 on air brake and 2 on combos.before all of this i already had a commercial drivers license class b with a p endorsement which i have had for over 20 years.during my last employment i worked 2 jobs and managed to save 25 k after leaving my previous job.my question is does any body have satelite t.v. on their truck and is it worth the money ? do i need a c.b. radio and as far as a cooler and inverters do i also need those ? any info would be greatly appreciated

your not gonna come in this making a small fortune and you will not get rich doing this either. experienced drivers do it for the love of the road and accept the poor pay we make. do not come out here spending a fortune when you first get on the road or you will be broke. space your purchases out as you can afford them. using truckstop points helps take away the burden of spending alot of money also. a cb is helpful but not mandatory. and can i suggest the cobra 29BT if you do decide on a cb. a cooler is probably one of your first needs. they help save money on the road and a weekly trip to walmart saves you money also. try to stay away from advances also. a satelite radio is a must for most drivers. makes it easier to listen to what you like without having to always look for a radio station. your wanted items will come in time as you can afford them and what you decide what you really want or need.

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Jack is right, it would probably be best to be frugal to begin with while getting adjusted to what your pay is going to be like. You can get an electric cooler that plugs into a cigarette lighter, and most trucks we have been in had one or two outlets in the sleeper area. A cb radio can really come in handy in certain situations, but that doesn't have to be a top priority. A lot of people don;t use those things for anything but to talk trash on these days anyway. Satellite Tv?? Nah, thats not something I would even be thinking about right now if I were you. Just take along a small tv and some good rabbit ears (if the truck don't have a built in antenna)...you won't get stations everywhere, but it's better than nothing sometimes.

I recommend *against* those electric coolers. Yes, they are keen. Yes they are cheap. Yes, they last about 3 months.

My recommendation is that you get a beefy inverter (Make sure you work for a company that allows this - any company that doesn't isn't worth beans). My personal minimum is 1000 watts. I prefer 1600.

That can be had for about $100 to $150, if you shop right. Some plug into a lighter socket, some can be wired directly into the truck wiring by your company shop.

I like having inverters around - I run computers & peripherals, my darth vader mask, and fans on mine. Fans are important. Trust me.

Then, get a dorm fridge. That's also about $100 (Oddly, this is about the same cost as a good sized electric cooler - and has a FREEZER, as well.) It will last a lot longer, and probably hold more in the first place, too.

CB is a personal choice. I have one because a friend gave it to me. While a lot of shippers will prefer to call you on the squawk box, if you tell them to call you on the cell, they'll be ok with that.

Satellite TV. That's one only you can answer. Yes, it can be done - I've seen a fair number of trucks with little gray dishes on 'em at stops. For me, it's a complete waste of time - but then, I've not watched TV in over 6 months. If you feel you need your ESPN or Judge Judy, go for it. Just realize that you'll have to mount and aim the dish every time you want to watch.

You can do a pretty good job of decking out your box with all the stuff you "need" for under a grand. Since you have that kind of cash lying around, I see no reason not to get on it from the get-go. Then, you don't have to set aside $20 here and $15 there, and count up truckstop points to get your toys. You can buy pizza instead

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Keep the big doors at the back!

thank you all of the items you mentioned are sitting in my attic collecting dusk.the cooler only used 3 months,the fridge only used a year.and the c.b. is the only thing i dont have.u mentioned a t.v with rabbit ears,i guess i will try bto wean myself off the t.v since the big switch happens in 09 when you will need a converter box to watch a t.v with rabbit ears...i got 4 og those in the attic...thanks guys

I needed a c.b. for shippers, and I got one with the built in weather radio thingy...

$129.00 on sale at the iowa 80. weather radio can be nice... might help you make that decision to hit the bunk or push on up the road. kinda like knowing whats coming though even when I have to go...

and I'm an idiot... the c.b. stays off half the time, at least when I'm driving past mega truck-stops. there's always a moron or two sitting board and trying to stir the crap up... "get a life people"

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Though your argument is very clever, I don't think it will lead to the results you desire. gandhi

You can get the Vu Qube for about $600. And have much faster access to sat television. No set up once it's installed

It's also smaller than the normal dish. It works with DirectTV or Dish. You decide.

One of our drivers has it. I haven't seen him as of late to ask how it works for him.

Just google the brand name, it will show you everything you need.

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Team Players.....
It's hard for me to play professional team sports. On a minor league salary.

I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience with your cooler, but we got our electric Coleman from Wally World...we have had it for two years and I still use it in in my truck. It's still cooling like a new one.

Now I am not sure how true this is, but I have heard that a regular small fridge will not last more than a year in a big truck because they are not made to take the abuse. Any thoughts on this?

I woulnd't be surprised -

but - to make it clear - it was not "cooler" it was "Coolers". In the past 10 years I've bought maybe 10 coolers. For use in my car. For one trip. And not one of them survived more than a few months

Further, I like the idea of a fridge for two reasons:
1) it keeps things COLD
and
2) it keeps things **COLD**. I want the freezer to work

Cost is about the same.. so, why the heck not?

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Keep the big doors at the back!

You guys sorry to interject on this one...The inverter is the issue I want to point out...some companies will only let you have the small inverter that plugs into the area where the TV goes or any outlet the size of a lighter. If you are a Leaser or O/O the company might let you install a bigger inverter in the truck since it is your truck. Ask the company what their poilcies are on inverters. Some truck have APU installed therefore a bigger inverter is not needed. ,