Here is a list of things I have learned that are needed. Now I am married, and I like having plenty of money in the bank so I rarely eat out, but I like to be entertained, also I work alot of hours in a week, normally hovering right close to 70 hours. So I don't have alot of free time.

-cooler, get a 5 day cooler at the least, a d/c plug in type is best so you don't have to worry about ice. this is where you can put in soda, water, and food. skip over the 2 liters unless you like flat soda, I prefer cans.

-invest in a laptop(they can be had for sub $600 on tigerdirect.com) with a dvd player, this saves you from buying a tv, plus a laptop takes up less room. I dont even mess with paying for wifi, or getting a cell card because I dont have time. If I have that much free time I bobtail over to a hotel, jump on their wifi for a few hours and then head back. Now using an internet connection without permission is a criminal offense.

if it is out of the price range get a portable dvd player, most come with a DC plug in, the screen maybe 7" but it is entertaining.

-lunchbox stove, look for truck stop specials or jump on the web and buy one. Mine has become invaluable, buying my own groceries I can make quite a few meals in my stove, buy your tins at walmart for cheap too. Some of the meals I have cooked include a roast with mashed potatos and gravy, ramen noodles, hot pockets, red baron mini pizzas, tacos(they were kinda hard), soup and rice. When my wife cooks at home she will make something, setting aside some extra for me in the freezer in some tins, I reheat them on the road.

-sirius or XM, I recommend sirius but these radios are awesome and very entertaining, currently Circuit city and Pilots are selling a sirius receiver for $30.

-a cheap CB, alot of customers use them to communicate with drivers. Walmart sells CBs, I finally broke down and bought one, 34.95 for a cobra. They are not on display just goto the automotive section and ask to see their cbs, tell them milkman sent you.

-get a notebook with those plastic pages to put sheets of paper in, grab those T/A, pilot, and flying j books, rip out their location guides put them in their sheets. I have a notebook with all my trip planning stuff in it.

-Buy the $5 walmart atlas, the maps are useless to us but it has a location guide for every walmart or sams club in the country. its priceless when you need groceries

-Get a laundry bag, and use it. I get very dirty and and sweaty, so I keep mine on the trailer or under the bed.

-Use the place to hang clothes, use hangers having non-wrinkled clothes is a good feeling, and it seperates from the dirty clothes.

-if you wear glasses get the big bottle of cleaner and the cloth, keep the cloth in a plastic bag to keep dirt away from it.

-buy a portable filing cabneit, you'll need it, trust me.

-buy one of those receipt books

-buy a receipt folder, not sure about the exact name but mine has it seperated by month. it works well for me to hold onto all those receipts

-have two pairs of shoes, I have an old pair of tennis shoes I use when I am filling up the truck, diesel fuel is very oily, for lack of a better term.

-buy a welcome mat and put on the drivers side, its a good way to knock out the dirt from your shoes. I do not wear shoes inside the sleeper, it gets way too much dirt everywhere.

-flashlight

-some kind of penetrating oil for sliding 5th wheels/tandems

-a cheater bar, rather you have a flat bed or not. Mine stays right beside my bed. This is of course if someone gets past my seat belt thru the door handles plus the two motorcycle straps. Now I have never had a problem with anyone on the road, minus a guy in a steel warehouse and a driver who wanted to be a jerk at a flying j, not too much to worry about.

-a plug in inverter, we arent allowed anything more than that and I havent had much use for anything else. I use it to charge my lap top. just remember an inverter is an inverter, check your auto section at walmart the black and decker ones are cheaper than one marketed for a lap top.

Just a few things in closing, if you see it at a truck stop you can probably buy it cheaper somewhere else. Just look around. Feel free to add things or question what how i do things.

Where in the store did you find the $5 walmart atlas? I've called several walmarts and the bored customer service people claim that they've never heard of them. Even when they transfer me to someone who can "help"...no one seems to even know what an atlas is....sheesh.

My husband is looking for something like that. Thanks

Rand McNally
ISBN 0-528-95788-0
UPC 070609957883

great list you might add a first aid kit also and a disposible camera been out here for 10 yrs + your list should be passed on to everyone who is starting out by there trainer(i used to tell my students what they needed to have when they got there own trucks and they all came back and told me how much they appricated the advice)

Guess I could add more, I have a company given camera. But I also have a camera phone which I use to send pics in if need be. While not required even I think its a little extravagant to buy it just for that reason. I like to send pics to the wife on the road.

And the penetrating oil is awesome. I was at a shipper and another TA driver came up and asked me if i had a hammer. I asked what for he said he needed to slide tandems. I broke out my oil and he said they slid perfectly.

I always carried a nice baseball bat shaped tire thumper which i could grab in case I needed a defensive weapon.

Great list BUT!!


Sorry to TOTALLY disagree with you here.. a inverter is NOT just an inverter the cheap ones do not produce a clean wave #1 and the ones suitable for computer use , use a power leveling(for a less then technical term) circuit that produces a wave that is suitable for "SENSITIVE" electronic equipment

What about "shower shoes"?
~BC~

there is nothign worse han a driver out on the road with a problem...and no cell phone...if it were up to me I would say having a cell phone while on the road is a must...just my 2 cents..

You're not referring to the ones sold in the truckstops, I hope. They're too light and too easily broken. A good one of these will be made of oak or ash and may have to be custom made, which could be done quickly on a lathe.

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Z-Lady's devoted hubby.