Sleeping in a truck, what to expect?

Run the a/c or APU to stay cool in the summer. Trucks get hot quickly in the morning sun plus when you park you get a lot of heat from transmission and engine. So the sleeper can get hot once parked.

Get regular bed sheets and stuff. I never like sleeping bags since I don't sleep in sleeping bag at home

Try going to sleep same time every day and take showers. You get free shower if you buy 50-60 gallons of fuel every day. You can store extra shower credits you don't use so if parked a day or two you still can get free shower.

 

You may want to bring along some ear plugs.

 

You want shower shoes, some nice all rubber ones you can slip off and on easy in shower.

Noise level is not bad I guess. Everyone is different. Your windows are close almost all the time. That helps with the noise and most time their is not enough wind to keep sleeper cool. Some truck have Thermo King APU those are quite. Some trucks have the older or cheaper APUs those are kinda loud. My truck has the automatic engine start. That definitely take some getting used to. The computer will start truck engine for sleeper heat or a/c and battery charging or engine oil temp.

Then you got refrigerated trailers. Those can take time to get used to.

 

Bosya many details and footage of truckstops and sleeping can be found on YouTube. Just don't listen to their job advice. Personally I only brought a cheap and light sleeping bag and a cheap size twin fitted sheet. Most truck mattresses will fit a twin.

 

Showers are cleaned after everytime there used. But never have a shower without flipflops or "shower shoes".

If you are used to dead silence when you sleep. Buy ear plugs. Because with 100 trucks around you either idling or going in and out. Your not going to sleep.

Buy normal bedsheets, and get comfortable pillows.
my self I do have a sleeping bag. But I unzipp the whole thing and use it as a blanket.

 

the first few times i slept in a truck was difficult, then i actually liked being "rocked to sleep", so much so, i had trouble sleeping at home. lol

i used to take sheets, then i switched to a sleeping bag.

take along a shower bag, put your soaps//shampoo/deodorants/shaving kit in there, along with shower slippers, i used simple beach sandals.

put your fresh clothing in that bag.

i always took my own towel as well, as sometimes, the truck stop towels are too thin or too small.

what i used to do was, fuel up, park, take the shower bag, shower, then eat, go to bed.

each person makes up thier own way of doing this.

good luck, you'll work it out to your liking!

 

Their are different APU (Auxiliary Power Units) diesel and electric. Diesel one are better but cost more so not every has one. The electric battery one really are to small for the job and only work at night and only last maybe 8-10 with new batteries. So it's a trade off, you can stay cool with a diesel APU like a TriPac but they are more noise not everyone can afford one because they are $12,000. The TriPac are quite, some older fist generation APUs would sounded like lawnmower. Most of them are out of business and they don't make them anymore