Required clothing

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by GrumpyJoe, Mar 11, 2020.

  1. GrumpyJoe

    GrumpyJoe Light Load Member

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    Great replies but how about what do the companies suggest or require? I see many posts about cameras facing and reviews with customers. I will represent a professional, maybe with my old man goatee but clean shorts and solid shoes. Just kinda curious of the "Man Above Rules."
     
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  3. SmallPackage

    SmallPackage Road Train Member

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    All receivers are different and some have some strange policies. Wouldn’t hurt to ask your company when they send you anywhere if it is not all ready in the special instructions for each delivery. You wanna represent your company and yourself professionally so let them know that with the questions.
     
  4. LtlAnonymous

    LtlAnonymous Road Train Member

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    Being slip seat, I tend to dress too heavily for the weather, then take layers off as I get too hot. My company requires a uniform, but even before I worked here, I would always wear a t-shirt, a work shirt over that, and then either jeans or cargo pants. Steel toed boots.

    You need to have heavy duty clothing for this job at times. You can't be walking around in a tank top and flip-flops. Well you could, but you won't last.
     
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  5. SmallPackage

    SmallPackage Road Train Member

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    Not a clothing requirement story but it is a strange policy story. My uncle had a cattle rancher that he’d get 3 or 4 loads a week from. My uncle was the only one who serviced this ranch so they’d usually run 4 trucks in on the same day but they could not run them in at the same time. The reason was the rancher did not want to see any dust kicked up on his 2 mile long road. It dusted his ancient 300-400 year old live oak trees. ( those trees were tied into the battle of the Alamo and the Texian army history somehow.) He paid a ranch hand to run a water truck thru there once or twice a day when he knew someone was coming down that rd. But in hot dry Texas summers it doesnt stay wet long. First time I drove in for my uncle in the ‘67 Pete I got from him he told me no faster than 2nd dir and if you see any dust jake it down. Lol.
     
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  6. TravR1

    TravR1 Road Train Member

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    The most comfortable pair of steel toes I have are the tall boots from Walmart, brown and they are modeled after Ariat style.

    The Ariat boot cut jeans are nice too.

    If you are looking to just wear sneakers then the express.com stretch jeans are really comfortable. You are looking for the relaxed fit, not the skinny or skin-tight fits they sell to younger kids.

    I stick with button up flannels and plaid shirts because they tend to be durable. They don't tear on your trailer as you walk around it or climb under it. And when it gets colder you can throw a sleeve-less vest over the top and have full durability of your arms but also stay warm. Also you will not get too hot when you go in the truck stop or climb back in your truck and start driving.

    Go with Carhartt flannels because they are made with a thick material that should serve you well for a long time.

    There's no real dress code for a lot of us. You will see a lot of guys just wearing whatever. A few of them will be downright amusing.

    I always keep my hair covered, because I do not always get a shower and am not really good at combing it anyway. Different hats, bandanas (cloth hats), etc.

    ==========

    Summer clothing, summer is approaching, I have found to be easier to shop for. Just shorts, t shirts, tennis shoes, or whatever you like.

    I would recommend not wearing flip flops because truck lots are dirty. When I buy a new pair of shoes they look pretty disgusting after just a month or two of wearing them. When it rains the water tends to bring up everything that gets caked into the concrete.

    ===========

    Do not neglect sunscreen. You can get skin cancer on your left side with sun shining through. I have seen a driver with very unhealthy looking skin just on his left side. It was all burned looking with white scabs. It looked really bad.
     
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  7. x1Heavy

    x1Heavy Road Train Member

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    In flatbed steel, you have what is called nutrition by a thousand cuts of iron delivered to your body. You will quit being anemic from no food or bad food or stroke out after your blood thickens too much. Or somewhere in between.

    Wearing certain clothing for weather in sufficient layers tends to eliminate that annoying practice of baptizing yourself in a pint of iodine and swaddling in gauge wrap backed by duct tape every time you finished loading.

    =)
     
  8. tscottme

    tscottme Road Train Member

    Shorts are for basketball and tennis courts. Nobody wants to see trucker legs. You can shower & shave daily. You should.

    Long pants, short or long sleeve shirts, work boots. There is zero chance a basket ball game will break out. Dress for trucking. Flip flops are for russian soccer fans & somali refugees.
     
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  9. Oakland Raiders Forever

    Oakland Raiders Forever Medium Load Member

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    Shorts and flip flops are the only way to truck
    If I have to look like a truck driver I have no interest in the game
    This is my post retirement gig not my career
    I don't believe I just said that ugly word , career
    Need a tee time and a beer now with a shot chaser
    A job not worth doing is a job not worth doing well
     
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  10. Judge

    Judge Road Train Member

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    Just keep ‘basic’ ppe
    Pants, long sleeve, boots(dont worry about steel toe, never have I been checked, they may ask, just say ‘Yes!’

    (If they wanna stomp your foot to see, say ok, but I am going to kick you in the shin afterwards to see if you have leg protection)

    Hardhat, Safety vest anymore, which is a joke, Gloves depending, never used them years ago my hands been worked to much, just a good bump or rub them against something they bleed..
     
  11. zaroba

    zaroba Heavy Load Member

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    No clue about company stuff, but shipper/receiver stuff really comes down to where you go.

    If you're hauling van/reefer, most warehouses don't have a strict dress code except maybe steel toed foot ware (boots or shoes) to go on the dock and possibly a hardhat to go further inside than the dock area. Most warehouses are real lenient on clothing because they are out of the public eye so you'll see employees wearing shorts year round.

    Factories might also require safety glasses and no jewellery to go beyond the offices or docks due to conveyor belts and machinery.

    Places that deal with metal processing might require jeans and hardhat due to sharp metal and the possibility of falling stuff.

    A lot of places require at least a hi visibility safety vest for anytime you are out of the truck.

    Regardless of what is required, it normally is somewhat enforced. Either the guard shack wont check you in unless you are wearing all the required stuff, or if they do, then the shipping/receiving office wont. In the cases where you have to be on the dock, they might not load/unload you if you aren't wearing the required stuff.


    As for weather related clothing outside of pickups and deliveries, summer time yields summer temps so dress accordingly. But in Fall/Spring/Winter you pretty much need clothing for all weather. Can be a bit of a shock to your body when you start your drive in Ohio when it's 20F and snowing and 11 hours later you're in Texas where it's sunny and 85F.
     
    Last edited: Mar 13, 2020
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