Should I bring tools with me?

I worked with drivers for years that never had an ink pen when logbooks were the rule, and also divers that worked nights for years with no flashlight. I worked with drivers that would park on the shoulder for 4 hours and wait for a service truck rather than replace a fuse in the L-13 position with the replacement fuse in the glove box.

 

Found him

 

Some guys love being helpless, and others just are. It drives me crazy working with these guys that have zero problem solving skills.

 

What you need tools for, aside from basic wrenches to tighten loose bolts and general hammers, are the tools you will need to repair broken air lines, and broken wires. I used to run Quebec all winter long, and more than once I had a plastic air line fracture, and once had a trailer electrical box shatter. A hacksaw, a collection of fittings and hose clamps and good quality duct tape got me back to the terminal every time. I've proven more than once that duct tape and hose clamps WILL hold 120 psi for at least a day....

 

I carry a box of all the basics. And a roll of combo wrenches. I've needed them occasionally, and I'm a co. Driver.

 

Your most common “repair” will be trailer mudflats. You will see ripped off mudflaps in every parking lot. Box cutter, drill, 2 box wrenches and you’re back in business. TMC is primarily a stick and brick hauler, but they do have a specialized division. Dealing with flatbed means that some times, you have to get creative with dunnage. That’s what the saw, framing hammer and 16 nails come in.

 

After thinking about it and reading some comments, I would add two more items. Neither are "tools" in the classic sense of the word, but are something I kept. At least 2 bungee cords and a package of heavy-duty zip ties. I also agree with @TripleSix about keeping a box cutter. My "tire thumper" most of the time was a large ball peen hammer that could be used for other purposes. I kept my hammer directly behind my seat, and if I felt unsafe, it came down in my hand.

It has been over a decade since I last drove. Even in the early years, carriers "officially" did not want drivers fixing things on a truck other than maybe replacing a bulb or a windshield wiper.

This might sound odd, but if you treat your truck like a chatty friend and actually listen, you can catch problems before they turn into roadside meltdowns or DOT horror stories. Next time you fill up, let the engine run and peek for bubbles at the bottom of the tank—if you see them, it’s not a Jacuzzi, it’s a warning you might lose an injector. Do a real pre-trip instead of the old “pencil-whip special,” and you’ll spot all kinds of mischief. And please, if your music is cranked so loud the cab’s auditioning for a rock concert, you won’t hear your truck trying to tell you it’s in trouble. Pay attention, and you might save yourself a toolbox worth of headaches.

 

The box cutter comes in when you pick up a trailer missing a mudflap. If you look around the drop yard, you will see a mudflap that’s been ripped off laying on the ground. Cut the end off 2 inches. Trying to remove the mudflap hanger bolts will usually break the bolts, but they sell these at every truck stop. Drill new holes reinstall and boogie down.

I would never mention this to a company. 10 minute fix and the trailer is compliant.

 

Cheap set of basic things is a good idea. Adjusting wrench, pliers, screwdrivers. Might come in handy. Zip ties, duct tape. Save yourself from wasting time at a shop. Sometimes a trailer gets dropped as is. Passing the buck. I personally will fix simple things, and if I happen to damage something, if possible I fix it myself, and not report my mistake. Self preservation.