Essential tools for truck drivers

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by Air Cooled, Mar 30, 2013.

  1. Air Cooled

    Air Cooled Road Train Member

    1,315
    1,094
    Jul 17, 2011
    Baltimore
    0
    I'm a local transfer dump truck driver and I was wondering what tools you drivers carry. For me I have a few specialized tools for my job but basic tools I carry are... Crescent wrenches, sockets, two channel locks, assorted screwdrivers, duct and electric tape, flashlight, small sledgehammer, pliers and needle nose, tire pressure gauge... I'm probably missing a few but I feel these are necessary tools to address minor breakdowns and new drivers should always carry them. What else do you folks carry?
     
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. 48Packard

    48Packard Ol' Two-stop Shag!

    8,348
    9,864
    Apr 19, 2009
    Could be anywhere
    0
    Off the top of my head, and in addition to the ones you mentioned....zip ties, crow bar, bungees (even for us dry box pullers), and I carry some caulk and a caulking gun. Sure is a whole lot easier to fix a small hole yourself rather then try to drive miles (for free) somewhere to get it done!
     
  4. Chinatown

    Chinatown Road Train Member

    68,027
    142,274
    Aug 28, 2011
    Henderson, NV & Orient
    0
    Duct tape & caulk (for covering small holes), crow bar, zip ties, ball peen hammer.
     
  5. Okieron

    Okieron Crusty Okie

    1,641
    1,024
    Dec 23, 2009
    muskogee, ok
    0
    Spare light bulbs. its not really a tool, but if you pull a box you need em and need to know how to change them. I helped a young guy in a Kmart lot change his he had no idea how to even start on it. He did have an amazing set of tools with him thought probably had 300 dollars worth and no clue how to use them.
     
  6. skootertrashr6

    skootertrashr6 Medium Load Member

    639
    6,941
    Jan 4, 2012
    Pueblo, Co
    0
    In addition to everything else I carry a assortment of electrical connectors for when wires break, lots of extra glad hand seals, wd-40 and belt dressing
     
  7. Trucker Bug

    Trucker Bug Light Load Member

    117
    86
    Jan 24, 2013
    California
    0
    Spare fuses, bulbs. 1extra set of air lines, 1 universal glad hand, oil, antifreeze, toolbox with wrenches sockets, various size crescent wrenches, channel locks. Hammer. Mallet. screwdrivers, duct tape, electrical tape, zip ties, bungees, razor blades, exacto knife. Razor knife. Allen wrenches. Tire gauge.
    8ft chain with grab hooks. Wood blocks. Spare straps. Electrical wire, splicing plugs. Wire stripper. Wd40. Liquid wrench.

    Geez. Im probably forgetting alot.

    I try to have a little of everything. You don't want to be stranded somewhere because your missing a $1 fix
     
  8. GWG

    GWG Light Load Member

    223
    21
    Feb 17, 2013
    Denver, CO
    0
    What kind of caulk exactly? Exactly How do you use it?
     
  9. FFE Driver

    FFE Driver Light Load Member

    68
    36
    Nov 27, 2012
    0
    I carry about everything in my truck already mentioned, but one tool that I haven't seen mentioned yet is tandem stoppers. I also carry a tandem stopper with me and it is a very useful tool when having to slide the tandems, as it saves me tons of time and work. Hence, I would recommend that every trucker get a tandem stopper for his or her truck. Trust me...you won't regret it I promise.

    The only thing with the tandem stoppers is they are sold as a pair in a pack of two and they are over priced and rather expensive when purchased this way, because you really only need one of them to do the job. Thus, I got with a friend of mine and we bought only one package and split the cost. Then each of us took one tandem stopper for our own. It's one of my most useful tools in my repertoire today.

    If the manufacturer sold them individually instead of in pairs of two and put them in every truck stop, as opposed to just a few, they'd be rich. Whoever is marketing the tandem stoppers doesn't know what they are doing. Nevertheless, I love my tandem stopper and use it all the time. It's one of my favorite tools. There are a lot of tools that I have bought that turned out to be crap, but the tandem stopper turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. I love it and highly recommend it.

    http://www.dieselboss.com/images/tsdemo_db.wmv

    http://www.dieselboss.com/tandem_stopper.htm
     
  10. Pmracing

    Pmracing Road Train Member

    6,354
    3,177
    Jan 28, 2011
    Arlington Heights, IL
    0
    The ability to use a search engine... Hehehehee

    Mikeeee
     
  11. Oi!

    Oi! Road Train Member

    1,233
    935
    Jun 20, 2011
    Florida
    0
    An axe is all I need.
     
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.