Tool Kit

Harbor Freight. Honestly, did you know their hand tools have a lifetime warranty? I no longer see the point buying expensive tools - especially ones that may get stolen off the truck - so why not?

 

Along with a tool kit I've used a breaker bar a few times, also allens, a crow bar and a leatherman charge model/ with the bits for it has really come in handy as well.

 

I use harbor freight for some things.

Just not sockets. Had an impact blow up and a piece stuck in my arm.... kinda turned me off to them. But they did replace it.

 

Yeah, I pretty much use them for hand tools only. Impact sockets fall into that grey area leaning towards power tools. Since everything I have on the truck is a hand tool, Harbor Freight should work out okay.

 

Problem with harbor freight is yeah they will replace it but when it breaks on the road ( notice I said when and not if ) you are gonna be standing there with a broken tool that you need and it will most likely be weeks before you get to another harbor freight to exchange it , when it come to tools you get what you pay for and harbor freight or (princes tools as my grandfather called them ) are sloppy pieces of junk

 

Okay, but honestly, how often do you use tools? And anything heavy duty? You work for Prime. You drive a truck that's relatively new and under warranty. Minor repairs? Sure. Socket set. Crescent wrench. A small rubber mallet. A small sledge. If (when) something breaks, there's a backup (yeah, RA is slow, but it'll get fixed). It's not like you'll be stuck for days on something that YOU could have fixed. If you're down for days on repairs, it's something you have no control over.

 

Anything I can fix myself I do example new water pump on apu new shocks all the way around s cam brackets brake chambers yeah some things such as the water pump would of been warranty work but it cost me 40 bucks and I did it on break so no down time actually saved me money to pay for it myself

 

It's good to fix as much as you can yourself, it saves time and Prime will pay you to do it as well. This isn't Werner where you have to go to a shop for a fricken mudflap.

Especially electrical shorts in the trailer. It gets wet and blows a fuse and is dry by the time you get it into a shop... the tech will pop in a new fuse and if it doesn't blow they will charge $50 and say it's fixed.

 

And all that's fine. No one's out there replacing a head gasket or rebuilding a tranny though. A simple tool kit, which relies on simple tools is more than enough. And Harbor Freight HAND TOOLS are fine for that. Really. And if one breaks, borrow one from another trucker. Like you've never seen a more expensive tool break.

 

I have s basic tool kit I picked up from Sears.
I also had to buy a few extra things like screwdrivers and various types of pliers.

A set of electrical crimp connectors and crimper pliers as well,


Oh and bolt cutters. Some seals have a core of hardened steel inside them.