Cell phone questions for OTR with mega

Companies provide the truck and expect you to run it. Any extra stuff you need to do that is on you. Cell phone. CB. GPS. Cooler if there's no fridge. Bedding for your bunk. A basic tool kit. Your own underwear, etc.

There is an initial investment you have to make in your own equipment even though you are working for a company. All of it eventually pays for itself. But it's a hard ride if you can't front it.

 

You buy your own phone or do without a phone.

You want a phone that connects to the Verizon or ATT network if you are going nationwide.

Visible is a good service. $25/mo with unlimited calls & texts. I'm not sure how many Gbs of data you get. Visible dot com. Visible uses Verizon. I have used Verizon network for nearly all of my 28 years until retirement. They had the fewest dead spots for me. A phone plan that is $5 cheaper per month but won't connect outside of the 15 biggest cities isn't a bargain.

 

Thanks for the advice. I’ll check out some phones then. Probably a dumb question but the headsets with mic that I see truckers wearing all the time are just Bluetooth headsets connected to their phone? I always though they were used to connect to dispatch like a CB radio type thing.

 

They are Bluetooth headsets connected to the phone.
Lots of makes out there, like everything some are better than others.

I have a blue parrot bx250. It has lasted me approx. 10 years so far.

 

No, having a cell phone is your responsibility. I use Verizon, but they are expensive.

 

Blue parrot headsets are expensive but don’t waste your money on anything else. I’ve had numerous other brands and they don’t have enough volume to hear over the truck. Blue parrots have great noise canceling for the person your talking to and great volume for you to hear. They connect via Bluetooth and work for any sound you play over your phone. Audible etc.

 

The Blue Parrot headsets are great. You can only use headsets that cover only one ear while driving. The headsets truck drivers wear are Bluetooth headsets for hands-free talking on the phone.
Truck cabs are very loud inside so if you get a headset get one with great noise-canceling which blocks out the engine & wind noise. The person on the other end of the phone connection won't even hear the truck.

Only wear the headset when on the phone, not all day long just in case your phone rings. "You ain't working the McDonald's drive-thru."

 

When I started at Werner one guy at orientation didnt have a cell phone. They “gave” him one from the company store. It was like $35 with a prepaid card and they took that out of his first couple of checks. So really they sold him a crappy phone. But, by company policy you are required to have a phone so he really didnt have a choice if he wanted to go to work.

 

It isn't a crappy phone if you can make calls with it.
Basic, is what I would call it.

 

Never liked Blue Parrot headsets. Too clunky. These work great and if it gets moshed somehow it's no big loss.
Mpow Bluetooth Headset Trucker Driver Call Center Headset Wireless Headphone Mic | eBay