Essentials for 1st year Drivers (Electronics)

Tell me a bit more about your job. OTR? Solo or team? Good cash flow or just the basics?

 

I would say yes to the CB, Inverter, and laptop. If you get a cell plan that you can use the wifi for your computer you can watch TV on it. Sirius/xm radio is not needed but then again I have my music on a USB that I listen too. When that gets old I listen to the radio and then back again to the USB.

 

Common sense & patience....neither of which you can buy anywhere

 

CB and Smart Phone. Learn to use a Map Book not a GPS you will thank yourself later.

 

I'd get a Cb if the trucks don't come with one. Nothing fancy.

Bluetooth is a good idea. Hands free for your cell phone. If you don't have the money for something decent get a ten dollar wired headset to start with.

A good GPS is a good idea. Between a truck atlas, a truck GPS, and Google maps/earth you should be just fine.

As for entertainment I would wait and see what kind of time you have and how much room is in your truck. A laptop can act as a TV, and run of a cheap inverter.

A 12 v cooler is essential if you don't have a fridge. A 12 v lunch box cooker is nice too.

 

As far as the radio, don't need anything fancy but you want to make sure you got a decent antenna. need to be able to reach out further then the back end of your trailer..... if I'm head in the other way and notice you got a light out if you can't hear me on the other side of the road a radio ain't gunna help much

Also yea a lunch box oven is great. made some pizza in it one time

 

Try to sign on with a company that has diesel APU. This way you can use your electronic equipment without running the truck batteries down when the truck engine is shut off. Battery EPU is ok, but not as good as diesel APU, but still ok; better than not having any auxiliary power.
Most companies don't allow the truck to idle while on breaks or layovers. Many states and municipalities have idle laws.
Put your location on your profile.

 

When I was OTR, Many moons ago... APU's were in their infantcy. Sure would have come in handy many times. CB is Number one for me followed by plug in cooler and a lunch box cooker Bare minimum.

 

CB? Check.
Inverter? Check.
Laptop? Check.
TV? Check.
XM? Nope. 20000000 stations. 2 or 4 good commercial-free ones. Rest is talk or annoys the hell out of me. So I let the XM go.

I have DirectTV. I think the last time I turned it on was September of last year. Same old, same old on that thing.

To replace XM I bought a 9.6" Galaxy tablet and threw ~1200 songs on it. I run one of those audio cables from the headphone jack on the tablet to the aux input on the radio and listen to it like that. I used Scotts plastic Velcro stuff to mount the tablet to the dash. I use a Verizon Jetpack with the tablet so I have Truckers Path/Google Maps/whatever right there anytime I stop and need them.

The only other thing is to get a good truck GPS and then listen to about half of what it tells you.