Need Honest Input, Trucker Gear

A trucker needs some form of cooling. If the carrier does not provide a fridge in the truck, then the driver will need to acquire some form of 12 volt portable cooler or 120 vac dorm fridge that will run off a decent size inverter [and accept a heightened risk of battery run-down]

Depending on how you decide to run your food plan, at a minimum you will need cooling space for milk, cheese, lunchmeat, etc. But others like to keep a lot of home-made leftovers in tupperware containers and this requires sizable cooling space.

If doing classic OTR gig, I recommend seeking out carriers who provide factory fridge/freezers in the truck. This saves a lot of grief and costs down the road and if something goes wrong with these (rarely does) then they fix it.

On the same note, I also recommend seeking out OTR carriers who provide an APU (climate control and AC power while stopped) in ALL trucks being assigned to new drivers.

 

That depends if you plan on having a lot of food in the trk.I only used a ice cooler to keep my soda a few fruits lunch meat and cheese.

 

When I was OTR I loaded a 40qt electric cooler with lunchmeat, milk, OJ, & frozen tv dinners. I could eat for 4-6 days out of that. Friday I would usually get a fast food meal going home. Also carried dry cereal, crackers, soups & stews. I would spend $40 50 in groceries compared to $100 plus if buying all meals.

 

When i start i'll be using a regular cooler with ice but not a cheapie one where the ice melts in a day a "marine cooler" that keeps ice up to 5 days. I just don't trust those 12v coolers.

 

I thought about that but where would you refreeze them at? Maybe in the dead of winter you can leave them outside the truck to refreeze but in the summer you would have to buy ice.