Tools of the trade

my past few jobs were "dedicated" and as a result, i had either Penske or Ryder trucks. i had no need for tools and frankly i was never hired to be a fixer. i'd call 1-800 (Ryder or Penske), and got paid to sit and wait.

i could care less anyone's opinion on that.

i was only hired to drive, drop off either the entire trailer or load/reload.

and being "rental or lease trucks", it was verboten to try any fixes on them.

back in my earlier years, again, i was not paid to be a Mr. Fix-it, but i did take along a fisherman's tackle box, with a few of the usual things like screw drivers, crescent wrenches, bailing wire, bungee cords, and duct tape. then 1 gallon of water/anti-freeze mix, 1 gallon of oil.

all what was ever needed to change a headlight lamp or tail lamp, or top off the radiator or engine oil.

.

 

Duct tape and good pair of channel locks. Got myself out of alot of binds with those 2 things. Channel locks are great for everything . especially for flatbed if i break a bungee i open the hook and take it off to save for extras. Great for bending cotter pins to get off broken chains or to replace hooks. Great for getting leverage on the back of bolts to keep it from spinning, etc etc.....

 

I never had a problem keeping pens until i became a driver. Now i spend half my frickin day searching for the pen i just bought 5 minutes earlier

 

I wear cargo pants and keep several in every pocket just for that reason lol.

 

bleach works better tho

 

Couple tarp straps, (broken door hold backs). The rest of you guys cover the rest. Had another TTR flatbed guy recommend to me to carry 8 foot of romex wire. Rolls up weighs nothing and can be used to push or pull chains and straps through tight spots. That was a handy tip I never thought of.

 

I have a friend who's an O/O who said he started keeping an assortment of hose clamps in his truck after he had one let go on the boost side of the turbo on his truck and it left him stranded on the side of the road for several hours. That's literally a < $1 part than can get you going again so why not stash a few? Of course you'll also need an appropriate sized screw driver to go w/ those.

I saw where someone mentioned heavy duty jumper cables but I was wondering if anyone keeps one of these portable jump boxes on hand for just in case times? Especially you folks that run up north in the winter?

 

I mean it all depends on the type of trucking you're doing. My job is slip seat, so one of my favorite pieces of gear is my backpack.

After that, I have invested in the Stanley Master series thermoses for coffee, water and food. Absolutely invaluable.

I like mechanic gloves because I like to have a little bit of dexterity while wearing gloves.

Red wing boots. Love them.

Zip ties to secure certain items throughout the day.

Oh, a big one on my list is a proper flashlight. That's coming soon.

And my #### space pen. That thing will write in the worst of conditions imaginable.

That's about it. I'm not a mechanic. I identify problems, I don't fix them.

 

When I was driving. I had a 3 pound short handled hammer. Great for knocking stuck tandem pins. These days with the proliferation of battery power I would get a battery powered impact gun and a set of sockets. Alas for the socket set cheaper the better. When you lose the socket you wont be moaning about the cost.
Hammer
URREA 3 lbs. Engineer Hammer with Hickory Handle-1434EG - The Home Depot
Battery impact gun
DEWALT 20-Volt MAX Lithium-Ion Cordless Drill/Impact Combo Kit (2-Tool) with (2) Batteries 1.5Ah, Charger and Tool Bag-DCK280C2 - The Home Depot
Socket set
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000XQ2SZG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Surprisingly that socket set is used the most out of all the other sockets I have. Currently I am working on a farm tractor engine tear down. That socket set goes down to a tiny 3/8" and up to 1.5" socket. Yes it is a chinese set. Yet I still havent worn off the easy to read socket size printed on the side of the socket.

The only other item that I dont see listed anymore would be a multi purpose tool kit for the battery drill
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013TFILN...scsubtag=[artid|10060.g.23341902[src|[ch|[lt|