What are some abnormal items to make trucking easier?

A cardboard box. I have 2 small boxes. One I use for dry trash. Food wrappers, empty bottles, etc. It is a lot easier to put trash in a box while driving than a bag. I also keep a small box beside my seat while driving where I keep munchies, spare bottles of beverage, anything else I may need while driving.

 

a little lunch box cooler to keep by your seat.make a sandwich,drink and carrots or other good stuff and it will keep you aay from the grab and go junk

 

This was a little trick taught to me back in the day when I was a newbie. Get yourself a handful of dry erase markers. Darker colors work better. You can write directly onto the windshield or side window all your directions, exits, fuel stops, times, etc... Get a phone call and need to write a number down while driving and you don't want to take your eyes off the road. Write it directly onto the window. Within reason, don't go writing in your line of sight. Best place is the little triangle window on the door. It's actually visible at night so you don't have to turn a light on blinding yourself to read a peace or paper for your directions or flipping through your qualcomm frantic while passing your turn.

Another handy item is a 6'x6' peace of carpet which you can get at wally world. Put it in your truck and trim around seats and shifter. These rugs are super cheap and keep your truck clean. Just think of all the peepee and pooh, grease, oil, fuel the list is long and you get the point. This ends up in your bed folks. After about three months or so you throw it out and get another one. Your company will love you for it too cause it keeps your truck nice.

While on that subject I used to keep a bottle of hand sanitizer and a bottle of spray lysol sanitizer. The lysol came about due to the chicken houses we would go to like tyson. The parking lot was always nasty with raw chicken juice all over and you would walk through it and then track it into your truck. So know after you brush your shoes off just spray the bottoms with the lysol and it will help keep the salmonella and ecoli out of your truck.

I have mentioned many times about keeping a truck stop guide book, whether it be a large one or the pocket size. Not only do you know where all the truck stops are but you can keep notes in there about secret parking spots, restaurants, stores, doctors, walmarts, etc.... In the book there are exit #'s with what truck stops are there so you just write down what it is and the exit # and now you will always know where your secret parking place is or the above mentioned.

I have also said this many times before but a bucket, 2 2x4's, tp and some trash bags. Instant porta-potty! Yes there will be a time when you will thank me for preparing you. It will happen! You will be stuck on 5 or 10 in LA traffic isn't moving but that hot dog you ate at the ta is! Whenever possible I recommend trying to do this outside but when you are in the city you just maybe forced to close the curtains and conduct business. If you are a newbie you just don't realize right now that you can't just whip off the road anywhere, pull into a handyway and use the bathroom. Hell it takes 20 min just to pull into a truck stop (if there is one) find a place to park and then walk across the parking lot to the bathroom!

Buy yourself a bucket of foam earplugs from Walmart. Makes for some really nice peaceful sleep.

Little security tip: Get a couple bungee cords, hook bungee from door to airhorn on both doors. Someone opens your door or breaks into your truck and your airhorn goes off.

Sorry I could go on forever these are just a few. Hope this helps you guys.

 

baby wipes, flushable kind.

 

Many trucks have a cute little light over the drivers door. Get either a red light bulb, or one of those rubber covers that fit over the bulb. You'll thank me at 0330 when you're trying to read directions. The red light won't blind you like a clear one will.
One of those cheap fabric sling chairs. They're nice to have to sit and do a crossword outside behind your trailer.

 

In additional to all of the above lol get a book called " the next exit " I got mine at a pilot.....tells you what's at each exit on each major highway in the country. Keeps you from having to make notes in that truckstop guide. Everything is in there. Very useful, especially for finding large stores like Wally world or lowes ect if you have distance between truckstops, not many hours, and need somewhere to park

And the carpets are a REALLY good one lol I just got nice bathroom mats and put down in mine they work like. charm

 

I think the most handy thing i have is a card holder that slips over your sun visor. i keep my fuel cards,scale cards, a pen , a small notepad and a card with a few important phone numbers on it. Probably not a very unique idea but i find it really handy. Just dont fall for buying all the bs junk you see in the truck stop, most of it is useless and will break or fall apart very quickly, also will sav ya a few bucks.

 

I use the blue bulbs, work great!

George foreman grill is awesome to have along with one of those sling chairs. Couple of steaks and corn on a dark desert night and your lovin truckin! Not that I condone this but take that sling chair and nice big gulp of ice tea up on top of that trailer and enjoy the view!

While on that topic, one thing I highly recommend is binoculars. Not only for sight seeing (not peeping) but are great for finding hidden addresses!