What would you include is your ultimate "emergency tool carry kit"?

I carry complete sets of wrenches, screwdrivers, and sockets. I also have a rechargeable impact drill, spotlight, head lamp, magnetic lights, voltage meter, extra wire, fuses, light bulbs, lights, splicers, etc. Oh, then the metal hack saw and the wood saw (wood saw for cutting down dunnage). Fuel filter wrench and extra fuel filter with a half gallon of diesel with some Marvel Mystery Oil and a splash of 9-1-1.

Get disposable gloves for the messy work.

 

There was a simular thread here not too long ago.

Bottom line was, take what you can handle.

It could be everything. There was a guy he carried a starter or alternator with him. He's running in remote areas.

Don't focus on the technical side only. Carry a personal emergency kit for you as well. Just in case you get stranded and have to survive for a few days at the side of the road.

 

A tire plug kit and an air hose that can attach to the glad hand has saved my butt a time or two , running super singles you can't just limp it to the nearest truck stop if you pick up a nail

 

The company driver emergency kit:
$1000 cash.
An emergency only credit card. Has to be a credit card as debit cards and cash will not allow you to rent a car.
Spare brake hoses.
Tire plug kit.
Sleeping bag PLUS a heavy blanket. Had a head gasket go in northern Alberta one winter...-45 degrees. The heat quit working. I put my clothes on, and layered up, got under both blankets and stayed warm. The truck was still running, but there was no heat.

I always recommend company drivers to travel as light as possible. Of course, no one listens and everyone wants to know the biggest TV that you can put in a sleeper and whatnot.

"Why should we travel light when we have been issued trucks?"

Things change and they change rapidly. I quit one job on a Thursday, already bought the bust tickets, called a cab, and went directly to another gig for orientation the following Monday. Also, trucking companies can disappear overnight. Just look at Arrow and Jevic. One day, they were there. The next day drivers were stranded and didn't have an idea of what to do. If you have experience and a clean record, you can quit a job Monday morning at 0800 and have another job at 0803. Especially the case if you have a more specialized skill like tanker or car hauling. Travel light until the truck is in your name.

Can you sit on a grand? I sat on $16000.Had to drop that amount down because apparently, it is illegal to travel with more than $10grand cash. Yes, I know about credit cards and debit cards as I have both. But when poop hits the fan, you want to have cash on you. Especially in disaster areas.

 

Carry/learn how to use Caging Bolts.

 

To name a few this is what i carry.......
Wire
Zip ties
Chain "key"
Flash lights
WD 40
Small hand sledge
Crow bar
Wrenches
Hand cleaner
Rags
18 volt leaf blower for cleaning trailers and blowing out the cab.

 

I just make sure to have a backup Verizon flip phone. That way I can call dispatch and they can deal with the problem. I don't get paid enough to fix trucks and drive them.

 

And you dont get paid enough to sit waiting for road service when you could have done a minor repair and then been on your way.

 

I hear what you are saying. On the other hand a company driver that can deal with a variety of electrical and mechanical issues will make more money. I'm not talking doing an in frame, just the ability and willingness to change light bulbs or replace a bad splice or change a fuel filter.

You make far better money driving the truck rather than sitting for hours waiting to talk to your dispatch or road service folks, then waiting for a mechanic to arrive. You chew up enough of your 14 hour clock waiting at shippers and receivers, no need to spend hours waiting for someone to fix a 10 minute problem.

Had Swift allowed me to carry a spare fuel filter I could have changed it out and been back underway within 30 minutes. Instead we waited 12 hours for a tow and I made a whopping $50 a day for 8 days, waiting for the company to figure out how to ultimately get us to another truck and finally get dispatched on a load again. That's not to mention the thousands the company wasted on towing and hotel.

At least be willing and able to do some basic repairs. You will make more in the long run, and if you aspire to own your own truck start learning to do mechanical, electrical, and air line repairs.