Big_Dave
April 18th, 2005, 20:03
Ok, so you're gonna be a truck driver. Whether you want to be a regular OTR driver or an Expeditor, there's a bunch of things that you as a new driver are going to need on a daily basis.
This list has been compiled by a bunch of us Moderators to help you out when making the transition to a becoming a driver.
Actually, there will be 2 lists posted. One for when you leave the house for your first day of Orientation and one for when you're assigned your first truck.
Some of the items may seem silly to be listed as they are 'common sense' items, but you'd be amazed at what gets left behind when you walk out the door for the last time for the next 3-6 weeks.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When you leave the house you will need to have MOST of the following items.......
Items that you will need to do the job:
Pens, black ink. At least 6.
Permenant markers, black. At least 2.
Work gloves, leather. 2 pair uninsulated, 2 pair insulated.
Rubberized gloves for fueling (keeps your hands from smelling like diesel).
Calculator w/ extra batteries (or one that's solar powered w/ a cover).
Clipboard.
Notebook tablets (legal pads), At least 2. (One for training notes and one for notes about your loads.)
6" ruler (makes nice neat lines in your logbook & impresses the DOT cop if you have no mistakes).
25' tape measure.
Coveralls (if you're going into flatbedding).
Flashlight w/ extra batteries.
Reading glasses or a magnifying glass.
A rain suit (available at Home Depot really cheap)
A cheap digital camera (in case you need pics of an accident, or whatever)
A hands free headset or ear bud with mic for your cell phone ($12 at Wal-Mart)
Personal Items:
Gym bag or duffle bag.
Enough clothes for at least 1 week. (small boxes of laundry soap are available in truckstops for about $1.00 each)
Shaving kit w/ razor. blades, toenail clippers, tweezers.
Deoderant.
Shampoo.
Hair brush or comb.
Tooth brush & tooth paste.
Extra pair of shoes / boots.
If you have a cell phone, get a charger that plugs into the lighter.
Sleeping bag & pillow (you can put regular sheets in your truck once you get done training).
Address book with the addresses and phone numbers of all family members.
Alarm clock or if you're like me and can sleep through almost anything, a 'screaming meanie'.
Tylenol (aspirin).
Tums (antacid).
Personal First Aid Kit.
Any presription medication that you are taking.
Extra batteries for EVERYTHING that you bring along that uses batteries (batteries are dang expensive in truckstops)
Items for winter: (seasonal)
Long johns.
Insulated coveralls.
Insulated boots.
Insulated mittens.
Extra blankets.
Wool socks.
The reason for these 'winter items' are, if you break down out in the middle of nowhere, help can seem to take forever to get to you. You need to keep warm and survive.
Those of you that have never experienced -30* below zero in the middle of Wyoming don't realize just how fast a person can freeze to death.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Items you'll need once assigned to a truck:
Rand McNally Motor Carrier Road Atlas
The Truckstop Guide (These 2 items will be the MOST IMPORTANT tools you can have!!!)
2 rolls of toilet paper
2 rolls of paper towels
Windex
1 roll of Duct tape
1 roll of Electrical tape
1-2 gallons of water (from WalMart)
Waterless hand cleaner
Shop rags
Ice scraper
5th wheel pin puller (wait and see which type you'll need for your truck before you buy one)
A small assortment of hand tools;.........
Screw driver, flat tip
Screw driver, phillips
Pliers
Vice Grips
2 lb. hammer
10" crescent wrench
Wrench set, 3/8" to 3/4" (or the metric equivalent)
Can opener
A small 'collection' of canned foods that you like. (occasionally you may shut down or have no choice to shut down and there isn't any stores or restaurants nearby)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm sure there are items we missed. If you happen to think of any, please list them. These are just the basic items a new driver will need to have in order to help him or her do their job.
Keep in mind that these are not 'nice to have' items. We can list those in a different thread at a later date.
This list has been compiled by a bunch of us Moderators to help you out when making the transition to a becoming a driver.
Actually, there will be 2 lists posted. One for when you leave the house for your first day of Orientation and one for when you're assigned your first truck.
Some of the items may seem silly to be listed as they are 'common sense' items, but you'd be amazed at what gets left behind when you walk out the door for the last time for the next 3-6 weeks.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When you leave the house you will need to have MOST of the following items.......
Items that you will need to do the job:
Pens, black ink. At least 6.
Permenant markers, black. At least 2.
Work gloves, leather. 2 pair uninsulated, 2 pair insulated.
Rubberized gloves for fueling (keeps your hands from smelling like diesel).
Calculator w/ extra batteries (or one that's solar powered w/ a cover).
Clipboard.
Notebook tablets (legal pads), At least 2. (One for training notes and one for notes about your loads.)
6" ruler (makes nice neat lines in your logbook & impresses the DOT cop if you have no mistakes).
25' tape measure.
Coveralls (if you're going into flatbedding).
Flashlight w/ extra batteries.
Reading glasses or a magnifying glass.
A rain suit (available at Home Depot really cheap)
A cheap digital camera (in case you need pics of an accident, or whatever)
A hands free headset or ear bud with mic for your cell phone ($12 at Wal-Mart)
Personal Items:
Gym bag or duffle bag.
Enough clothes for at least 1 week. (small boxes of laundry soap are available in truckstops for about $1.00 each)
Shaving kit w/ razor. blades, toenail clippers, tweezers.
Deoderant.
Shampoo.
Hair brush or comb.
Tooth brush & tooth paste.
Extra pair of shoes / boots.
If you have a cell phone, get a charger that plugs into the lighter.
Sleeping bag & pillow (you can put regular sheets in your truck once you get done training).
Address book with the addresses and phone numbers of all family members.
Alarm clock or if you're like me and can sleep through almost anything, a 'screaming meanie'.
Tylenol (aspirin).
Tums (antacid).
Personal First Aid Kit.
Any presription medication that you are taking.
Extra batteries for EVERYTHING that you bring along that uses batteries (batteries are dang expensive in truckstops)
Items for winter: (seasonal)
Long johns.
Insulated coveralls.
Insulated boots.
Insulated mittens.
Extra blankets.
Wool socks.
The reason for these 'winter items' are, if you break down out in the middle of nowhere, help can seem to take forever to get to you. You need to keep warm and survive.
Those of you that have never experienced -30* below zero in the middle of Wyoming don't realize just how fast a person can freeze to death.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Items you'll need once assigned to a truck:
Rand McNally Motor Carrier Road Atlas
The Truckstop Guide (These 2 items will be the MOST IMPORTANT tools you can have!!!)
2 rolls of toilet paper
2 rolls of paper towels
Windex
1 roll of Duct tape
1 roll of Electrical tape
1-2 gallons of water (from WalMart)
Waterless hand cleaner
Shop rags
Ice scraper
5th wheel pin puller (wait and see which type you'll need for your truck before you buy one)
A small assortment of hand tools;.........
Screw driver, flat tip
Screw driver, phillips
Pliers
Vice Grips
2 lb. hammer
10" crescent wrench
Wrench set, 3/8" to 3/4" (or the metric equivalent)
Can opener
A small 'collection' of canned foods that you like. (occasionally you may shut down or have no choice to shut down and there isn't any stores or restaurants nearby)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm sure there are items we missed. If you happen to think of any, please list them. These are just the basic items a new driver will need to have in order to help him or her do their job.
Keep in mind that these are not 'nice to have' items. We can list those in a different thread at a later date.