Commercial truck driving puts you in the cab and over the road, but your trip never has to lack for comfort. Even if you slip in and out of day cabs, never in the same cab twice, you can take with you plenty of accessories to make the ride enjoyable and uniquely your own. If you are fortunate enough to lease your own tractor or have a dedicated route, you can customize your tractor to your heart’s content with some totally cool cab accessories.
To avoid dinging any fuel bonus your company may offer, avoid weight: leave your collection of Civil War-era cannon balls (interesting as they are) in storage. Consider instead items to make your daily drives easier without bulking out the scales:
Don’t forget your sunglasses!
Sunglasses—Hardly an accessory, a good pair of polarizing sunglasses prevents fatigue, headaches and eyestrain; expect to go through, break, and lose a dozen or so a year.
Truckers have reputations for poor diets, and you need not wonder why. Wacky schedules, irregular mealtimes and unpredictable roadside food quality make dinner on the road a road hazard in itself. Bring meals with you:
A slow cooker can make healthy meals while you work!
Slow cooker—The food you cook for yourself almost always tastes better than the meals you buy. With a slow cooker you can start your day stocking it with fresh vegetables and a pot roast in Albuquerque and by the time you get to Phoenix, lunch is ready.
Police officers and truckers know never to be hungry or cold. An accessory for overnight comfort is an electric blanket, because even the best auxiliary power unit (APU) cannot completely banish the winter’s chill when you are parked in an overnight spot in Fraser, Colorado (home of the nation’s lowest average year-round temperatures).
Tire monitor systems are partly cab accessories and partly tire parts. The sensors mount on the truck tires, the monitor sits in the cab, and the repeater boosts the sensors’ signals. Prevent high temperatures, blow-outs and costly delays by knowing the temperature and pressure of every tire so equipped. Though not cheap, tire monitors can prolong expensive truck tires and reduce the frequency of replacing them.
A toiletries kit can come in handy on the road.
A shower kit is useful, not just for you and your driving partner in the crowded quarters of a cab, but also for conveying the right image of the trucking company that issues your paycheck. A small kit of toiletries and grooming aids takes minimal space and helps you stay fresh as a daisy even through long, hot summers.
The loneliness of mandatory rest periods is easily banished with connectivity. One of the best and least expensive accessories you can have is an over-the-air digital television antenna. Tap into 1080p HD signals for free, for life.
Besides free HD TV you can also look to these awesome additions:
A game console can be a great way to keep in touch with friends and family when you’re away.
Game console—Keep in touch with your family by playing video games with your kids, even when you are in Washington state and they are in Washington, D.C.
I am truly enjoying my time at ATI next may i graduate with a degree. ATI was a smart choice and the instructors are…
Posted by Jason King on Tuesday, June 29, 2010
To sit in the cab of an over-the-road tractor trailer, you have to be licensed and trained. Advanced Technology Institute’s commercial driving program can put you behind the wheel of a combination truck in as little as eight weeks. Contact ATI today to learn how the best accessory in your truck cab could be your framed certificate of completion. Contact us at 800-468-1093 or request information online today.
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