What To Bring On The Road?

I will be heading to Phoenix on the 29th of this month to start orientation with Werner Enterprises. This might be a silly question but what are the most important items to bring with. I will have 2 days of class room style orientation and then be introduced with my Trainer and continue right into 275 hours of driving training. Some things I feel are obvious (CDL, SSN Card, Clothes, Money for the next 6 weeks, Boots, Tennis Shoes, Prescription Glasses/Sunglasses, Jacket, Hat Ibuprofen) I am now looking for the not so obvious things. I know I won't have much space for lots of things so looking for the expert tips on here again. Use a suitcase or duffel bag? Thank You in advance for sharing your advice with this. Mark

We chose a duffel bag because it can be squished to fit just about any spot, no matter how weirdly shaped.

We also brought with us hand sanitizer. Think about this, you have a guy (or girl) in a truckstop. They are finally getting a chance to get a shower in. This is one of those people you smell when they walk through the door. They touch the counter at the register, the handle on the door, the handle on the cooler... What all have they scratched recently? Do they pick their nose?

I've also been told to bring shower shoes, so that you can shower without picking up all the fun foot fun 'guy' out there.

I've made sure to bring a weeks worth of comfortable clothes and a couple of nice shirts, just in case.

Toilet paper is something you are going to want to bring. There isn't always a potty with the paper stocked nearby.

Basically I asked around and found out what some of the worse case scenarios are. Then I figured out what I could bring that would help minimize that without taking up a lot of room.

I'm not on the road yet, but I am working on getting there. Thus far, my hand sanitizer seems to be the most important thing. Our driving range doesn't have running water, but it does have a port a potty. And it is WELL used (the giant mountain of poo I saw today is testimony of that). So, all those people, without water. I brought my big bottle out and it is half way down now. It helped a lot.

Thanks Mistelle, I appreciate the input. Mark

Items To Pack

Seems like a good place to start.

Thanks Guy, I appreciate it.

It amazes me how many people keep asking the same questions over and over again. This site is FULL of wonderful information if people would just take the time to read the various blogs.

Everybody wants immediate gratification without doing the legwork, and, in my humble opinion, these are the people that will have difficulty in the industry, when they come face to face with scenarios and situations on the road and say ... wow ... I had no idea.

Maybe it's just me, but I try to read as much as possible of all these blogs so that I can learn as much as possible before forming an opinion, or making a decision. When I have a question that I haven't found in a blog somewhere, then I ask, and hope to receive an answer.

I believe the question you are referring to was blogged about by one of the 'Ladies of Trucking'. Another thread that I think gets overlooked by many guys and drivers. Anyway, this particular lady, a wife of a trucker, packed a bunch of stuff for her husband before he left. He went on and on about how she packed way too much stuff. Until he got to school, and on the road. After a fees days he (sheepishly) thanked his wife for having the foresight to pack all the things he might need.

I don't mean to get on a soapbox or anything, but this site is a wonderful place for research, and of course, the vast knowledge and support of the numerous moderators and fellow truckers and their wives (husbands, girlfriends, extended family etc).

My fear, is that we 'Newbies' might 'wear out our welcome' by redundantly asking the same questions over and over. Especially when we are at home preparing for school, at our leisure. I mean, we're not even on the road yet. We have all the time in the world to research this site and mine the informational nuggets of gold that it contains, without dulling the tools of the trade. aka, the moderators. Let's not ruin it for those that follow us.

And to Brett and the other moderators, if I overstepped my bounds, please forgive me.

OK, enough preaching. I think the article you should read is ... well, all of them. But start with this one ...

what to pack

My fear, is that we 'Newbies' might 'wear out our welcome' by redundantly asking the same questions over and over. Especially when we are at home preparing for school, at our leisure. I mean, we're not even on the road yet. We have all the time in the world to research this site and mine the informational nuggets of gold that it contains, without dulling the tools of the trade. aka, the moderators. Let's not ruin it for those that follow us.

And to Brett and the other moderators, if I overstepped my bounds, please forgive me.

No, you haven't overstepped but I have a different take on it.

For starters, nobody will ever wear out their welcome if they're kind, respectful, and they are doing their best to learn how to get their trucking career off to a great start. Me personally - I enjoy helping people who are the most eager to learn. I think any teacher feels that way. So there's no such thing as asking too many questions. That's what we're here for and that's what really sets us apart at TruckingTruth - we'll make sure everyone finds the answers they're looking for.

The other thing is site navigation. I'm getting ready to restructure the site in about a month or so and the menu system is going to change. I'm hoping to make it much more clear exactly what we do, what we have to offer, and where to find everything. This site started small about 6 1/2 years ago and it's grown really big since then. The scope of our offerings is far greater than it used to be and a reorganization is in order.

So if people are having trouble finding something I feel that's on me. I have to find a way to make things easy to find.

As far as Mark's question, you guys pointed him to the right places so it's all good

When I was going to school in the Navy, a Gunny Sargent once said, "The only stupid question is the one somebody DOESN'T ask. Not asking a question that needs asked, could get someone hurt".

But he did also say, "Some questions are better than others".

Now it might not be that bad asking questions about schooling, how to fill out a log, or even how to go through a weight station. But a question about how to handle a skid, a tire blowout, or how to make a load safer, could be a life and death question.

As Brett said, not everyone knows how to navigate the site when they first come here. I have not been here that long. I have read every post and blog I can find. Some more than once or twice. And I am learning something everytime I come here. By more searching. By newbie questions and reading answers. And mostly by the ones that have come before and asked questions and been down the road we are all going.

But in all that, I will never forget one of my first questions. I was trying to figure out which school to go to. I was trying to find more information about Schneider. I searched every web site, every post and blog on here. And I couldn't find a thing. Then Brett showed me blogs and posts from the previous site. Showed me how to search for things. I felt so stupid. Not that I didn't know about the other site. No newbie would. I felt stupid because I had not noticed the search bar on this site.

But if I would have never asked my question, it could have taken me days or even weeks to notice the search bar. And I would have never known about the site before this one with more information.

Keep it safe out there. Joe S

Thanks Brett and Joe. I appreciate it.

Good point Joe, and thanks Brett for the other vantage point.

I should say that my post wasn't really directed at Mark, per se, only that I have seen a lot of questions from others that are covered in previous posts. I wrote this late last night and after reading it again this morning, it seems I may have come across different from my intention. So, sorry about that Mark, no disrespect meant.

And I agree joe, it took me a good couple of weeks before I learned how to navigate the site, and in fact, I'm just now starting to use the search feature. I look forward to the updated site.