Spare Parts And Tools You Should Carry In Your Truck

Something that came out of the construction industry is window flashing tape. It has a peel off backing and FAR exceeds the effectiveness of any other tape on the market. I keep a 50 foot roll on my truck. Vicor is the brand I trust the most, but there are many others. The roll I use is 4" wide, but it's readily available up to 12" wide. I challenge anybody to use this and then try to remove it. Automatic fail.

Not sure I've seen this one covered before. Recently helped out a guy who had just upgraded with setting up/flushing out his Qualcomm and I remembered the case of OMG/Holy Schnikies I had and the stuff I wish I'd known to get before taking off on my first solo.

So, my list of things you should get off the shop before you roll. *Note, these are shop truck items and not personal gear.

Fuses

Spare turn bulbs

Wiper blades

Gladhand grommets

Wiper fluid

Oil

Load bars

Chains *Ask someone how to lay out and hang if they're still in the bag.

That's my short list. Most shops will make sure you have some but not all of these.

Side note, end of year coming up... Are all your permits and tags up to date?

Question from a future driver:

Are there any tools that you would recommend a new driver to get for his/her truck that are not provided by the company?

You can never have too many tools on the truck for getting yourself out of a problem.

You can never have too many tools on the truck for getting yourself out of a problem.

Specifics? I genuinely would like ideas of specific tools to consider that might not be provided by company shop.

I'm working on this as a new topic now. I just need to get all the photos required.

For a quick answer, I recommend these 10:

1. CB and quality antenna.

2. Rand McNally Deluxe Trucker Atlas.

3. Truck specific GPS unit.

4. Vice Grip pliers.

5. Channel Lock pliers

6. 3 foot length crowbar.

7. 3 flashlights (minimum).

8. A screwdriver set with different drivers (Torx, Phillips, etc.).

9. Various types of tape (duct, electrical, etc.).

10. An Estwing 32 ounce framing hammer. Better than a mini sledge because it can also remove nails.

It's very interesting when someone gets PackRat going on this subject. PackRat not only knows what to carry, but also how to organize all the stuff. I've personally learned so much from PackRat that I use in my own truck.

Time to say, thanks PackRat for sharing your unique knowledge.

Thanks for the compliments Bruce.

However....organized you wrote. My organization mainly comes down to, "I know it's on the truck. I just need to locate it."

Example: I have a back scratcher that's accompanied me on eight different trucks. Months ago it disappeared, and I could not locate it for months. I finally found it hibernating in the passenger door pocket, underneath two packs of zip ties, a bundle of shop rags, and a roll of duct tape.

It WAS on the truck....

Not sure I've seen this one covered before. Recently helped out a guy who had just upgraded with setting up/flushing out his Qualcomm and I remembered the case of OMG/Holy Schnikies I had and the stuff I wish I'd known to get before taking off on my first solo.

So, my list of things you should get off the shop before you roll. *Note, these are shop truck items and not personal gear.

Fuses

Spare turn bulbs

Wiper blades

Gladhand grommets

Wiper fluid

Oil

Load bars

Chains *Ask someone how to lay out and hang if they're still in the bag.

That's my short list. Most shops will make sure you have some but not all of these.

Side note, end of year coming up... Are all your permits and tags up to date?

Couple things I didn’t see mentioned that I got free from the shop were def, straps, and the heavier duty sticky velcro they use to stick your Prepass to the windshield. The black velcro you get at truck stops is good too for stopping vibrations/movement in the truck (microwave, cb etc), and easier to remove if you need to.

One thing that puzzles me is when I see a driver t******* tires with a rubber mallet. Why carry a tool with only one function? Every driver needs a metal two pound hammer (stubborn trailer tandem pins, frozen trailer brake shoes, plus a metal rod to use with the hammer) Are there other uses for a rubber mallet that I’m missing?

I’m line haul and home every night. I like having a good flashlight, hammer, vice grips, tape, and extra light cord and airlines, adjustable wrenches, and a multi tool, also a small socket set. Those usually keep me able to fix anything enough to limp it home.