Things Found In Used Trucks

Hi, first time poster, long time lurker. Rather than ask about how to dodge drug tests, or if ditching my truck on the interstate and walking home would negatively impact my career, I thought I'd share something a bit more lighthearted, and hopefully less awkward.

In October I was issued a well-used 2021 International. It looked like it had been run between two trees and it smelled like a wet dog. Someone had made a half-hearted attempt to clean the dash, but I'm pretty fussy, so I opened a big can of elbow grease and cleaned the whole interior, overhead to deck, port to starboard. Looked pretty good and smelled much better, thanks to Chemical Guys New Car Smell and Formula 409.

The remaining problem was that I kept hearing an hourly watch chime (beep beep), at 46 minutes on the hour. At 3:46, I would get a full alarm. That chime managed to wake me up just about every night. I looked high and low, couldn't find it.

One Saturday at home, my son and I went to the truck just before the appointed time. He was hoping to find a Rolex, I told him he'd be lucky to get a Timex. I had narrowed down the location from the driver's seat to the back of the sleeper. My boy took the front, I lifted the bed and we waited. Beep beep, right on queue.

It seemed to be coming from that lower cabinet next to bunk, but there was no space behind it, and nothing in it. I cleaned out the sleeper storage & pulled the mat, nothing. Then we looked in the upper driver's side cabinet, and my boy noticed a hardboard panel behind the middle shelf. I checked the top shelf, and sure enough, there is a gap between the top shelf and the wall!

I got my trim tools and popped the plugs holding the backing, and low and behold, there was a pretty nice, but grimy, Casio behind it, along with half a tube of toothpaste, a ball point pen, a pack of stale crackers and a cheap pair of cheater glasses. I have a hunch that someone was using the porthole by the top bunk to store their stuff, and everything fell back there.

Based on the copious amount of forensic evidence I cleaned out during my detailing campaign, I concluded that at least two others had driven that truck. I bet the first driver lost it, and the second driver just put up with it. Anyway, after he cleaned it up, my son got another watch.

I'd like to hear what other drivers have found in used trucks they were assigned. Thanks for reading and be safe out there.

Hello Dilrod,

Great first post! I got a kick out of your story and it made my day much more interesting, so thanks for that.

I’ve never found anything left behind in a truck, but I forgot to empty the compartment under the bunk on one truck I moved out of. So the next driver got about 10 six packs of carbonated water for his truck driver survival supply.

Reminded me of when I was a kid and we were poor. Never got any money from the parents, so I had to scrounge for whatever I could get. One of my favorite things to do was to sneak into the nearby auto salvage yard and search for loose change under and behind the bench seats. Almost always found several dollars worth, which was big money to me at the time.

I was issued pretty new, to brand new trucks, never found anything but a new 400w power supply. That came in handy used it to keep our cell's charged etc. I did leave my microwave in 1 truck I switched out of, didn't need it. Figured next guy or gal could use it more than I....

I too BK used to pull out rear bottom seats, and under fronts to find lots of change. In used auction cars my boss would buy I found loads of stuff. Did get 2 brand new sleeping bags in a trunk amongst the junk.

Biggest find @ Ford dealer, had to remove a dash to repair the heater ducting, in a Lincoln, Town Car, was a $20 bill that fell down the dash vent somehow, I gave it to the owner of the car, since it was his anyway haha.

I was issued a newer truck and it stank bad. It had been driven by a female driver who'd gotten mad and abruptly quit. She made next to no attempt to clean it.

Anyway, maintenance had it pretty well cleaned up before I got into it and I detailed the rest but it stank.

Maintenance tried using their ozone machine twice but the smell kept coming back. Finally, about a month after getting the truck I told them I couldn't drive it unless the smell was removed. Itvwas really that bad.

I worked 4 days then was off 4 days. I got back to work after my 4 days off and they said they found the source of the smell.

Both front seats had a rubber accordian type surround on the bottom of them. Underneath that rubber surround on the passenger side was a package of hot dog weiners that they said were as moldy and wet and sloppy from decay and rot as anything they'd ever seen. It'd been there for several weeks. I'm almost positive she planted them there on purpose before she left in a huff but have no proof of it.

I decided if I were to leave on bad terms i was going to slightly open a can of sardines to hide somewhere but I left on good terms.

I had a volvo loaner. The company cleaned it several times. I only used it for one trip.

Discovered a mouse family had taken up residence in it. I turned back in with them still in it. Gave them some cheese.

I did mention it to dispatch. Doubtful they did anything.

The only noteworthy thing I ever found in a truck I was assigned was a nudie mag with a pair of panties. Pretty gross if you think about it..threw them out right away

The only noteworthy thing I ever found in a truck I was assigned was a nudie mag with a pair of panties. Pretty gross if you think about it..threw them out right away

You could have sold those online Pianoman! 😁 🤮

Not truck related per se, but it's bad stink related.... Dodge has this small bottle of a green differential modifier additive. Let me tell ya, this stuff stinks worse than ANY bad stink I've experienced in life!!

Working at a dodge dealer, we got this new old guy.He was a hack, came in with this beat up, tote box, with some basic tools hahaha & was a drunk it turns out. He worked next to my bay, well I had a shelf with my radio on it, played my hard rock low for myself. He hated it, and I'd return to find my channel switched to country crap. Told him numerous times to #^$&$ touch my stuff !! He continued doing it.....

1 day he got on my last nerve, he whined because of the smell, I had to use that modifier in a Ram truck. So, I took a shop rag, poured some this stuff in it. wadded it up hid it behind HIS work bench in the walls padding. LOL I left it there for a week, and it ****ed him off he never could find it. (I was used to the stink)

He ended up getting fired for 1 of his hack repairs.

A new unwrapped tampon. The truck had been thoroughly cleaned, this was down on the bottom of a pocket on the inside of the cabinet door. I only found it because I was digging in there for something I kept in that spot. I laughed.

The only noteworthy thing I ever found in a truck I was assigned was a nudie mag with a pair of panties. Pretty gross if you think about it..threw them out right away

Oh sure you threw them out, wink wink.