I am looking forward to upgrading to a solo driver. That, right now, is 3 weeks away, but still good time to start saving every penny i can. What i plan to do are a few things. First off, buy a laptop stand so I can run 'co-pilot' or another 'map' program off it. No, i wont be using it while driving, but it will help to see a map where I am going while driving, take a quick glance while looking out a mirror, than to waste 15 min. pulling off and finding a parking spot.

Guess what I am asking, advice from fellow drivers the following:

1) Best Laptop on the market for around $500-700ish.
2) Best laptop map program/log program.
3) Best inverter
4) Best lot lizzard? (kidding)
5) and what is the best things to have in the truck for a new driver??

I plan to have an assortment of cleaning supplies and air sprays, a coleman cooler, or a small fratboy fridge, and a small microwave, grille and hot plate.

Also, what about tools? Any specific sizes/wrenches a driver should have behind the seat? etc.? There is a 'road ready' class I plan to take. They help you with how to make small electrical repairs to your truck/trailer, enough to get back to a terminal for a repair.

any good advice is much appreciated.

 

I spent a little more on the laptop to get the bigger screen. I run Microsoft Streets and Trips and the Delorme with GPS. Both work good. A cheap digital camera is also a good idea. I don't use a fridge or other appliances but for laptop and charging cell phone and camera I just have a Cyberpower plug in inverter I bought at Walmart. It works good. As far as tools, I pull specialized loads so I carry more then most guys. A small sledge hammer, set of open end wreches for adjusting brakes , Maybe a small prybar for pulling nails out of trailer floor. If you have a liquidation store by you they usually have cheaper tools that work well enough. Ask your shop for a spare gladhand to two and some of those rubbers that go inside of them. The gladhands sometime disappear from trailers.

 

Yeah, having spare rubbers for gladhands are a good idea. my mentor had to pull one out of a wal-mart trailer cause it was leaking a little. having a spare gladhand or two is a good idea as well. I plan on getting some box end wrenches and a Louisville Slugger for my tire thumper and a head thumper if i catch someone messing with my truck.

 

If your going to run all that stuff, you might need a few fuses.

 

well my laptop will almost always be on, as well as the fridge. my cell i can regharge thru the cigerette lighter and the one in the bunk will run a fan. i can watch movies off my laptop, wont really have the need for a TV or sat. tv. and i can unplug my fridge or laptop when i need to use my microwave. Dont plan to get anything more than 750 or 1000 watt inverter.

 

Random thoughts:

I went to the Road Ready class a few years ago, well worth your time. You won't have a microwave, but the small plug in inverter someone mentioned might be a good idea, I use one for lots of stuff.

I have always had a laptop, but I have never used routing software, just spend $50 on a Rand-McNally deluxe motor carrier's atlas and use the laptop to look at mapquest. I plan my route before I pull out for the day.....it's free.

I found an air hose and tire chuck have saved me the most time of all tools. You'll get one with the class, or buy one, get a "dual foot" chuck and "straight" is the best. About 75 feet of hose will reach all your tires. A low tire will blow out if you run it and many times you have a nail etc, causing a slow leak. If you can air it up you'll make it to the drop or a truck stop where it can be repaired. A blow out and you're sitting on the side of the road waiting for a service truck for hours on line 4.

Extra glad hand seals will save you lots of frustration, and fuses and lights....go to the trailer shop and get replacements for the stop/turn lights and the shop for headlights. Some are sealed beam, others are halogen bulbs, low and high are different. A burned out light is reason to be stopped and inspected, lost time at the least and shut down waiting for service at the worst.

WD 40 or a bottle of soapy water can save you with stuck tandems and the soap will help replacing trailer lights.

I carry some wrenches, I've built up the tool box over time as I find I need something I don't have. Screwdrivers, sockets or open end wrenches, come in handy but rarely. I have electrical strippers and small connectors for wiring, again trailer lights.....not necessary, but handy once in a while.

Build up your supplies over time and you won't notice it as much.

PS there is a tool called StaRat that is the ultimate in sliding tandems, made in Spokane WA. sold on the internet, it is improved over the original, expensive but if you're going to pull vans, I wouldn't be without one.

don

 

thank you. great post. Though i plan to do just what you do with your motor carrier's atlas and mapquest. I had a load to the east side of Dallas. I knew where to turn, i just didnt know the turn was about 50 yards off the interstate, so I ended up missing it and going 1-2 miles out of my way. I told my mentor, "...had i been able to look at mapquest, i'd have known the turn was where it was and i wouldnt have missed it."

My current mentor tells me that thoes laptop 'co-pilot' travel programs can still lead you down the wrong path...one not ment for trucks, and some with low bridges. Good idea about having 75ft of air hose. My current mentor told me to have a bottle of window cleaner, with a few spoonfulls of Dawn soap. Uses that to clean the windshield pretty darn well, and he said can use that to slide tandems. thank you again for your helpful post, others could learn a thing or two from you. =)

 

As nice as it is to have a computer, it's not absolutely necessary! Whenever my company does not have directions to a customer, I ALWAYS call them and get directions from them! I admit, I have been in situations where I couldn't get in touch with someone there, but times like that are few and far between. Directions from the customer are almost always better than the directions you'll get from a computer.

Your mentor is 100% correct about not trusting them for routing, as I can't count the number of times my GPS has tried to send me down the wrong road, under low bridges, down restricted routes, etc. That's where you have to understand it's limitations. GPS is great for knowing where you are...and not much more. You can take your directions and put it into your mapping program, and use it to stay on track, but you can NEVER, EVER exclusively use GPS or mapping programs(mapquest, google maps, etc.) for routing. ALWAYS double check EVERYTHING your GPS will tell you!

Now, with that being said, I wouldn't want to go out there without a computer, but like EVERYTHING electronic and mechanical, it can and WILL break...and when it does, you HAVE to know how to get by without it!

 

Just a thought, with winter coming and 3 weeks more until you solo-- prep for winter and having those things
might be in order as priority .

Like a good pair of sunglasses, a digital therometer you can tape to your westcoast mirror to know what the temp outside is doing... CB nice too, and a laminated motor carrier's atlas is a must.

Be safe;

 

550 lb olympic weight set /bench/130lb set of power block dumbells/...doesn't every driver carry these ?