Work Gloves

It looks like work gloves are an essential piece of gear for driving. What kind are recommended? I've seen the thicker leather type heavy duty gloves, and a smaller thinner kinds with the ability to grip similar to a football recievers glove. I'm going to purchase some and don't know which to go with. I'm going to go somewhat cheap wih something to last long enough until I can afford to get a better pair after training.

I use several different pairs, for different situations. One pair only for refueling, because they get kind of nasty from the diesel. And I use insulated gloves in the winter, and un-insulated in the summer. I have a couple pairs of each, because driving a flatbed you will be getting your gloves wet, I have a backup while the wet ones are drying. And I have both leather and cloth gloves. The knit gloves with the rubber dots all over them are cheap, and very useful. There are some truck stops that give away gloves (cheap ones) when you get a certain amount of fuel at one time. You'll just have to try gloves out to see which ones work for you and your situation.

We use the gloves "dipped" in rubber for fueling...they are pretty cheap, and we like the grip for tarping too. We also only use one pair of gloves for fueling...they really get nasty. We get these funny looking gloves we call Michael Jackson gloves,,they have silver knitted int othem. They are a glove liner, that really work great. They reflect your own body heat back to you, so you stay warm, even if your hands get wet...I'll look up where we get them, if anyone is interested. Shoes and boots are also very important. If you wear cowboy type boots, be sure to either buy ones with neoprene soles,,,or take them to the cobbler and have those leather soles taken off an neoprene ones put on. Trust me, leather soles in diesel are unsafe...you will be skating like Tanya Harding..and the leather soles virtually melt off from the petroleum in the diesel, and you end up resoling them anyway. You can also get the Michael Jackson sox too, I wear them ALL winter. Be sure an have a backup set of shoes and gloves, cuz your gonna get wet, and nothing is nastier than driving along, squishing water between your toes, knowing they are gonna be pruney by the time you get those wet boots off. Extra sox, extra boots and gloves, a stocking hat, maybe a "doo rag" for the summer....you'll be set.

Is this good advice for all truckers? or mostly flat bedders?? I get the gloves for fueling, but the boots (and socks for sure) I wonder about. If I'm driving dry loads, its mostly drop and hook , and for reefers, add some dock time. so, how wet will my feet get in a good pair of water repellent boots?

I like the advice about neoprene vs rubber soles. I wouldn't have thought about that, Thanks for the heads up.

I get the gloves for fueling, but the boots (and socks for sure) I wonder about. If I'm driving dry loads, its mostly drop and hook , and for reefers, add some dock time. so, how wet will my feet get in a good pair of water repellent boots?

You will certainly have to do some drop-n-hooks in very deep water and mud from time to time. A lot of drop lots and gravel and they don't maintain them. So they get super deep puddles and ankle-deep mud so a cheap pair of rubber boots is a good idea.