What Do You Eat While On The Road? Is It Possible To Pre-pack Meals?
Topic 10435 | Page 1
OMG Absolutely! I was concerned about this too, it being the main and really only money-suck on the road. In my research I have found that there are literally tons of 12v accessories for our soon-to-be trucks. Refrigerators, crackpots, ovens, microwaves, hotplates... and the "cook it on the engine block" option. I am fully confident that with some pre-planning, and a little extra work, fast food will be an occasional option in my new lifestyle.
OMG Absolutely! I was concerned about this too, it being the main and really only money-suck on the road. In my research I have found that there are literally tons of 12v accessories for our soon-to-be trucks. Refrigerators, crackpots, ovens, microwaves, hotplates... and the "cook it on the engine block" option. I am fully confident that with some pre-planning, and a little extra work, fast food will be an occasional option in my new lifestyle.
Thank you for that information. Will all trucking companies allow you to put those things in your truck? Who do you drive for?
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
I'm starting training for PAM in a couple weeks. From what I have seen there are regulations for some sizes/stowing kind of things and the hotplates are sometimes an issue, but most places encourage refrigerators and microwaves from what I have seen. Definitely ask a recruiter or Google when you have a specific company in mind if you want to pre-gather your equipment.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
Just found the CADAC Safari Chef on Amazon a couple days ago. Five interchangeable cooking surfaces to BBQ, griddle, wok and more. Lightweight, small and has carrying case. Reviews looked great and YouTube videos looked promising. Another appliance would be a Presto Kitchen Kettle. I would be careful of most 12V appliances as they appear to be of poor quality.
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
Just found the CADAC Safari Chef on Amazon a couple days ago. Five interchangeable cooking surfaces to BBQ, griddle, wok and more. Lightweight, small and has carrying case. Reviews looked great and YouTube videos looked promising. Another appliance would be a Presto Kitchen Kettle. I would be careful of most 12V appliances as they appear to be of poor quality.
Are these appliances something that most companies accept? What company do you drive for?
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
My research says, yes, most companies will be fine with them. The CADAC will need the small propane cylinders and the Kitchen Kettle would need an inverter.
Currently, I am a class B, transit bus driver. However, I will be starting company-sponsored training in 2 weeks.
Company-sponsored Training:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
My husband works for swift and we have a crock pot I make quite a few of our meals in, so much better than fast food. Swift doesn't allow for a converter, but anything 12v is acceptable. I am looking for more items that I can cook with, or maybe I just need to figure out how to stock our tiny fridge. There are also some hot plates and a lunch box, that you can cook food in as well. I like the ****pit cause I can cook while he's driving and dnt have to worry about it going everywhere with the bumps. Ive also seen a pot that boils water, you can boil vegetables in there if you dont like canned. You can also bring a little charcoal grill and cook for the night when your parked, good luck!
Thank you all. These are great replies with lots of information. Swift is an option right now that I am considering so it's good to know they don't allow converters.
I've got some great recipes to share if you lije things spicy. Here's a good one.
Cajun Pasta
olive oil 2 chicken breasts diced up 1/2 lb of andoulle. I use chorizo since its easier to find. 1 tablespoon (or more lol) Cajun seasoning fresh garlic chicken broth (about 5 cups) Sliced onions sliced bell peppers sliced mushrooms cream pasta (about 1 lb for full recipe) parmesean cheese
heat olive oil and cook chicken and sausage, adding Cajun seasoning. Add onions, peppers, garlic, and mushrooms. Add chicken broth. Put in 1 lb of pasta, and when pasta is about cooked add cream (I use half and half) a cup of shredded parmesean cheese and stir.
OTR Adaptation
While on hometime, cook your meats and cajun seasoning and pack that up and freeze it. When ready to cook pop that into your crock pot, add the other ingredients and roll on down the road. You'll have an awesome cajun dinner in no time. Use those crockpot baggies for easy clean up. If you make a full size batch you'll have plenty to share and leftovers too.
I think I'm lucky as the company I'm going with has apu in all the trucks so a regular crockpot will work for me and don't have to deal with the 12v. And yes, my 1st purchase will be a fridge/freezer.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.APU:
Auxiliary Power Unit
On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.
Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.
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Advice For New Truck Drivers Cooking In The Truck Food & Eating On The Road Health Concerns Life On The Road Truck Driving Lifestyle Truck Stops
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One question I have is how to adequately nourish yourself while on the road. I'm looking into driving trucks and I do have some family members that have done trucking for many years, but they have all turned out to be like 200 something pound guys who pig out on fast food everyday they are out OTR. Are there any ways around this?
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.