Gloves And Shoes

I wear standard thickness Manilla leather work gloves, which soak up most of the diesel fuel and oil they come in contact with. You would think that they would eventually become saturated, but the insides of my gloves stay clean.

As for shoes, instead of buying $100 plus sneakers like I used to, I go to Walmart and get the cheap $18 sneakers in tan and black. The reason I switched to these sneakers, is because I have found that the tan color doesn't show dirt as easily as the black sneakers I used to wear. Also, since I am not spending hours standing in them, I don't feel the need to invest in a quality shoe like a Red Wing, like I used to wear when I was a Tig Welder. About every 6 to 9 months, I throw them away and buy a new pair.

I also keep a pair of Lacrosse knee high rubber boots on the truck. Sooner or later, you are going to get caught in a monsoon, or a super muddy drop yard or parking lot, where the drainage is less than effective. When that day comes, it will be worth all the days you kept those rubber boots on the truck, "just in case." You will find that it is a regular occurrence to service some customers who do not maintain their drop yard areas well, and some of them have pot holes so deep, you will have concerns about the skirting on your tractor being damaged.

When you find yourself in a situation like that, sometimes they only way you can get access to the landing gear crank, or tandem rod, is to wade through ankle deep water, in order to get hooked and get rolling.

I like to use Buffalo hide gloves. If they do get wet they do not stiffen up or fall apart like other leathers. I usually go through 4 pair a year at $12 each.