Neat Adaptations

I'm guessing there is a limit to what you can do to company trucks but I was wondering what things you may have done to your truck to make your life a little easier on the road?

I used bungee cords and a CB radio mount to make an internal mounting place for my satellite radio antenna, so I didn't have to run the wire out of my cab.

I also mounted deer whistlers on the truck. They apparently bother cows at least a bit, as I have noticed that calves tend to move away from fences at a trot when I drive by, near them. That's something I rarely saw before unless I could also see farmers putting out food. Now I see it al the time. Older cows and bulls rarely react to it visibly, but I imagine they have heard whistlers, a lot.

When I was in a team truck (Two bunks) I had my hammock in the lower bunk while I was solo. That made sleeping while the truck turned on and off a little easier.

Also my truck comes with two mounting spots for CBs and the one on the dash currently holds my GPS via the nifty little velcro strap that is attached to the mount. I've heard before that DOT can write tickets for anything on the windshield... That and my suction cup lost it's suction.

When I was in a team truck (Two bunks) I had my hammock in the lower bunk while I was solo. That made sleeping while the truck turned on and off a little easier.

Also my truck comes with two mounting spots for CBs and the one on the dash currently holds my GPS via the nifty little velcro strap that is attached to the mount. I've heard before that DOT can write tickets for anything on the windshield... That and my suction cup lost it's suction.

49 CFR 393.60 (e) Prohibition on obstructions to the driver's field of view—(1) Devices mounted at the top of the windshield. Antennas, transponders, and similar devices must not be mounted more than 152 mm (6 inches) below the upper edge of the windshield. These devices must be located outside the area swept by the windshield wipers, and outside the driver's sight lines to the road and highway signs and signals.

Pretty much anything in the "swept area" of the wipers is verbotten. I see tons of trucks with GPS's, phones, etc. on suction cup mounts - and wonder how they get away with it. Mounting stuff on the dash is OK. Companies frown on drilling and installing device mounts on their equipment. Body moulding tape (double stick) or Scotch/3M "Extreme" fasteners work well - if you really clean the surface well (90% rubbing alcohol), and the peel off with some effort but don't permanently damage the surface.

New FMSCA rule passed 09/16 - allows company installed "safety equipment" (cams, lane monitoring, collision avoidance gear, etc.) to be mounted - EVEN IN THE "SWEPT AREA". From a safety standpoint - makes little sense to block a drivers view. From a techie standpoint - you want these devices to be in a clean part of the glass - so the swept area ensures this.

Rick

I feel let down more people haven't chimed in on this... I was hoping to find new things to do and also wanted to hear about some of those redneck engineering things with duct tape that make you cringe.

I agree it's probably the subject I'm.not vart good at picking catchy lines.( ask my wife).

I feel let down more people haven't chimed in on this... I was hoping to find new things to do and also wanted to hear about some of those redneck engineering things with duct tape that make you cringe.

Nah it's still early.. I've still got hope for this..

I watched a YouTube video where a guy built a shower in his leased T680. Here it is.

I have a Coleman cooler that plugs in with plenty of food and drinks. eating truck stop food gets old.

I have a 24" t.v. and a bluray player and a bunch of movies. watch it once or twice a week. not too often but when i want to it's nice. the truck has a built in antenna and depending where I'm at I get a decent amount of local channels.

I have a cb I wouldn't drive without it. usually when there's dangerous conditions Im warned well ahead of time.

I have a rand McNally GPS. It's a good tool but should never be followed blindly.

I have a Bluetooth to make phone calls hands-free when it's safe to do so

i have survival gear for extreme cold temperatures.

this is all I need. I run hard and sleep.

I feel let down more people haven't chimed in on this... I was hoping to find new things to do and also wanted to hear about some of those redneck engineering things with duct tape that make you cringe.

Oh, you want redneck engineering?

I have used an entire roll of duct tape to hold the cowling together on a reefer unit.

I have used rope to tie up the exhaust pipe of an APU so it wouldn't drag the road.

I have used Romex wire to build replacement trailer door retention chains.

I have used a load lock bar and some rope to bend a trailer mud flap holder back into shape, so it would be legal after a new mud flap was put on.

Reefer:

A refrigerated trailer.

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.