What Amenities Do OTR Trucks With Large Carriers Have?

I'm curious as to what amenities come in the OTR trucks for some of the major carriers? Do most have XM/ Sirius radio? TV's? If not, are you allowed to add these things to assigned trucks?

It varies, some are pretty bare but most (major carriers) have at least an APU , which provides heat/ac, as well as an inverter for electronic devices. Sirius radio is also available to most drivers, though you may have to pay the subscription prices. Personally, I have a tv with directv, including NFL ticket during football season and an antenna for local channels. This is certainly not a given with all companies, I pay $23/wk for subscription and I paid $200 up front to lease the equipment plus installation fees. Tho most drivers don't have directv, many have a tv and antenna, which can be purchased for about $20. There are some owner ops who have a small apt in their truck, including toilet and shower. Many truck stops also have tv rooms for drivers, as well as showers.

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.

Speaking for Prime, we have an APU , as well as a 1500 watt inverter. The truck comes equipped with a Sirius radio, but I pay the subscription cost.

Beyond that, we're on our own. Sometimes you might get assigned a truck that has amenities left behind by the former driver, such as a fridge. But I had to put in my own. Incidentally, I didn't get the tiny truck fridge that costs over $500 and only holds 5 cans of soda and a jar of mayo. I brought my cheap Walmart deluxe dorm size fridge and plugged it into the inverter.

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.

Prime has the direct TV account you can have taken from your check and also a smart phone from.sprint with unlimited talk text and data. You pay a couple hundred for the phone and then $16 per week. I use Pandora on the phone instead of Sirius radio.

I like having the APU and inverter if I want to add appliances. They sell porta potties in our company store....I later found out not all companies allow them on the truck.

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.

Rainy D, who installs the TV and associated gear for the DirecTV setup? Is it in your Prime truck already?

Turtle, thanks for taking the time to,post the pic. Sweet setup!

BQ, I guess I'm just ignorant of where the TV would be mounted. Or who might mount it if it doesn't come with the truck. Can you buy anything other than a flat panel screen nowadays?

Rainy D, who installs the TV and associated gear for the DirecTV setup? Is it in your Prime truck already?

My truck is wired for the TV, but you'll have to go to the detail shop and have them install (for a fee of course) the TV and associated hardware / antenna.

All TVs are flat panel now. Some drivers have huge 48 inch ones hanging from the dome shape area above the seats so both the top bunk and lower bunk can watch at the same time. Most people have them mounted on the wall of the truck by their feet....others have smaller screens and Mount them on a shelf. You can buy the TV and bracket at the terminals and have the shop install them. Or you can call direct TV and they will come to the truck stop.

With prime you pay for leasing the equipment and the install. I think you have to have six months with the company first. With their package the TV and receiver satellite are not yours. You rent it. You can buy a satellite at most truck stops for $500-600. But you still need a TV and bracket for install. It seems to me that our trucks are already wired so the install is limited. It is a matter of mounting the satellite and connecting it and the TV to the pre wires.

There are companies that have DirecTV in the trucks already....but check out their pay scale. The couple I have seen pay much less per mile (like almost half of what I started at). So what sounds impressive isn't when you think about the money you are losing.

Most trucks are pre wired for CBs too

Just for the sake of sharing ideas on amenities: My microwave is strapped to the underside of my upper bunk

You can buy the TV and bracket at the terminals and have the shop install them.

There's where my confusion enters into the issue: I wasn't aware that company terminals had a "shop" available to do the install for a driver (even if it is for a fee).

Satellite radio for when I'm driving, the possibility of a refrigerator and microwave for some meals, and a TV mounted at the foot-end of my bed with the possibility of DirecTV, there aren't many comforts of home missing from that arrangement!