"New Driver" Starter Kit?

Well everyone.. im about to began this new chapter in my life next week. So i thought id come here for some more advise. If this has been talked about before or if there is a section/blog on this already a link would be awesome. I did a brief search but couldent find much. Anyways what are some "must haves" for living out of a truck? my truck will have a fridge/microwave so thats awesome. However besides the normal things like clothes, underwear, toiletries what are some "must haves" and maybe some simple meals you can make? like obviously im not interested in installing a TV or anything like that at this point. But as far as getting through the first 6-8 weeks what are some needs? I realize that a lot of this i learn as i go but any advise would be awesome. Especially when it comes to some simple meals. im already big enough.. i would literally die if i live off of truck stop food. hahaha

So any advise or link to something that can help me out will be cool. I really dont have the advantage of being with a trainer for a long time. ill have 2 maybe 3 days if im lucky. I am working on the oil fields but i will be living in my truck and not an apartment.

Baby wipes! No Trucker should ever be without them. Yes the kind from Walmart baby section.

Need to get that "clean feeling" again but not shower around? Baby Wipes! Ran out of toilet paper? Baby Wipes! Spill something? Paper towels then Baby Wipes!

Oh did I forget to mention that you might want.......Baby Wipes! :-D

I'm happy you asked this question, i was planning to make this post but more about things that are good to have. Like i'm planning on getting a really good fenix flashlight to deal with inspecting things in the dark. Should i bring a toolset? What about safety wear. Since i want to be a flatbedder will i need ear protection going to construction sites? What about a hard hat? And i want to see more of these essentials. Baby whipes are added to my list of must haves.

I want to put a coleman camping stove on board.

I love mushroom hunting, I still have 3 quart of dehydrated morels.. MMMM I can just taste those on a nice after noon at a rest stop with a NICE juicy Venison steak right next to the morels frying in butter....

But... I will probably need baby wipes when Im done.. to wipe off my face and clean the stove

This is a small list of the items I kept.

Flashlight - great if you need to do a pre-trip in the early morning/night, also good to hit someone if you need to..... =) hard hat - there was one shipper i went to that required hard hats. never know small tool kit - if you need to do a minor repair, this will help. I never really needed to use my socket set, but I did use my screw drivers and hammer. Pair of vise grips are also good to have if you have a faulty tandem release arm. They help unlock your tandems when you need to slide them. water proof gloves these are great in the snow, your fingers don't feel like there going to freeze off. also great when your pumping fuel and don't want to get whatever may be on the fuel pumps on your hands... sturdy boots great if they have anti-slip and oil resistant. Truck stops or customer docks could be slippery Ear and Eye protection I found ear protection to be great if your stuck between 2 refer units and want to sleep. some customers my also require you to ware them. Eye protection comes in handy if you need to get under the trailer to fix a air line or something. keeps dust out of your eyes.

and as said before, baby whipes are great if you miss a shower, get grease on your hands, or spill anything. Or if you need to #2 and don't have TP.....

I also kept a bottle of baby powder for my shoes, wearing them for 15+hrs a day, they do start to stink. and an Air freshener for the cab of the truck.. stuck in there by your self and fart a few times, starts to smell... lol

thats basically what I had.

David

I want to put a coleman camping stove on board.

I love mushroom hunting, I still have 3 quart of dehydrated morels.. MMMM I can just taste those on a nice after noon at a rest stop with a NICE juicy Venison steak right next to the morels frying in butter....

But... I will probably need baby wipes when Im done.. to wipe off my face and clean the stove

I've seen a lot of drivers carry a small grill that fits under the bunk. Had a guy next to me knock on my window and ask if I had anything I wanted to grill up. nice guy. Grilled up some ham and cheese and hot dogs for my dinner. He had a wire brush to scrape the grill off and tin foil for the bottom to make an easy clean up..

For me, the essentials in the beginning would be:

1) CB radio - some people live without em entirely but I think they're out of their minds. Critical tool to have.

2) Rand McNally Motor Carrier Road Atlas - the only Atlas truckers have used for like 20+ years

3) Cell phone - not only for communication but for web access if you don't have a laptop or anything.

4) Gloves & Work Boots - mentioned above by David - get a couple pairs of cheap work gloves and a $30 pair of Walmart work boots. That will be fine for getting the ball rolling.

5) A Big hammer (mini sledge is best) - believe me, trucks and trailers will not always cooperate - closing/opening doors, breaking tandem pins loose, etc

6) Pen & notepad

Seriously, that would be a good start. And don't forget, truck stops have the majority of things you'll need and at some point you'll get a chance to stop at stores so it's not like once you leave out you can't buy anymore til you get home.

As far as inexpensive meals....for me personally I focused on finding the best quality foods I could find and keeping the portions pretty small. I don't think you'll save much by eating "cheap foods" because your health, especially your energy level, will suffer. That will ultimately cause you to be tired more often, which is dangerous, and it might even cause you to shut down at times when you wanted to keep rolling. So you can hurt your pocketbook (and more!) by not eating healthy out there. So I wouldn't focus on "cheap foods", I would focus on smaller portions of good quality foods. And there is no better investment than good daily vitamins, especially for your energy level and immune system.

Thanks everyone! i spent all day today running around getting stuff.. im excited. I have been considering this path for close to 2 years and really my whole life if you count wanting to drive a semi as a little kid. Its in my blood. Now its finally about to start! Im pumped for this. Im thankful for this form and the rest of the trucking truth community for all the insight and support. I will let you all know how life on the oil fields are. Once again I AM SO FREAKING EXCITED TO DO THIS.

Don't forget your fifth wheel hook. Just a bent rebar with a tube welded onto the end. Amazon sells them for $20 but while I was working security and studying my CDL book a delivery guy saw me and gave me one for free, told me I would definitely be using it. Saved me some cash!

Goodluck!