What Is On Your 'must Have' List

Do we need a laptop on the road or is an iPad enough?

If you want/need to keep records, make your daily video diary for You Tube, or post tons of stuff to Trucking Truth, you might be better served with a laptop.

LOL-I have a case/keyboard combo for my iPad so using it to type is just about the same as a laptop.

What records are you thinking about?

Spreadsheets, etc. for run logs, pay tables. I run quickbooks for my bank accounts, etc.

Laptop might take a little more space - and any inverter that can run a coffee maker, microwave, etc. - can run a laptop.

Much as I've grown to HATE COMPUTERS (after 35 years in IT) - can't see not having a laptop. Thinking of selling my 2 MacBook Pro's, and buying a new MacBook (the newer ones are lighter).

The newer windows-based laptops are pretty inexpensive (even though they all run Win-8 - YECH). But if you don't use a computer all that much ANYWAY - you probably won't miss it on the road.

Rick

What records are you thinking about?

Owner & lease ops are running a business. Or you're really anal about your own dispatches. Or you're writing a journal you plan to make into a TV series starting someone who looks like Claude Atkins and maybe call it Movin' On.

Some things I haven't seen mentioned

Along with my laptop I have a Neat Scanner and a portable printer. Scan in receipts and destroy paper copy, makes things a lot easier at tax time.

I do a LOT of Audiobooks. I use my points at Love's, Pilot, TA to buy them, but my hometown library also lets me download them. Really makes the miles fly by.

Kindle or tablet for reading books.

Leaf Blower for cleaning trailer, also a battery power cutoff tool (uses the same batteries as the leaf blower) to cut off Bolt and Wire trailer seals. You can't believe how many people want to borrow it once they see me use it.

Since I am a solo driver, I've rigged up milk crates on the top bunk facing outward, secured with cable ties. Then I put small bungee cords across them and use them to secure boxes of cereal, chips, bread, clothes, etc. Makes them easily accessible and manageable.

Small microwave, dorm refrigerator (put some spongy mats under the reefer , it will last a lot longer from the bouncing around it gets), small slow cooker mounted in a milk crate with bungee cords. Load a meal in it the morning, let it cook all day while you drive. Nice to have an inexpensive hot meal when you stop.

Eating in truck stop restaurants is very expensive...anything you can do to save money is good.

I've rigged up a bungee cord over the foot of my bunk hooked to a cabinet in front and a seat belt connection in the back. I use it to hang my clothes on since I had the clothes cabinet removed for my reefer and microwave.

There is more stuff. I think one day I'll make the list and take pictures so I can put it up here.

Tracy

There is more stuff. I think one day I'll make the list and take pictures so I can put it up here.

Tracy

That would be awesome! Pics of how you have the milk crates mounted would be swell!

The tips here are priceless Folks! Thanks so much!

I'm a freak for stats. I can def see me using MileIQ and excel to track daily runs as well as expenses. I do that now with my Uber driving. By keeping track of my daily miles and expenses w/receipts my taxable income for last year ended up < $1000. :) I've been an Apple guy forever, and will be selling my new iMac to my kid once I'm hired on and rolling. So to get a macbook or surface pro??... hmmmm...

I keep all my receipts now in a file folder so I'll just keep doing that instead of the investment in the Neat paperless system. Once they are logged, I don't need the receipt again unless I get audited anyway. Plus I don't want to have all that equipment to carry around.

Does anyone subscribe to the Audiobook program at Cracker Barrel? Someone mentioned it me but I'm not sure how well it works for Truckers.

I'm all for cooking my own meals as much as possible. It seems that at the bare min we need an electric cooler to keep things chilled. And some way to heat things back up.

As for the tools mentioned, I'm assuming once I get into school and around the trucks it will be a little clearer why we need some of them.

School starts next Monday!