The Most Important Piece Of Equipment.

an atlas is really important to what are you gonna do if gps fails in any of the ways possible? you could lose sat signal / phone signal, maps could be outdated, could give incorrect info or not be able to find an address, could break... batteries die... all kinds of problems an atlas though will always work out for you, although it would be best to buy an updated one at least once a year in case rules change or roads change.

Absolutely an atlas is the most important thing to carry.

However. When you get into a city, unless it is a very large city, an atlas is just about useless. Most don't have detailed city maps, so trying to find a city street without directions would be real fun to do.

A GPS does have just about every city across the country mapped out. Therefore it has the streets to show you. Even the smaller towns that an atlas barely even shows. And believe me, you will be put there. I have been more than once.

You are totally right about batteries going dead. Or the GPS just up and die on you for no reason. That is why it is pointed out here to PREPLAN, PREPLAN, PREPLAN.

Always, always, ALWAYS preplan all of your trips.

If you are using Qualcomm all, or at least the companies that I have worked for, have customer directions that they can send you. I ALWAYS as for the directions.

Even in remote places. Because the directions might tell you of weight limit roads or bridges that the GPS or your atlas knows nothing about. And they are out there.

Keep it safe our here, the life you save might be your own.

The Blue Angel.

For me it's my coffee mug. I can have all my tools, my gps, atlas, local maps, cell phone, flash light for the early morning pre trip, hammer, you name it. Without my morning mug of coffee, I'm not capable of using any of it lol.

Pat, you're such an 'old school" trucker!

I remember as a kid seeing truck drivers with what seemed to me like hundreds of paper maps in their trucks. These were the same guys who would talk on the pay phones in the diners, and they always had all the tools they needed like big sledge hammers, and bars so that they could change out their own tires when necessary.

I hope you are not having to change out your own tires!

Nope! My train of thought is that if it takes more than a 3/4" wrench then a mechanic needs to work on it. I do fix my own lights, airlines and adjust brakes while out on the road though. I even put my own mudflaps on when needed... LOL. I have heard of people waiting 4 hours to get a mud flap installed so they could roll. Company policy I know but still BS.

Had the back bracket break for the fender on the truck in WA once. Could not break the bolts loose on the front of the fender to remove it. Chained it up off the tire and happened to be stopping to visit with a friend so we broke out his air gun and it would not take them loose so we cut them off and I strapped the fender to the catwalk until we got home and they were able to weld it back on.

You do what you got to do to keep moving within reason. I guess I am old school but that is just how I was raised. Why wait hours when you can be done in minutes?

Strap winder. Best thing I ever bought for trucking. Other than my GPS of course.