Best Tools For New Drivers

Congratulations! You have passed your test and now hold a CDL and hopefully you have a job with a reputable company. All that being said and out of the way, let’s discuss tools that you are going to need for your new job and what my husband and I use on our truck. Let’s dig in shall we?

Best List to get NEW Drivers started

GPS- MUST have 

Fuel Gloves- While not required, definitely something reccomended by Leslie

Flashlight- MUST have

Multiple OUTLET charging bank- We call this our octopus and it is certainly handy for everything we need.

Power Inverter- While not required, definitely helps you out in the long run for things like a TV, Fridge, or Microwave

Last but not least in Les’s opinion, a CB radio. 

Tools List

GPS is first up on our list. While it goes without being said, unless you have a Google Map in your head that is updated every time a road changes, you will need a GPS. Please keep in mind that all of these are TOOLS and do not forego you using your biggest asset, your brain. 

We use a Garmin Dezl Truck GPS. It is a life saver for us. I will insert the link for you here if you would like to use the same one that we do. That being said, you do not have to use this one, it is just the one that we found works the best for us. It has many features that we have come to use like lane assist, and road closure notification. Those are just two features that we find really helpful. It however is STILL only a tool. You must remember that common sense needs to dictate your actions. If you can clearly see you don’t belong there, don’t go. Just please know that this doesn’t take the place of eyes and ears and thoughts. It is simply a directional TOOL. The link will be below for it.

 

Next up is fuel gloves. Now Mike does not use gloves for fueling, simply because it is to hard for him to use them easily. You see, Mike is missing his middle finger to the middle knuckle on his right hand, so finding gloves that go on easily for him is more of a chore. Les however, she uses gloves everytime she fuels. Getting diesel on your hands or clothes sticks with you for some time. So to prevent that, Les uses gloves. It is a simple thing to do as you are working with a chemical be it diesel or the Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) and you don’t want it all over you. The link to those glove is below. Please let us know what you think of the gloves if you purchase them.

Illuminating our next tool. The flashlight. I cannot stress how important this is for your truck. You will need it to check out your kingpin connection to the trailer, tires on your trailer and tractor. It is imperative you have one that will last you and is bright. We will show you the one that we have as well. As you can tell by now all the things we get are from Amazon or Wal-Mart. They seem to be the highest quality. Back to the light. It seems to be that this light has been dropped, forgotten on the catwalk of the tractor, and run over and ours still works. It is for certain DURABLE and it is BRIGHT. You want that when you are in the back roads and something doesn’t sound right on your load. This way you can inspect it and go from there. The link to the one that we have is also below.

The power is in on the next tool. Multiple port charging station. Now we have this mounted to our dash so that we can use it more readily. It is handy for so many things. It is really self explanatory. However, we found that this one worked better than the ones that have long cords. The reason that we think it works better is because in a truck you are obviously bounced around and thos cords can break or be damaged by pullilng. This is mounted and seems to work better in our situation. Check out the link below.

Powering up that fridge or TV or Microwave is your power inverter. Please see the other articles here about why we chose the one that we did. I will like below again to the one we have.

Our last item is the CB radio. The importance of this item is widely argued about. Some people use it and some don’t even have them in their truck. To us, it is a tool that keeps us out of traffic back ups, and road closures and dangerous weather. But some don’t find it necessary. This tool has saved us on many occasions so it is a tool that we absolutely will not do without. The one that we have is bottom of the barrel and we have had the top of the food chain. Whatever you can afford we would reccomend. Our current one is linked below.

This comprehensive list is just the basics off the top of our heads. There will be more articles to come as we find more things that new drivers may need. 

As always please feel free to leave us a comment or let us know what you might use.

Happy Trucking

Les

2 Comments

  1. Hey, you. Thanks for the informative article that you shared with us. Driving a truck needs lots of knowledge and too many experiences. Knowing what tools to have and a great and complete tool list can help you in critical situations. New drivers may become confused in abnormal situations but, with the great list you shared they may not. Fuel gloves as yu mentioned is not a option that every one think a bout it but it can be very useful in critical situations.

    1. Thank you so much for looking into this. I appreciate the feed back. It is nice to know I am hitting my mark. Anything else you can think of that you might want to know about?

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