What To Pack? (An Essential Packing List for New Truck Drivers)

Written by Dane Eyerly in Accessories

Packing for a long trip can be confusing and stressful. It is hard to know exactly what is needed or what to pack. The hardest part can be determining the essentials based upon the destination.

What to pack? Truck drivers should pack all of the basic essentials and then some. Pack what would be needed at home for hygiene and general care as well as basic living necessities that would be available at home. Avoid packing nonessential extras that are not required for travel as they will take up too much space.

Truckers spend long periods of time on the road without stopping back at home. Knowing precisely what to pack when taking the first drive is necessary for proper preparation. Once on the road, there should be no reason to turn back. Making sure that everything needed is packed beforehand will save precious time in the long run.

What To Pack?

Forming a packing list can become a long process if there is confusion surrounding exactly what, and why, things are needed. The perfect packing list will provide all the basic necessities as if it was preparing for a long vacation or the first step of moving into a new apartment. Cover the basics and move onto the nonessentials once the leftover amount of space in the truck is determined. 

The Essentials

The essentials are the everyday items that are used at home that are not provided by the truck or a rest-stop; they are any items pertaining to personal hygiene, basic first aid, and phone accessories. The essentials are items that would require a trip back to the house or require a stop at the nearest convenient store. 

The basic necessities:

Most items are easy to get ahold of and require little to no upkeep or replacement. Items like the First Aid kit need to be refilled, and double checked after every trip to ensure that everything medical is up to date and easy access. While some may not see the benefit, adding a Bluetooth or hands-free communication device to the list can help out when on the road. Preventing distracted driving and offering ease of access to cell phones can prevent stressful situations. 

Basic Household Items

While not as important as basic hygiene and daily care items, maintaining stock of simple household items will make life much easier. Laundry, sleeping conditions, and health may not be the first thought when packing, but it is guaranteed that these are items that will come in handy. 

Household items needed:

Laundry at home may be okay sitting in the corner until there is time to get it washed. When operating in the cab of a truck, space is much smaller, and the pile will quickly get in the way. A laundry bag removes the mess and makes an easy transition of dirty clothes from the truck to the house. After a long trip, the bedding can also be thrown into the bag and brought in with the rest of the laundry.

Keeping a stash of healthy snacks and water is extremely important as frequent stopping is not always an option. The goal is to save time and get back home and repeatedly stopping for snacks and hydration should not be a concern. Be prepared before leaving, pack a small cooler, or keep a small plastic container to use as a snack stash and refill whenever the opportunity arises. 

Maintenance And Unexpected Situations

Unexpected situations and issues do happen, just like at home. The difference is the tools and materials available. Tools and resources at home have been built up over the years, and if the right tool cannot be found, a trip to the local store is easy. Finding tools, maps, and other emergency resources when driving a massive vehicle that has mainly what has been provided by the driver, and nothing else can wind up as a sticky situation. 

Emergency items needed:

Getting lost when traveling, especially as a new truck driver and even with a navigational system, is not impossible. A back-up plan should always be in place. First, understand how to read a map and how to determine locations using the map. Next, be able to identify what map is needed and the area that the map pertains to.

The golden tools are the hammer and the 5th wheel puller, or 5th wheel pin puller. The hammer is a savior for when breaks lock up or freeze up and require a slight hit or nudge to get going again. A 5th wheel pin puller allows you to release the kingpin without having to climb underneath the trailer, saving clothes from grease and grime. It can also be used for grabbing door pulls and latches on roll-up doors. 

Credentials

Don’t go on the road without having the proper paperwork available and ready to go. If there happens to be a check at a weigh station or getting pulled over by the police, having the correct (and up to date) paperwork can prevent harsh tickets or getting removed from the road. Some drop-offs and pick-ups also require proof of ownership, credentials, and assurances that their property is being transported legally. 

Paperwork needed:

  • Dot cab card
  • Insurance papers
  • IFTA permit
  • Vehicle registration
  • State permits
  • Eight days of logs
  • Long-form physical

Not all credentials are needed when entering or operating within a certain state. Each state has different requirements for truck drivers. For example, Wyoming requires truck drivers to provide papers when entering the state. To prevent unexpected situations, it is best to pack all the paperwork. A nice tip is to create a binder with clear paper sleeves to contain all of the required paperwork.

First Time Drivers

Taking the first trips can be intimidating, and when adding in all the changes, it can be near impossible to imagine. Having to cope with a lack of space, a change of environment, lack of social interaction, and an overall change of lifestyle. With the multiple different changes happening, it is hard to determine what the experience will consist of, making it easy to prepare improperly. 

Sleeping Conditions

Daily life will need to be adjusted to meet the demands of driving each day. For drivers who can be on the road for weeks, be prepared to have a disrupted sleep schedule. A truck driver’s sleep schedule can depend on:

  • Destination
  • Time of year
  • Experience
  • Delivery

Drivers can take a trip that moves through multiple different time zones and still have to determine how to get the delivery completed on time while managing their sleep schedule. An experienced driver may be able to push through the extra hour to keep up with the area’s time, but as a beginning truck driver that may not be possible. Identifying when sleep is needed versus attempting to push through comes with familiarity and will not be evident during the initial trips.

The first couple of nights may show difficulty as drivers get used to the sounds surrounding their cab or within their cab. To maintain the sleeping environment and to stay comfortable, most drivers will leave their truck in idle. This is great for comfort but brings along an assortment of noises that can prevent truckers from sleeping. Building up a resistance to the sounds in their surroundings can guarantee a better sleep initially and over time.

It may seem tempting to pack a majority of the bedding that is used at home, but it is essential that an additional set is purchased. There is a lack of space and packing three pillows, a comforter, a mattress pad, and a spare decorative pillow will take up all the extra room without providing additional comfort. Half of it will end up off the bed and on the floor by the end of the night.

Coping With A Lack Of Space

Converting from living in a house to spending a majority of daytime in the cab of a truck is not a small change. The difference between living in over 1,000 sqft of space to living in 50 sqft of space is drastic. Preparing is not always easy, and that’s why determining what to pack is so important. If an abundance of nonessential items is packed and traveled with, it reduces the amount of living space available during the day-to-day. 

Take time exploring the cab space in the truck provided, or purchased, to prepare for the amount of space that will now limit everyday life. Take note of what can fit and what can’t, what is needed to help cope with the change of space and what can be left at home. 

Make a plan for the space that is available; don’t bring stuff and expect it to fit. Search for different types of cabinet, clothing, and hanging organization. Look for:

  • Sweater organizers
  • Small shelving
  • Anchored baskets
  • Hangers
  • Food containers

Most organizers are meant to prevent creating a mess within the cab, not necessarily for creating extra room. When a mess happens, it creates a stressful space within the small cab. It is also essential to make sure that everything is held down properly and is not likely to move during long or rough drives. Maintaining proper anchors on items will reduce the likeliness of a mess as well as prevent things from being broken or lost.

Loneliness On The Road

A trainer provides every tidbit of information that may be necessary when becoming a truck driver, the only thing they are not able to prepare drivers for is the lack of socialization or the intense loneliness. 

Diving alone versus driving or riding with a trainer is a lonesome trip. Truck driving itself is a solitary career. There is no one sitting in the next seat, talking while driving and keeping a conversation going during hour-long trips. Drivers don’t always see this situation as bad before it happens and is often thrown for a loop when they start to feel lonely.

Material things are always seen as a solution to any problem, and it must be said that the first thing reached for should not be a source of entertainment. Create a great playlist or put on an audiobook, but don’t go all out trying to find ways to keep busy. A handheld game system can be a solution to long nights or stops without socialization. Keep a stash of small entertainment options like:

  • Sudoku
  • Books
  • Crosswords
  • Nintendo handhelds
  • Small movie player
  • Backup phone

The best rule of thumb is to pick an electronic item and then choose a paper item. Sometimes electronic things can be forgotten, and then they have no charge and will not work. A paper item is a perfect backup, or they can be used when there is only a quick free minute. Try not to choose more than three items total as they can begin to take up a lot of room. If it is determined that entertainment is more important than something else, remove a little bit of that item to make up for the extra entertainment.

Making Investments

If being a truck driver is the main source of income in the household, aka a full-time job, it may be worth it to invest in a few Knick-knacks to help out. They’re not completely necessary, they’re meant to lend a helping hand while on the road. First-time drivers can benefit from having extra help for the first go rounds and most products last for years. Shop around for a:

An electronic logging device will help prevent misunderstanding of how to fill out logbooks and to keep accuracy. As a beginner, the habit of keeping a logbook is not ingrained into daily life and can possibly produce mistakes or skip days. A bonus is that most of these devices are tiny and won’t take up much room in the cab of the truck. 

Spending big bucks on a foam mattress may seem a little out there, but once a few nights have been spent on a basic mattress, the need for the foam one doubles. First time drivers have a hard time sleeping during the strange shifts and odd rotations and a foam mattress can make it just a little bit easier to get some sleep at night. Plus, getting a mattress is better than getting a mattress pad. Mattress pads can sit high on some beds, especially ones that are meant to provide the best sleep, mattresses replace old ones, leaving plenty of headspace. 

Last, but not least, a proper (and possibly pricey) navigational system. Getting lost is a huge possibility as a new driver. Disregard any belief of never getting lost because it can, and it will, happen. Making an initial purchase of a nice navigation system for the truck will set it for years to come. As with most technology in this age, the systems are relatively small and for easily onto a dashboard. 

Home Away From Home 

The set up of the cab is an important aspect of being a truck driver. It is where the entirety of the day takes place, it is a home away from home and needs to be treated as such. Treat the space with respect, it will be where most of a driver’s time will be spent. It is the small things that add up and make the space. 

Packing everything needed is an essential part of building the cab space. Pack too little and you miss out on the items that you need, pack too much and you overcrowd the space available. Either way ends in discomfort.

Space is a limited commodity in the cab of an 18 wheeler and is often taken for granted. With the large quantities of time spent living inside, most beginning drivers don’t understand the limitations caused by overcrowding space. The belief is that everything brought is necessary and that is not true. If it is and they cannot seem to reduce their belongings, try swapping the items for a different version. Shop around for miniatures or items that have multiple uses rather than just one. 

It all about preparation for the new job. Take advantage of how to’s and what to bring and any other type of article that will provide insight into what is needed for the job. There is no need to wing it, there are plenty of resources available to make sure the first trip is a great trip and that there are no unfortunate (and preventable) setbacks. 

What To Pack? (An Essential Packing List for New Truck Drivers)

Packing for a long trip can be confusing and stressful. It is hard to know exactly what is needed or what to pack. The hardest part can be determining the essentials based upon the destination.

What to pack? Truck drivers should pack all of the basic essentials and then some. Pack what would be needed at home for hygiene and general care as well as basic living necessities that would be available at home. Avoid packing nonessential extras that are not required for travel as they will take up too much space.

Truckers spend long periods of time on the road without stopping back at home. Knowing precisely what to pack when taking the first drive is necessary for proper preparation. Once on the road, there should be no reason to turn back. Making sure that everything needed is packed beforehand will save precious time in the long run.

What To Pack?

Forming a packing list can become a long process if there is confusion surrounding exactly what, and why, things are needed. The perfect packing list will provide all the basic necessities as if it was preparing for a long vacation or the first step of moving into a new apartment. Cover the basics and move onto the nonessentials once the leftover amount of space in the truck is determined. 

The Essentials

The essentials are the everyday items that are used at home that are not provided by the truck or a rest-stop; they are any items pertaining to personal hygiene, basic first aid, and phone accessories. The essentials are items that would require a trip back to the house or require a stop at the nearest convenient store. 

The basic necessities:

Most items are easy to get ahold of and require little to no upkeep or replacement. Items like the First Aid kit need to be refilled, and double checked after every trip to ensure that everything medical is up to date and easy access. While some may not see the benefit, adding a Bluetooth or hands-free communication device to the list can help out when on the road. Preventing distracted driving and offering ease of access to cell phones can prevent stressful situations. 

Basic Household Items

While not as important as basic hygiene and daily care items, maintaining stock of simple household items will make life much easier. Laundry, sleeping conditions, and health may not be the first thought when packing, but it is guaranteed that these are items that will come in handy. 

Household items needed:

Laundry at home may be okay sitting in the corner until there is time to get it washed. When operating in the cab of a truck, space is much smaller, and the pile will quickly get in the way. A laundry bag removes the mess and makes an easy transition of dirty clothes from the truck to the house. After a long trip, the bedding can also be thrown into the bag and brought in with the rest of the laundry.

Keeping a stash of healthy snacks and water is extremely important as frequent stopping is not always an option. The goal is to save time and get back home and repeatedly stopping for snacks and hydration should not be a concern. Be prepared before leaving, pack a small cooler, or keep a small plastic container to use as a snack stash and refill whenever the opportunity arises. 

Maintenance And Unexpected Situations

Unexpected situations and issues do happen, just like at home. The difference is the tools and materials available. Tools and resources at home have been built up over the years, and if the right tool cannot be found, a trip to the local store is easy. Finding tools, maps, and other emergency resources when driving a massive vehicle that has mainly what has been provided by the driver, and nothing else can wind up as a sticky situation. 

Emergency items needed:

Getting lost when traveling, especially as a new truck driver and even with a navigational system, is not impossible. A back-up plan should always be in place. First, understand how to read a map and how to determine locations using the map. Next, be able to identify what map is needed and the area that the map pertains to.

The golden tools are the hammer and the 5th wheel puller, or 5th wheel pin puller. The hammer is a savior for when breaks lock up or freeze up and require a slight hit or nudge to get going again. A 5th wheel pin puller allows you to release the king pin without having to climb underneath the trailer, saving clothes from grease and grime. It can also be used for grabbing door pulls and latches on roll-up doors. 

Credentials

Don’t go on the road without having the proper paperwork available and ready to go. If there happens to be a check at a weigh station or getting pulled over by the police, having the correct (and up to date) paperwork can prevent harsh tickets or getting removed from the road. Some drop-offs and pick-ups also require proof of ownership, credentials, and assurances that their property is being transported legally. 

Paperwork needed:

  • Dot cab card
  • Insurance papers
  • IFTA permit
  • Vehicle registration
  • State permits
  • Eight days of logs
  • Long form physical

Not all credentials are needed when entering or operating within a certain state. Each state has different requirements for truck drivers. For example, Wyoming requires truck drivers to provide papers when entering the state. To prevent unexpected situations, it is best to pack all the paperwork. A nice tip is to create a binder with clear paper sleeves to contain all of the required paperwork.

First Time Drivers

Taking the first trips can be intimidating, and when adding in all the changes, it can be near impossible to imagine. Having to cope with a lack of space, a change of environment, lack of social interaction, and an overall change of lifestyle. With the multiple different changes happening, it is hard to determine what the experience will consist of, making it easy to prepare improperly. 

Sleeping Conditions

Daily life will need to be adjusted to meet the demands of driving each day. For drivers who can be on the road for weeks, be prepared to have a disrupted sleep schedule. A truck driver’s sleep schedule can depend on:

  • Destination
  • Time of year
  • Experience
  • Delivery

Drivers can take a trip that moves through multiple different time zones and still have to determine how to get the delivery completed on time while managing their sleep schedule. An experienced driver may be able to push through the extra hour to keep up with the area’s time, but as a beginning truck driver that may not be possible. Identifying when sleep is needed versus attempting to push through comes with familiarity and will not be evident during the initial trips.

The first couple of nights may show difficulty as drivers get used to the sounds surrounding their cab or within their cab. To maintain the sleeping environment and to stay comfortable, most drivers will leave their truck in idle. This is great for comfort but brings along an assortment of noises that can prevent truckers from sleeping. Building up a resistance to the sounds in their surroundings can guarantee a better sleep initially and over time.

It may seem tempting to pack a majority of the bedding that is used at home, but it is essential that an additional set is purchased. There is a lack of space and packing three pillows, a comforter, a mattress pad, and a spare decorative pillow will take up all the extra room without providing additional comfort. Half of it will end up off the bed and on the floor by the end of the night.

Coping With A Lack Of Space

Converting from living in a house to spending a majority of daytime in the cab of a truck is not a small change. The difference between living in over 1,000 sqft of space to living in 50 sqft of space is drastic. Preparing is not always easy, and that’s why determining what to pack is so important. If an abundance of nonessential items is packed and traveled with, it reduces the amount of living space available during the day-to-day. 

Take time exploring the cab space in the truck provided, or purchased, to prepare for the amount of space that will now limit everyday life. Take note of what can fit and what can’t, what is needed to help cope with the change of space and what can be left at home. 

Make a plan for the space that is available; don’t bring stuff and expect it to fit. Search for different types of cabinet, clothing, and hanging organization. Look for:

  • Sweater organizers
  • Small shelving
  • Anchored baskets
  • Hangers
  • Food containers

Most organizers are meant to prevent creating a mess within the cab, not necessarily for creating extra room. When a mess happens, it creates a stressful space within the small cab. It is also essential to make sure that everything is held down properly and is not likely to move during long or rough drives. Maintaining proper anchors on items will reduce the likeliness of a mess as well as prevent things from being broken or lost.

Loneliness On The Road

A trainer provides every tidbit of information that may be necessary when becoming a truck driver, the only thing they are not able to prepare drivers for is the lack of socialization or the intense loneliness. 

Diving alone versus driving or riding with a trainer is a lonesome trip. Truck driving itself is a solitary career. There is no one sitting in the next seat, talking while driving and keeping a conversation going during hour-long trips. Drivers don’t always see this situation as bad before it happens and is often thrown for a loop when they start to feel lonely.

Material things are always seen as a solution to any problem, and it must be said that the first thing reached for should not be a source of entertainment. Create a great playlist or put on an audiobook, but don’t go all out trying to find ways to keep busy. A handheld game system can be a solution to long nights or stops without socialization. Keep a stash of small entertainment options like:

  • Sudoku
  • Books
  • Crosswords
  • Nintendo handhelds
  • Small movie player
  • Backup phone

The best rule of thumb is to pick an electronic item and then choose a paper item. Sometimes electronic things can be forgotten, and then they have no charge and will not work. A paper item is a perfect backup, or they can be used when there is only a quick free minute. Try not to choose more than three items total as they can begin to take up a lot of room. If it is determined that entertainment is more important than something else, remove a little bit of that item to make up for the extra entertainment.

Making Investments

If being a truck driver is the main source of income in the household, aka a full-time job, it may be worth it to invest in a few Knick-knacks to help out. They’re not completely necessary, they’re meant to lend a helping hand while on the road. First-time drivers can benefit from having extra help for the first go rounds and most products last for years. Shop around for a:

  • Electronic Logging Device
  • Foam Mattress 
  • Navigational System
  • Tire Bat
  • Microwave Oven 

An electronic logging device will help prevent misunderstanding of how to fill out logbooks and to keep accuracy. As a beginner, the habit of keeping a logbook is not ingrained into daily life and can possibly produce mistakes or skip days. A bonus is that most of these devices are tiny and won’t take up much room in the cab of the truck. 

Spending big bucks on a foam mattress may seem a little out there, but once a few nights have been spent on a basic mattress, the need for the foam one doubles. First time drivers have a hard time sleeping during the strange shifts and odd rotations and a foam mattress can make it just a little bit easier to get some sleep at night. Plus, getting a mattress is better than getting a mattress pad. Mattress pads can sit high on some beds, especially ones that are meant to provide the best sleep, mattresses replace old ones, leaving plenty of head space. 

Last, but not least, a proper (and possibly pricey) navigational system. Getting lost is a huge possibility as a new driver. Disregard any belief of never getting lost because it can, and it will, happen. Making an initial purchase of a nice navigation system for the truck will set it for years to come. As with most technology in this age, the systems are relatively small and for easily onto a dashboard. 

Home Away From Home 

The set up of the cab is an important aspect of being a truck driver. It is where the entirety of the day takes place, it is a home away from home and needs to be treated as such. Treat the space with respect, it will be where most of a driver’s time will be spent. It is the small things that add up and make the space. 

Packing everything needed is an essential part of building the cab space. Pack too little and you miss out on the items that you need, pack too much and you overcrowd the space available. Either way ends in discomfort. 

Space is a limited commodity in the cab of an 18 wheeler and is often taken for granted. With the large quantities of time spent living inside, most beginning drivers don’t understand the limitations caused by overcrowding space. The belief is that everything brought is necessary and that is not true. If it is and they cannot seem to reduce their belongings, try swapping the items for a different version. Shop around for miniatures or items that have multiple uses rather than just one. 

It all about preparation for the new job. Take advantage of how to’s and what to bring and any other type of article that will provide insight on what is needed for the job. There is no need to wing it, there are plenty of resources available to make sure the first trip is a great trip and that there are no unforchunate (and preventable) setbacks.

Dane Eyerly

Dane is a lifelong lover of semi-trucks and the trucking industry. He loves learning about semi-trucks, careers in the trucking industry, and the lifestyle of truckers. Dane also enjoys attending the Mid-America Trucking Show and Great American Trucking Show in Louisville, KY and his home town Dallas, TX. Click here to learn more about Dane.

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