I have done a search and looked in frequently asked
questions for things for new drivers to have and take
with them but cannot find it. So I was wondering If you
could suggest some things new drivers need and Liberace
could had them to is sticky at the top of this forum
titled these might help on your first day.
Also could you recommend a uk map with bridge heights
and weight limits.
Things I have and what I have coming.
hour guard - coming
Tom Tom Go - coming
Lap top with auto route 2004 - got
empty CD case to put used Tachos in - got
camera - got
Things I Need:
hi-vis jacket
Steel toe-cap boots
Thermos flask
Thermos cup (with a lid)
hard hat
maps
Kettle
Camping stove and pans
FIRST AID KIT
TORCH
Small tool kit
Various Bulbs
Various Fuses
diary
If you’re going to be an agency driver, then you’ll have a problem carting that much stuff around. I have a plastic box of bits I take with me, containing:
Flask-o-coffee, water, lunch,
hard hat, hi viz, gloves (both a warm pair and a mucky pair),
trucker’s atlas, laptop+autoroute, camera, headtorch,
diary, tacho wallet, timesheets.
Even that lot gets heavy if you have to carry it any distance, so adding in a kettle, stove and toolkit would make it too much IMO.
On the other hand if you’re going to be an employed driver with your own wagon, you can pile the stuff in and not worry about having to carry it ever.
hi-vis jacket
Steel toe-cap boots
Thermos flask
Thermos cup (with a lid)
hard hat
maps
Kettle
Camping stove and pans
FIRST AID KIT
TORCH
Small tool kit
Various Bulbs
Various Fuses
diary
What are you doing? Driving a truck or leading an expedition?
The list is endless and depends on the type of work you will be doing.
Hi-vis. Employer or Agency will usually provide, or best purchased from a Builder’s Merchant.
Footwear, definately, although some employers do provide.
Hard hat. If it’s that type of work, one often comes with the vehicle.
Apart from the torch and flask, the rest is optional.
What do I carry…
Torch, althought the last time I used it was in 2003.
Dining fork. In case I manage to stop near a chippy or take-away.
Wet wipes. Cheaper from the baby section rather than the cosmetics area.
Small hand towel.
Something to read x 2
Gloves
Hi-vis
Couple of bits of rag for cleaning mirrors
Length of 1/2 inch plastic tape for when bits start falling off.
Couple of long cable ties, ditto.
Road Atlas (Years old)
Numerous hand drawn directions to places I have been to and will probably re-visit.
Reversable screwdriver.
10mm open ended spanner, in case I need to bleed a Fridge. (Again)
Flask and a plastic bottle of cordial.
And apart from the obvious like pen and paper, anything else tends to be seasonal. Warm coat for the Winter, light shoes for driving in the Summer.
Wallett (making sure your debit and credit cards are in it)
Pen (For filling your tacho out)
Mobile 'Phone & handsfree (the truck one might not work)
Truckers Atlas - The AA one, expensive but worth it for not hitting a bridge
A GOOD ATTITUDE.
A switched on brain.
The Drivers Hours Regs and a understanding of them .
Steely’s and hi vis.
Then add anything you feel like - this can be forgotten, anything else can be begged, borrowed or stolen, including tea coffee, lunch etc, but have you ever tried to find a pen at 04-00 when their’s no one else around .
What kind of agency work you doing days,nights,trunks,multidrop■■?
best thing to do is forget half of what is on your list take your laptop or your tomtom thingy (i dont know why you need both)
a truckers map for bridge heights
get a tacho wallet of davey they hold six weeks tachos and are nice and bendy
A diary yes
flask yes
hi vis vest and steelies just wear em saves carrying them
dont bother with bulbs and fuses (why use your own money on someone elses truck)
hard hat if they want you to wear one they should provide one
pots and pans no need unless you work for willi betz
thats pretty much it
the rest of it save for when you get your own motor then you can pile it with all sorts of junk
Ignoring the obvious Hi-vis and toe-tectors, which you’ll turn up in…
As an agency driver who no longer has the niceties of her own truck, I carry…
A HUGE HEAVY BAG…
A small rucksack full of small maps (inside the big bag) plus a ‘Truckers’ map
A mag to read
Torch - one of those £6.99 ones from the garage… A bit heavy and doesn’t last long, but it’s bright… !!
Cup with lid
Cheapy travel cup with lid, used as an ashtray (some trucks dont haveone, others are so new you daren’t use them… !! Besides, I can leave it as I find it…
Flask
Handbag… (This is an optional extra for you big hairy drivers… )
Towel for my lap whilst eating and smoking (rollies) for the same reason as the ashtray…
Used to take the laptop (autoroute) but have recently ditched that in favour of a PDA with Tomtom…
This little lot weights about 15kg’s… I kid you not… Add to this a kettle or TV… and it get’s too much…
Obviously if you’re tramping then you can afford to take anything you want as it’ll only go in and out once a week, but if like me, you don’t know which truck or even company, you’ll be working for tomorrow, then you can’t practically carry it all
The best bag I ever got, as an agency driver, was the soft sided Pilots case from Argos.
Most of my maps would fit into the expanding zip up compartment on the back, including my AA Truckers Atlas. Flask, butties, gloves, hi-viz etc went in the main compartment. Pens, tachos, all the little bits and pieces which come in handy all the time went in the front.
I also carried a couple of plastic bags, one for gloves and one for rubbish, also a two fold clipboard, to keep timesheets and delivery notes etc in.
My overnight kit went in a large sports holdall. Sleepingbag, kettle, cooker, diggers, coffee, sugar (in a plastic coffeemate jar), A-Zs of places too far from home for a etc. That stayed in my car unless I neded it.
As I ride a motorbike to work I’m limited to what i can take so i think Liberace has got it about right. Though when multidropping, like Chrissie I had another bag for the maps. Fortunately I now have a locker at work so I can leave some stuff there.
I did forget the black plastic tape. Extremley useful when they won’t answer the bell and it’s raining. Just stick a bit over the button and go back to your cab 'till they answer it . Not a popular bunny .
Okey dokey, well wittle it down to a bare minumum and I’ll put it in the link Things you might need on you first day entitled - in the bag for day runs.
So far I’d go for
Flask
Sarnies
Route map with bridge hights
Pen
Wallet & cards/cash.
Mobile 'phone and handsfree
A copy of the drivers hours law and an understanding of it.
Tacho’s you can nick from you employer. To wear would be steel toecaps (unless your employer provides them) and high vis as before.
So what about nights out then? As I steadfastly refuse to do them (I like my own bed) would someone care to chuck a few ideas our way?
1 14’’ portable and booster aerial
2 DVD player
3 24v Inverter
4 Gas cooker and kettle
5 DVDs to watch for when reception is poor
6 a couple of good books
7 a few girlie mags for when you get lonely
.
and it get’s too much…
, I am just going to get and
. Not a popular bunny