Australia is a big place, and it’s powered by truck drivers who spend their working weeks travelling back and forth along some of the world’s longest stretches of road. Covering that sort of distance means there are more than a few things that deserve pride of place in the cab of your truck. Your personal loadout might look a little different to this one, but there are a few basic things that every truck driver should keep within easy reach.
1. Emergency Kit
The emergency kit is the one you reach for when something goes wrong. It has things like water, rope, tarps, a torch, spare batteries, zip ties and trusty duct tape in it. It also doesn’t hurt to carry a few special emergency supplies, like warm clothing and non-perishable food.
2. First Aid Kit
When you’re a long way from anywhere there isn’t much room for error. There are plenty of first aid kits out there that don’t contain much more than bandaids, so it’s worth your trouble to check the kit and keep it stocked with items you’ll actually need along the way.
3. Snacks. Lots of Snacks.
It’s definitely true that Australia’s highways are littered with truck stops and eateries and small towns where you can pull over and grab a bite to eat. But, if you’re anywhere off the beaten track, it can be hours or days between decent cups of coffee. Those long stretches are what the snacks are for. Truck drivers aren’t always known for having the healthiest diets either, so if you’re feeling brave then maybe your snack stash could include a few healthier items, like dried fruits or jerky.
4. Work Gloves
You need your hands, they’re a pretty important part of the body. The cuts and burns and scrapes that you might pick up are all bad news for your health and safety. A good pair of work gloves will keep you protected from whatever you come across.
5. Tyre Pressure Gauge
Keeping your tyres properly inflated is the best thing you can do to protect your safety on the road. A tyre pressure gauge is a cheap and easy way of making sure your tyre pressures are right for the conditions and load. Just make sure you pair the pressure gauge with a hi-vis vest and a torch. Being able to see what you’re doing is always useful, and when you’re on the side of the road looking for a flat as traffic whizzes by, you’ll be happy you threw the hi-vis on.
6. Bathroom Supplies
Like we said, most of Australia is within easy reach of a truck stop and a bathroom, but when you need to go you might not have the luxury of waiting. A small trowel and a roll of 2-ply is all you really need, but you could get fancy and add baby wipes or hand sanitiser if you wanted.
7. Flip Flops
Most truck stops are kept pretty clean these days… but we’d still recommend bringing the shower flip flops with you. They can even do double duty as the shoes you wear once you’ve stopped for the night.
8. Handheld Vacuum
Staying clean on the road is important, and it doesn’t help when the crumbs from those snacks begin to pile up on the floor. You’ll need to take care of the issue before the local ants discover the treasures you’ve been hiding. A small handheld vacuum cleaner is all you need for the job - you can even get some that run on your truck’s 12v circuit.
9. Updated Maps
Your truck has a GPS and your phone is always a good backup, we get it. But let’s just call it peace of mind to have a hard copy of a map with you when you’re a thousand kilometres from the nearest town. Besides, trucks can break down and phone batteries can die. Just keep the maps in with your emergency kit and they’ll be there if you ever find yourself in a sticky situation.
Add the KS Diesel Phone Number to Your List of Contacts
If you’ve got everything else ready and waiting in the cab, then there’s just one more thing your truck needs before you head out. Add the number for Kel Stanton’s Mobile Diesel Service to your phonebook. Or write it down and plaster it somewhere on the dashboard, whatever works for you. Our experienced team of truck breakdown service diesel mechanics have the tools and equipment to keep your truck running and to rescue you from the side of the road after a breakdown. Get in touch with our diesel mechanic Brisbane team if you need a diesel repair service or one of our emergency breakdown teams!