Must Have Items In A Truck Driver’s Emergency Box

Truckers get the opportunity to travel and they enjoy a degree of independence, but the joys of driving a big rig on the open road could ultimately give way to despair in the event of an emergency.

If trucking is your profession, don’t allow improper planning to leave you in a tight spot. Whether caused by weather conditions, errors by other motorists or other events beyond your control, emergencies can happen. You can be prepared in the event that you come face to face with the unexpected.

Read on to get some information on must-have items in a truck driver’s emergency box!

Different strokes for different folks

First things first, you need to understand that what you bring in your emergency kit will depend largely on the type of driver you are. For example, you will pack a different emergency kit depending on whether you are on the road for weeks at a time, versus if you return home nightly.

Day cab truckers

If your job allows you to go home each day, you should put together an emergency box that contains the following:

• A gallon of water
• Pepper spray in the event that you need protection
• Snack-sized food
• Protein bars
• Swiss army knife
• Versatile clothing that can be adjusted to accommodate changes in the weather conditions
• Money
• A fully charged cell phone
• First aid kit
• Pain medication
• Credit card
• Truckers’ atlas

Regional truckers

If you’re a regional trucker and are therefore home each weekend, you should not only bring the sort of stuff listed in the day cab truckers section, but also pack more things. For instance, you should pack:

• At least three additional gallons of water
• Enough food to get you through a work week
• Mess kit
• CB radio
• Sleeping bag and pillow
• Cooking device
• Personal hygiene products
• Any medication you’re required to take
• Cooking utensils

Long haul truckers

In addition to the sorts of things you’d bring as part of the day cab trucker and region trucker emergency box, you’ll also want to take along some extra stuff as a long-haul trucker who can be away from home for weeks at a time.

Extra stuff you should take include:

• Even more food and water
• An extensive tool set
• Extra money
• More clothing
• Emergency candles and weather proof matches
• Extra batteries for flashlight
• Water filter
• Sewing kit
• Emergency radio

No one wants to think about things that can go wrong, but if you plan ahead, you’ll make out just fine when emergency situations arise.