7 Must Haves In Your Trucks Cab

For many drivers out on Australia’s road network, their truck cab is like a second home. It’s that special space that you call your own – often an office, lunch room and media centre, all rolled into one. Importantly too, for our nation’s long-haul drivers, the cab also serves as a place to lay a weary head down after a long day’s work.

It stands to reason then that drivers who are hopping up into a truck, day in, day out, would like it to be comfortable as possible. Thankfully, we’ve come a long way from the days when a desk fan and a bar mat sitting across the dashboard represented the peak of vehicular interior decorating. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of gizmos, gadgets and essentials that drivers can add to their trucks to make their time out on the road safer and more enjoyable.

Mobile Wi-Fi hotspot

Receiving a phone bill after a month of checking emails and streaming music on your smartphone can be an unpleasant experience. A more cost-effective solution to operating in a digital age is equipping your truck with a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot. The device can provide huge benefits for drivers looking to keep in touch with the depot for updates on orders and routing, without the cost of soaking up the data attached to your mobile phone plan.

Suspension seat

Navigating the bumps and divots of Australia’s road network can take a toll on drivers’ health, but suspension seats are the antidote to many a back ache and discomfort. The seats effectively put a column of air between a drivers’ body and the road, meaning days spent on the road are going to feel much smoother. As well as making the ride smoother, suspension seats boast some fairly impressive safety benefits as well.

Water

This is probably the most obvious entry on this list – but given that water is vital to sustaining human life – it seems worth reiterating. Making sure you have a bottle of H2O in the cab when you’re out on the road is going to make life better by a huge margin. It’ll keep you hydrated – and can have significant impacts on your overall health and workplace productivity.

In-dash audio-visual unit

Perhaps the single biggest development in truck comfort in recent times has been the advent of in-dash audio-visual units. Not only can these nifty units serve as a street directory that gives drivers truck-specific advice on routing and load restrictions, they’re a hands-free phone link, stereo when you’re on the road and can also keep you entertained during downtime. Whether that’s loading up an episode of your favourite TV show, or chucking on a movie, in-dash AV units are sure to improve the overall ‘home away from home’ experience.

First aid kit

Even when you’re taking care to follow OH&S procedures, navigating a day out on the road with loading and unloading, materials handling, and small maintenance jobs can sometimes result in scrapes and other minor injuries. That’s why it’s a great idea to have at least a basic first aid kit on hand. St John’s Ambulance even sells a tradie first aid kit designed to be stored in a truck!

Steering wheel tray

If you’re filling out invoices hunched over the centre console, or always losing bits of your lunch to the floor mats, then a steering wheel tray might be just the thing you need. It’s a simple concept – a tray that fits over or around your steering wheel to provide a makeshift desk/table, but it could stand to make the time you’re in the truck (when you’re not driving at least), that little bit easier.

Toiletries

The rigours of the road can sometimes leave drivers feeling a little less than fresh. Especially if you’re out on the road serving as the face of your company and regularly dealing with clients, having a quick think about the small things you could chuck in the glove box could go a long way towards keeping you feeling good out on the road. It’s all up to personal preference – if your mouth bothers you after your morning coffee, perhaps pack a toothbrush and toothpaste, or gum. Or, maybe you’re loading and unloading under the hot sun and a stick of deodorant will help freshen you up. If a five o’clock shadow creeping across your face is a daily irritation, consider leaving a small electric razor in your glove box. Having a quick think about which items like these you must use will go a long way towards helping you better manage a life spent out on the road. But are there any handy knick-knacks or tools you’ve recently added to your truck that have made a huge difference when you’re out on the road? Let us know in the comments section below.