Driver Lifestyles
An Organized Truck is a Happy Truck
For the over-the-road expediter(s), his/her/their truck is the world. It's their transportation, their livelihood, their office and their home away from home
From cargo van to tractor, the truck is all of these things to a driver and that means it has to carry a lot of stuff. And, that's aside from the freight. In this case, a lot of stuff means the personal items that every driver (and co-driver) carries for business
or comfort.
From pens and paperwork, flashlight, tools, clothes, food, bedding and anything else that finds its way into the truck, it all has to be stored or placed within reach of the driver. Cab and sleeper organization requires planning and sometimes imagination, but it's worth the investment of both.
Organization is all about safety and efficiency. If you have to take your eyes off the road to find a CD or change for the toll road, you're putting yourself and other drivers at risk. If you have to pull over to search for something that should be within easy reach, you're losing time and possibly money.
Cab organization is also a 'survival tool' as well. If you're stopped by law enforcement, DOT or other authority figure, you will present a better image if any documents the officer requests are easily found and handed over. He might just figure that any driver who is so well-organized really doesn't need further inspection.
So, how do you get your cab organized?
Some efficiency experts suggest an "A-B" method of arranging and organizing your working and living space. Make a list with a column "A" and a column "B". Basically, you assign the must-have, important items that you use frequently and need to have within easy reach to column "A" and everything else that can be neatly stored away will be relegated to column "B".
Your "A" list items might include pen and paper, change, CD's or cassettes, essential paperwork, cigarettes and lighter, snack items, coffee, water and beverages and anything else you might need while you're behind the wheel.
Items left loose on the dash or passenger seat can creep out of reach over time from road vibration. Reaching for these items then means stretching across the cab and that's just what you're trying to avoid. All of those items must be contained or
secured in some fashion.
One item that has to be at the top of the list when figuring the organization of the truck is the Qualcomm keyboard unit. When you consider how many times a day (and night) the average expediter uses the device, it takes on an importance second only to the truck itself. The question has always been - what to do with that box.
Expediters and truckers have found a number of imaginative ways to mount the Qualcomm unit for easy viewing and use. Cargo van owner-operator Jeff Albright came up with a mounting system that made use of discarded musical equipment!
He says, "I had an old drum hardware bracket that I bolted on to the passenger seat pedestal and I used that to hold a microphone mini-boom stand. I adapted the keyboard 'saddle' to the boom arm and I found I could angle the keyboard to just where I needed it."
Albright also says that an aftermarket shelf mounted above the windshield helps to organize his working space: "I put all kinds of stuff up there and it's all within reach."
Straight truck owner-operators Bob and Linda Caffee modified a small computer stand that holds their Qualcomm making it accessible to both driver and co-driver. "We can read it without really taking our eyes off the road and it keeps it off the floor," says Linda.
Another "must-have" item several drivers mentioned is a roll of paper towels in easy reach. From mopping up spilled coffee or soda, to cleaning a fogged windshield or dirty mirrors, a fistful of clean paper towels can be a life-saver at the right moment.
One expediter recommends hanging a roll from the cab's overhead compartment by using a lightweight "fabric-type" bungee cord through the tube. Simply adjust the roll so that it's out of the line of sight, but still within easy arm's reach.
For the solo driver with an unoccupied passenger seat, a seat organizer that hangs over the back of the passenger seat is a great way to keep frequently used items secure, in order and easy to grab.
The experts tell us that the acid test of whether those "A" list items are truly handy is if you can reach out and snag them in a darkened truck. We all know what happens to night vision when the cab lights are turned on, so it's beneficial if you can reach the essentials in the dark and without looking. Keep that in mind when organizing and arranging the "A" list items in the truck.
An expediter might have a dozen different items that make the "A" list with an even more extensive "B" list of necessities. The "B" list would include items you need in the truck, but not necessarily within reach of the driver's seat. That means organizing the sleeper as well.
Clothes, personal items, office supplies, extra maps, canned and packaged food all need to be safely and securely stowed. Straight truck driver John Bean says that his co-driver, wife Cindy is the couple's organizer, particularly with the paperwork and the filing. He says that they have found that the plastic tubs (in a variety of sizes) from discount stores are just right for their paperwork storage.
"We're pretty safety-conscious. We try to keep everything in the sleeper's cabinets, we don't leave things lying around," says John. He also suggests that teams who use their sleeper's upper bunk for storage should ensure that the items are secured with a cargo net or similar restraint.
"We bought an extra little plug-in cooler for drinks so we don't have to stop to get more out of the storage box. We try to keep a running inventory, and if we use something, we try to replace it quickly. We keep two or three of a similar replaceable item so we don't run out and have to replace it at truck stop prices."
'Keeping up' is the operative phrase and John says that this applies to the laundry as well: "We have a dirty clothes bag and we try to do our laundry every three days or so."
Linda Caffee tells us that she and husband Bob use plastic baskets in the overhead storage area cubbyholes to secure paper, pencils, snacks or whatever. A metal basket that sits between the seats holds logbooks and paper, while the door pouches are utilized to keep all of the truck's permits and hazmat paperwork.
A truck stop guide and CD's in a holder are stored behind the seat. Extra CD's are stored in the sun visors along with sunglasses. The dashboard cubbyhole is dedicated to trip packs along with their mileage and fuel notebook.
Linda says that when her driving shift begins she has a small lunchbox within easy reach that contains water, ice tea and snack items kept chilled via an ice pack. "I don't like to stop," she explains.
In the sleeper's cabinets, they have the ubiquitous plastic baskets that canned goods reside in. They use plastic tubs under the bunk for clothes storage and for important papers. "Those tubs make moving in and out of the truck easier too, like when you take a motel room for the evening or when you're cleaning out the truck," she says.
Caffee says that she mixes her laundry detergent powder with Clorox dry bleach in small sandwich bags. When it's time for the laundry, she just throws a bag in with the dirty clothes. "It saves a lot of room without those big boxes of detergent."
"DVD's take up a lot of room, but Wal-Mart has those DVD albums that store 100 DVD's and don't take up much room."
The couple has mounted a shelf next to their sink that holds dish soap, serving spoons and paring knives for easy access. Mounted under a couple of the cupboards, the Caffee's use plastic cabinets with drawers for storing spices and other cooking
items. “It’s important to remain organized, even in a 96" sleeper."
“It gets kind of crowded with two people in there, and we stay out three or four months at a time, so we have to carry a lot of extra stuff with us," says Mrs. Caffee.
Another "must-have" that all of the expediters interviewed have in common: a trash can with plastic garbage liners.
Cargo van owner-operator Jim Short tells us that he's home just about every night so he doesn't have to carry the same amount of gear as when he was running over the road with another carrier.
His organization system includes:
*Metal clipboard for paperwork
*Home made wooden box for storage between the seats.
*Plastic totes for TV and window curtains
*Clothes are folded neatly in a duffel bag that stores under the bunk
*Cooler with water and soft drinks
"I try to keep everything stored away so when I hit the shipper or receiver, I don't have to clean the truck out to put the freight in," he says.
As you can see, everyone has their own system and tricks to organization. With a little thought and imagination, you can develop your own and make life on the road at least a little easier.
To stay organized:
*Assign specific locations for everything in the cab.
*Securely store infrequently used items in bins, boxes, drawers or cabinets.
*Update your organization system when necessary.
*Put items back in their assigned spots immediately after use.
*Put trash in proper containers.
*Clean the entire cab once a week.