Gifts For Truck Drivers

Have you ever thought about the significance of the trucking industry and its impact on our daily lives? Probably not. Most of us have never given much thought to how our groceries got to the store, our gas to the pumps, our medical supplies to the hospital, etc. etc. Trucks and their drivers made the deliveries. In the end, most products reach the final destination via truck. It may travel by air, rail or ship up to a point, but have you ever seen an airplane at the loading docks of your favorite mall? At one time, if a factory lost its access to the railroad, it was doomed. The trucking industry is now the solution for a majority of these factories.

Many of the truck drivers live on the road for days or weeks at a time to keep America stocked! We owe them a huge thanks. If you have a trucker on any gift list, consider something to make life on the road a little easier or safer.

For a commercial truck driver, a GPS designed for the trucking industry is essential. The new Garmin dezl 560LT provides a 5-inch display, truck-specific route highlighting and trucking speed limits. Using the highlighted route and the Lane Assist with Junction View feature, the driver is able to view upcoming junctions to easily navigate complex highway interchanges.

Garmin provides free lifetime traffic updates. The speaker is extra loud and can be easily heard in the truck cab. Bluetooth wireless technology with built-in microphone and speaker provides hands-free calling. This keeps the driver focused on the road and compliant with traffic laws regarding the use of cell phones while driving. For safety, the Garmin dezl 560LT provides information on upcoming road conditions and restrictions.

Another helpful feature is the grade data field that appears on the map. This enables drivers to anticipate descents and ascents and shift accordingly. Having this information in advance is a real advantage to the driver.

Although the Garmin dezl 560LT has been specifically designed for the trucking industry, it has the capability to setup an RV profile. RV drivers can calculate their routes based on height, weight and length restrictions on the various highways. This is significant for RV drivers.

The importance of a power inverter for commercial truck drivers cannot be overstated. The Power Bright PW2300-12 Power Inverter is a heavy duty inverter. It plugs directly into a 12 volt DC battery to provide power to laptops, televisions, small appliances and other electronics. For the truck driver, a good power inverter is absolutely essential for life on the road. The Power Bright PW2300-12 features two 3-prong AC receptacles, a built-in cooling fan, an overload indicator, wireless remote and 2300 watts of continuous power. This is ideal for all types of personal electronics and mobile equipment. Although essential for commercial truck drivers, this power inverter has proven helpful to other users. You can read a couple of those reviews below.

Francisco Loaiza wrote: "This is the best investment I did, because I work the unique different concept of transportation, taxi driver with karaoke system. I use black, strobe lights, lead light, christmas light, fog machine (700 wats), microwave (800 wats), etc. also I use at home to run my air compressor (25 gallons), table saw, everything with this power inverter."

Graham Wells wrote: "This inverter is great. It's the perfect alternative to a gas generator. I use it for back up power at home. My wood stove heats the house and this inverter powers my whole den. Cable TV, computer, lights, microwave, etc. I run a string of christmas lights up the stairs to the kitchen and bedrooms. My power source is a Diehard PM-1 deepcycle marine platinum battery. It's on trickle charge all the time. A user note is to keep the cord to the TV as short as possible to minimize RF interference, you can also coil up the AC cord to work as an inductive RF choke."

Cobra Nightwatch 29WXNWST 40-Channel CB Radio

One challenge faced by truck drivers is meals. Taking a lengthy break to eat is not always practical or possible, the food is usually not very healthy, and eating at the truck stops can be expensive. Having the RoadPro 12 Volt Portable Stove can be a life saver for the trucker. It enables them to take a few healthy meals from home to reheat; the RoadPro Portable Stove heats food to 300 degrees. This provides a hot meal, healthier than the diner, saves some time and money. Users of the stove gave it great reviews, and you can read a few below.

D. Adkins wrote: "This portable stove does exactly what it says it does. I'm a long distance truck driver, and being able to prepare hot meals in the truck saves me a lot of money! This little stove does the job."

A. Embry wrote: "I bought this for my dad who is a trucker. He gets a lot of use out of it, heating up meals from home, and likes it because it allows him to save money and eat healthier on the road (as well as saving time because he doesn't have to stop as often)"

A. Thompson wrote: "I bought this for my husband for christmas. He wasn't sure about it at first, but now he loves it. He works outside and is tired of sandwiches and fast food. Now he can take leftovers or heat different soups. He said in 20-25 minutes it heats up to 300 degreesand his food is hot! This product is well worth the money."

K. Albus wrote: "I bought this for my husband for Christmas. He got tired of always eating cold sandwiches so I decided to give it a try. WOW! He loves it. It takes about 20 minutes or so for food to get hot. Heats to about 300. Convenient to carry. very durable. Great."

RoadPro Spin Charge Rechargeable LED Flashlight

This is one piece of trivia we should all give some serious thought and think twice before suddenly pulling in front of an 18 wheeler: the average time to stop that semi truck is 40% more than that of a car! No matter how good the truck driver might be, he cannot stop on a dime.

Those mud flaps under the trailer serve a real purpose - they reduce wind resistance and airflow around the trailer. This results in a substantial fuel economy benefit.

Although trucking is a male dominated industry, trucking companies have seen an increase in female applicants. In fact, there are some companies that prefer female drivers.

With a shortage of long haul drivers and the touch economy, there has been an increase in hiring retirees for team drivers. With the kids grown, the wife has more time and many early retirees have learned that the pension checks just aren't enough.

My son, the long haul driver, had educated me on some of the trucker slang. As I researched the topic, it appears that truckers actually have a whole language all their own. I've included just a few to give you a smile:

Back 'em Up = Slow down
Bear Bait = Speeding car
Catch Ya on the Flip Flop = See ya on return trip
City Kitty = City Police
Bird dog = Radar Detector
Bumper sticker = Car too close to bumper
Chicken coop = Weigh station
Deadhead = Drive an empty truck & trailer to get a load
Flip flop = U-turn or return trip
Hammer lane = Left lane (fast lane)
Salt shaker = Snow plow
Travel agent = Dispatcher

Well, this could go for pages and pages - I'll add more later.