What to Have in Your Cabin During the Winter in Case You Get Stranded
February 3, 2023
What to Have in Your Cabin During the Winter in Case You Get Stranded
No matter how careful you are on the road, you should always bring trucker safety supplies.
To be specific, you should always have the supplies to sustain you and keep you safe in the event you get stranded. Even if you have an impeccable driving record, it’s wise to prepare for everything, especially while driving in winter.
If you hit black ice, swerve into a ditch trying to miss another car, or even experience a mechanical failure, you could be waiting hours for help. Would you be ready?
This guide provides a rundown of all the trucker safety supplies you’ll want in an emergency.
Snack Stash: Food and Water
While some drivers may keep this in their cab constantly, short-run drivers may not see a point in bringing food with them. However, it will come in handy if you’re feeling hungry while stranded.
Ideally, you’ll want healthy snacks—fruit, vegetables, protein bars, nuts, and sandwiches with lean meat and whole bread are all good choices. They’ll provide you with energy, are easy to digest, and can improve your mood while you wait.
You may also choose to bring ready-made meals. They’re often good to eat after only a few minutes in the microwave, and the cold versions don’t even require that. Many of these meals are designed to provide the perfect balance of calories from healthy sources so you can fill up fast.
As for drinks, water is always the best option. Staying hydrated will also help you stay calm, and even help to regulate your body’s natural ability to warm up.
Everyday Essentials: Toiletries and Medicine
If you do get stranded, you may find yourself begin to panic. Even if you know help is on the way from your own dispatch or the area’s local authorities, it’s easy to become worried, especially when you’re trapped for half a day or longer.
If there’s one thing besides eating and hydrating that will keep your spirits high, it’s keeping yourself fresh. Trucker emergency supply kits should include all your standard bathroom and personal items that will help you clean up and feel better. These include:
· Toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss
· Cleaning wipes, face wash, and hand soap
· Deodorant and cologne/perfume
· Combs, brushes, hair spray, and hair gel
· Razors, shaving kits, and makeup
Of course, the personal items we rely on aren’t just for making us feel good by making us look good. Many people also take medicines that help them keep certain conditions in check. Some may reason that they’ll be home by the time they need to take their medicines.
But what if the unexpected happens? It’s better to have your medicine with you just in case. It’s also convenient to keep a small first-aid kit of bandages, pain relievers, antacids, and other common medicines that you might need.
Warm Wardrobe: Clothing and Bedding
It’s one thing to experience a trucking issue during the warmer months of the year, but when your breakdown occurs in winter, a whole new element of danger is added to the situation. What can you do to fight this chilling possibility?
Not only should you dress warm for the trip, but bring extra clothes as well. Consider that you may need to get out of the truck to examine your surroundings in a snowstorm or spend the night inside where gusty winds may creep their way into the cab.
Sweatsuits, hoodies, gloves, hats, face masks, gloves, scarves, and thermal underclothing are all smart choices for the warm wardrobe section of your trucker emergency supply kit.
While bedding may not be a clothing type, it fits the same purpose here. Some extra blankets and sheets can ensure you have a warm and dry place to rest your head while waiting for help.
Entertainment Essentials: Books and Electronics
Some people may say that entertainment items aren’t exactly essential, but they can become this way if you’re stranded and waiting for help to arrive.
This is another category of supplies that many truckers who drive short routes don’t bring along. But it doesn’t take much space at all to throw some of your favorite books and magazines into the cab.
Your phone, tablet, and laptop can also provide some entertainment and engagement. To ensure you have power for them, bring a charged power bank with you. This can also be ideal for a rechargeable flashlight, which is another essential to bring—or you could always go with the common battery-powered option.
You’d be surprised at how much these items can help keep your mind occupied and prevent your thoughts from running away with you if you get stranded.
Tools and Teamwork: Cutting Your Stranded Stay Short
If the issue that stranded you is mechanical in nature, you may be able to fix it on your own. A custom set of tools designed for your particular brand of truck are always handy to have—or if you have road service from your carrier, you may be able to get the issue taken care of for you in no time.
Are you interested in a career with Trans Lines? We equip all drivers with trucks that are less than five years old and come equipped with refrigerators, microwaves, and power invertors. And of course, our in-house road service is available 24/7/365 to make sure you never stay stranded. To learn more about working here, contact us today.