Must have tools

A bsaic wrench set. I'm not sure if Volvo is standard or metric, but some one else can answer that. Wire strippers, electrical tape, wire connectors. I also carried a 2.5 lb sledge hammer. Wire cutters. Needle nose pliars. A small knife of some sorts. Flashlight. Head lamp for hands free working at night. Phillips and flathead screwdrivers.

My most absolute important tool was my multiman tool. Had the knife and other things in it. Gerber makes a good one.

 

When I was a company driver I carried all kinds of crap in the side compartments . All kinds of tools and if they had any spare parts in the shop I took them. belts tensioners,fittings, hoses I didnt care lol and I had just about every tool to do any job. Including swapping a turbo on the shoulder of i80 with another Driver lol. But I also saved them a lot of money over time. But, carrying tools isn’t about saving the company money. It’s about saving yourself the wasted time too. If you can fix something why not fix it and move on instead of flashers and triangles then wait for road service. Screw that

 

Made in USA
Master Air Pressure Gauge Straight, 8860-C, Dill

 

Good question.

Especially in winter you should always have a set of fuel filters AND a filter wrench AND a gallon blend of 70% diesel, 20% Howe's Antigel, and 10% Diesel 9-1-1. Also have large garbage bags.

Now get on YouTube and watch videos teaching how to change fuel filters.

How do you know when you need to change your fuel filters? It's when you start losing power when temperatures are well below freezing, you can't get above 1500 rpm's, the engine coughs and sputters when you apply more throttle, and your mpg readout starts showing sub 4 mpg on the flats.

Usually you can change just the primary fuel filter and get back on the road. The reason why you are getting that power loss is because the engine is starved for fuel. Fuel can't get through the primary filter (the first fuel filter from the tanks) because water in the fuel starts freezing as soon as it hits the cold paper filter. Soon that paper filter is coated in ice and very little diesel can get through.

I have had to change out fuel filters in the winter several times. After changing filters you get your power back and get normal mpg. Without having spare filters and a GOOD filter wrench you risk being shut down in sub zero temperatures and you may not even be able to idle your truck.

That's a recipe for a full on survival situation.

 

If you're pulling dry van. Add a small crowbar for pulling nails out of the floor and maybe small bolt cutters for trailer seals.

 

vice grips.
used to use them on those old trailers with the spring load pins.
Pull the handle out ,clamp the vice grips on and move the trailer until the pins pop in.
my company went all "air pull" pins.
yeah, for the wore out shoulder sockets!!!!!!!!! lol

 

Back in the old days most truckers carried a fully stocked toolbox. These days though most truckers just call the company if they have an issue and wait on a service truck. I think you should determine which type of trucker you will be. If you are never going to get too deep involved in repairs I suggest simple things. 1 a good broom. 2 a roll of duct tape. 3. a pair of some type of gripping tool like vise grip and/or channel lock. 4. a good flashlight. This serves 2 purposes if you get the right kind. Useful for your pre/post trips in the dark and for giving an idiot an attitude adjustment. 5 a good supply of bungee cords and straps. 6 a tire pressure gauge. 7 something to cut seals. Some of these seals need bolt cutters. These 7 items should be a starting point After this any other tool you need that is needed for your specific type of trucking.

Edited to add this: While it is not a (tool) I also suggest a good pair of rubber boots. These are handy for those times when a trailer you need is parked in a mud hole and for those times when it is dark out and you are walking around trailers and there are piles of both human and animal excrement all over. (yes drivers will drop a deuce like this)

 

A laptop with dealer specific diagnostic programming is the only way to tell you what causes your symptoms on modern trucks. And the only way to reset the check lights. I hate modern trucks.

 

$93.. yikes. Are the cheaper tire inflation gauges ok? I’m just a company driver but want to keep my tires at 100psi.