There was a law in the US until 1976, which limited the length of a tractor. According to it, the maximum length of a truck with a trailer could not exceed 65 feet. Therefore, in order to increase the volume of transported cargo, the truck cabs were produced without a hood protruding in the front.
Everything changed after the abolition of this law and lifting of restrictions on the length of the truck. American truck makers have switched to the production of classic long hood trucks. The engine of such a truck is located completely outside of the cab. This allowed them to increase the height and size of the trucker's living space. Sleeper cabs of modern American trucks are much more spacious, warmer and more convenient than cabovers and allow for weeks or even months of hauling without leaving the truck for anything more than a bathroom break. It is an all-in-one solution, including a bedroom, a kitchen and even a shower.
Along with that, modern American trucks have other undoubted advantages on wide American roads:
- The hood is 6 feet of iron in front of the windshield, which makes the truck much safer in case of road accidents;
- It is much easier to repair and maintain the engine than in a cabover truck.
Contents:
- How to Make Your Truck Comfortable?
- Truck Bed Storage Ideas
- Semi Truck Organization Ideas
- Semi Truck Interior Design Ideas
- Cheapest Semi Truck Storage Ideas
- Conclusion
How to Make Your Truck Comfortable?
Truckers spend a significant part of their lives on the road. Unlike other people who return to their homes after work, drivers have to stay overnight right in the cab of the truck. For many of them, the big rig cab is not even the second, but the primary home. America is a huge country and one haul can last several weeks, so the truck organization is an important thing to take care of.
So, here we have collected several semi truck organization ideas, which will help you make the cab a perfect place to stay:
a. Buy the Important Things You Need and Keep Organized
The comfort of truckers’ life directly depends on the size and arrangement of the living space of their trucks. However, no matter how big this area is, the key rule of the shoppers applies: buy only things that are important and really necessary to take on the road.
You should have an inverter of sufficient power installed in the truck in order to connect the necessary electrical equipment and devices. If your truck is not equipped with an inverter, you must purchase it separately. Also, do not forget to buy extension cords and splitters, which allow you to connect several devices at the same time.
For small items we advise you to acquire special organizers, which have pockets with designation. In this way you’ll never lose or mix anything.
b. Make Your Sleeping Place Comfortable
The work of a trucker requires good health and constant concentration, which are impossible without quality rest. Therefore, you have to approach the organization of your sleeping bed most responsibly. All drivers understand that the rest and sleep is important no less than the general technical condition of the truck.
In modern trucks, the sleeping module can be more than 7 feet long and 4 feet wide, which allows you to make it really comfortable. As a rule, there is a place in the trucks for the second upper folding bunk, lockers and shelves for personal items. In many trucks, the lower bed can be converted into a table and two seats. The table can be used for cooking and eating. Read our article to choose the best refrigerator for truckers.
Usually, near the bed there is a climate control panel, interior light and music, which you can use without getting out of bed.
Long journeys, long stay in the same position, difficult road conditions cause severe fatigue. Therefore, for a good rest after a working day, it is preferable to fit the bed with an orthopedic mattress and pillow.
Bed linen and blankets should be of non-staining colors. They should be lightweight and made of modern advanced materials. The ideal solution would be bed linen made of a fabric that allows air to pass through. Such fabric does not collect dust and dirt, is easy to wash, does not wrinkle and is smooth to the touch.
It is convenient to use custom plastic containers to store clothes, one for clean clothes, the other for dirty clothes.
Bed can be used not only for sleeping, but for other purposes as well. You will find several truck cab storage ideas below.
c. Make a Kitchen Area
The driver should pay special attention to the arrangement of the kitchen facility. Long driving and lack of proper nutrition can cause a number of health problems. Along with that, you should avoid constant consumption of fast or cold food, such as sandwiches. This negatively affects the gastrointestinal tract and can prompt the development of gastritis and even stomach ulcers.
Proper organization of the kitchen space in the truck cab helps prepare fresh and healthy food.
The most necessary appliances in the kitchen area of the truck are, perhaps, a refrigerator and a stove. As a rule, truckers do not take much food with them. Grocery stores and roadside restaurants are to be found on almost all roads in the country. Therefore, a refrigerator with a size of 32 quarts is normally enough.
A hot plate or a stove can be electric or induction, depending on the driver’s preference. Quite often truckers use a small two-burner portable stove.
Some trucks may be equipped with a washing area and a faucet for water supply. If creating such an area is not possible, you can purchase special plastic water gallons. They can be used to store both technical and drinking water.
Purchase small appliances for the kitchen. It is enough to have a small electric kettle and a coffee maker for one or two persons. You can also use a microwave oven in the kitchen for heating. Many drivers consider a slow cooker to be one of the most useful things in the kitchen. It allows you to cook practically any dish with a minimum amount of effort.
Fasten household appliances well. Bungees are often used for this.
You can store dishes in cabinets if it’s possible to install them, or in plastic containers under the bed or seat. When moving, lids, plates and other utensils must be fixed so they don’t bump against each other. You can also hang rails for storing accessories in the kitchen.
d. Take Care of the Decoration
Take good care of the truck room decor to create coziness and stay in a good mood. Normally, when we think about the appearance of a truck, the first thing that springs to mind is the central console fully covered with cables, phone holders and all possible gadgets and devices.
However, you can make this place cozier by putting up posters and family photos in the cab of the truck. To do this, you can use double-sided tape or special holders. For example, you can attach a jute twine to the cabin wall and hang photos on it with clothespins.
Here are a few semi truck decoration ideas.
To create decor, you can use bedding, blankets, pillows, kitchen utensils with fun and themed prints.
In case Christmas or another holiday is coming, garland with small multi-colored lights will surely help you create a good mood. You can hang them both inside and outside the truck.
Truck Bed Storage Ideas
It is important for the truck driver to explore various semi truck sleeper storage ideas to find the right option for storing his / her things in the cab. The main criteria for storage organizing are:
- safety and convenience;
- cabin space efficiency;
- usability of the storage system.
There are a lot of various truck bed storage ideas. The storage compartment is normally placed under the bed with an access from the side or from the top. Special partitions installed inside such a compartment help organize your belongings in a convenient and efficient way.
You can also organize a rest area by placing a TV and audio speakers, which have to be securely fixed to the wall or on a special shelf.
To store clothes, bedding and other things, trucks can be equipped with lockers. A simpler solution is to use plastic containers for this purpose, which can be placed under the bed.
WEATHERPRO Plastic Storage Box
Take, for example, this reliable plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. It is suitable to store just about anything from groceries to clothes. It is made of transparent plastic, so you will know exactly what is in it without opening the lid.
Things that should always be at hand can be conveniently stored in a storage net pocket mounted on the wall or ceiling.
Wilove Car Ceiling Storage Net Pocket
Price at Amazon: $15.99
This mesh pocket is made of durable elastic material. It securely holds things placed in it with the help of a zipper. It can be used to store both small or bulky, though not heavy things.
Semi Truck Organization Ideas
Here are a few semi truck storage ideas, which will help you organize your belongings properly in the truck cab:
- Make a list of the things you need on the road. Stick to the principle: the shorter the list, the better.
- Add to the list a reasonable amount of things that you want to take with you.
- Sort things into categories, for example, clothes, documents, dishes, hygiene products, etc.
- Determine a place for each category of things in the cab of the truck. Choose suitable storage containers for each category.
- Use it for a while and determine how convenient it is to use your storage system. Modify the storage system to make it even more convenient for you.
Semi Truck Interior Design Ideas
To make the cab cozier, you can lay a rug in the sleeping or kitchen area of the cabin. It should be a practical, durable, dirt-repellent mat made of synthetic material.
Price at Amazon: $24.77
Polyester fiber mat with microfiber pile and anti-slip coating. The rug is very soft, warm and nice to the touch. It is very easy to clean, it can be washed in a washing machine multiple times.
Price at Amazon: $29.99
Rug made of ultra thick gel foam. This is a high-strength material designed for long and intensive use. The mat has a non-slip coating, it is easy to clean and ensures a high level of comfort to the feet.
Price at Amazon: $22.23
Super strong and flexible LED strip with remote control. It is easy to install, both inside and outside the truck. It is enough to clean the surface, remove the protective tape and stick it in the right place. The strip has several modes, which can be controlled from the remote control.
Price at Amazon: $9.17
Set of photo frames, clips and hemp rope made of eco material. You can frame family photos, children's drawings and fix them on the wall of the truck cab.
Cheapest Semi Truck Storage Ideas
Storage in a truck can be organized in multiple ways, including under bed, under seat, on a special shelf, on holders fixed on the consoles, or on the board. However, these are just the most common approaches, and there are other cheap, but effective ways to store your belongings.
Cargo Net
Price at Amazon: $39.80
The cargo net is made of light, wear-resistant and elastic material. It securely fastens and holds any objects placed in it. It is sold complete with fasteners that allow you to install the mesh anywhere in the cabin.
Suction Cup Basket
The main advantage of this item is that it is very easy to place anywhere in the truck – on the wall, window, etc. The suction cups will firmly hold the structure in place even under strong vibration. There are baskets of various colors, shapes and forms in the market, so you can easily implement some of your semi truck interior design ideas.
Repurposed Bags From Sheets
One more environmentally-friendly and cost-efficient way to store multiple small-size items, the bag can be placed anywhere – under the bed or right behind your sleeping mattress.
Conclusion
We can proudly say that US trucks and trailers are considered the most comfortable in the world. For many drivers, truck cabs are not just a place of work, but a cozy and beloved home.
If you are attracted to the romance of roads and the opportunity to travel across the country, we invite you to join our friendly team. You can apply to HMD, get trained and get a job as a driver.
Doing so, you will roam the country in one of the our two fascinating trucks:
Peterbilt 567:
- advanced Vehicle Electronic Control Unit Technology;
- smartLINQ remote diagnostic feature that helps you run your rig with the maximum performance;
- comfortable ergonomic cab with full-scale digital gauges, non-slip tread on the stairs and improved viewing angles;
- better safety via 6s6m Anti-lock Braking.
Peterbilt 579:
- advanced hood and bumper providing for excellent aerodynamic features, improving fuel economy and the bottom line with the air dam, which helps maintain good ground clearance as well;
- 15” digital display with customizable gauges and intelligent gauge monitoring;
- advanced driver assistance systems, including lane keeping assist;
- PACCAR mx engine, 12-speed automated transmission, 40k tandem axle;
- 8 feet of head room and 70 cubic feet of storage – truly the most comfortable truck in the industry!
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