Best Place to buy trucking supplies?

[candun]

For all you experienced folks, I have a question.

I am in school now (SAGE) and am preparing to go on the road. I have been building a list of things I will need and there are several lists available here and on other boards. What I'd like to know, is where have you found the best place to buy your trucking supplies at a cheap price.

I'm mostly talking about non-household items. I know where to get cheap batteries, clothes, food, etc. But where do you buy, for instance, your gloves, your maps, your inverters and appliances, your tools, etc.

I've gotta think that a truck stop is the most expensive place to obtain these items.

In addition, what can I expect to be already on the truck or otherwise supplied by my company?

[pro1driver]

Originally Posted by candun

For all you experienced folks, I have a question.

I am in school now (SAGE) and am preparing to go on the road. I have been building a list of things I will need and there are several lists available here and on other boards. What I'd like to know, is where have you found the best place to buy your trucking supplies at a cheap price.

wally-world, target, k-mart, sears..............

I'm mostly talking about non-household items. I know where to get cheap batteries, clothes, food, etc. But where do you buy, for instance, your gloves, your maps, your inverters and appliances, your tools, etc.

sears, pep-boys, lowe's, home depot..........wally-world......etc.etc..........get your maps either at truckstops, or service plaza's, or even a "map store" online or in your area........buy only a "TRUCKER's ROAD ATLAS".........not an AAA road atlas.........

I've gotta think that a truck stop is the most expensive place to obtain these items.

not everything is that expensive. many truckstops have monthly sales, and discounts when you buy "X" number of gallons of fuel..

In addition, what can I expect to be already on the truck or otherwise supplied by my company?

the steering wheel, brakes, clutch, windows, seatbelts, seats, dashboard....

i mean, c'mon........what are they "feeding you" in that school you are going to.........???

you "might" get a reefer, you "might" get an inverter, you "might" get a tv hook-up, you "might" get a mattress..........

you get what you get, and you make do with it........NOT EVERY trucking company is going to supply you with everything, IF anything at all.

i think that trucking school is filling your head with dreams of sugar-plums of delightful apartment living, which you'll almost....NEVER GET.......

[DemolitionMan]

I'm a linehaul driver, so I cannot comment on appliances or inverters. I get my hooking up gloves from the gardening section at Home Depot. The maps I have I got from gas stations...and I also have a GPS I got from Best Buy. If you plan on using a GPS, I would suggest comparing your gps route against the directions the shipper/your company gives you. You might also want to compare them using a road atlas. They always matched when I did that, but you can never be too safe. That way you know it's right and once you know, you can simply follow the gps and keep your focus on the road and those around you vs fumbing with a map.

[crash935]

Good advice form Demoman on the GPS. Always check it against the Motor Carriers Atlas, dont know how many times i heard "the GPS told me to go this way" when they just went down a road with a low bridge or a no truck route.

[ranger309]

It all depends. I have seen some nice items at some truck slops that were reasonably priced, but lots of things like cold weather gear, gloves and boots I get from Cabelas'. Napa Auto or most of the farm and ranch stores are a good place to buy things like tire chains, rope, cables, straps and binders. Ebay is great for cheaply priced electronic stuff like cell phones and CB radios. If you need a winch bar, just keep your eyes peeled on the side of the road past truck slops or past rest areas. That's where I got mine at. Nice shiney chromed one too and the price was "dirt cheap".

[candun]

Originally Posted by pro1driver

i think that trucking school is filling your head with dreams of sugar-plums of delightful apartment living, which you'll almost....NEVER GET.......

Pro1,

Thanks for the input, but I never said I had visions of sugar-plums and my school certainly isn't sugar coating anything. This is just me asking what I don't know.

I ALREADY know that I shouldn't expect any luxuries. However, I'm not sure what NECESSITIES are generally provided. For example, I have to have a fire extinquiser, safety trianges and fuses. Absolutely must have in order to pass a DOT inspection. So, I would think those should be company provided. But I don't KNOW that, so that's why I'm asking.

It would be stupid to drive my truck without spare oil, coolant and other fluids, so again, do most companies provide those or do I need to plan on shelling out the money. The list goes on; tire chains, tire pressure gauge, fifth wheel grease, etc. I don't know, so that's why I'm asking, not because I am delusional and misinformed.

If those are stupid questions, then just chalk me up as a newbie puke and ignore me