Nowadays a lot of people travel with their vehicles, and whether it’s because of work or just for recreation, we spend a lot of time in our cars and trucks. So, we must always have the right tools and equipment in there in case something goes wrong.
Imagine being on the road, somewhere far from a car service, and suddenly your truck stops working. You’re not sure what the reason is, but you’ll have to find out, and if possible, fix the problem. As you can already imagine, this is a very tricky situation to find yourself in, but it can get even trickier without the right tools because you won’t be able to take any action until help arrives, and god knows how long that can take.
Because we wish safety and well-being to all of our readers, we decided to put together this list of spare parts and tools that you must have in your truck at all times, especially if you are someone who loves to be on the road for longer periods. Since it’s a pretty important subject to talk about, let’s end this introduction right here and jump straight into the content.
1. An empty fuel can
We all know that without fuel, our vehicle cannot start, and although this is a very obvious thing to say, it happens quite often that someone forgets to fully refill their tank before heading out on the road. If you ever find yourself in such a situation, it’s really helpful to have an empty fuel can that you can take and walk up to the nearest station to fill it up just enough so that your truck can start.
After you do that, you can fully refill the vehicle at the same petrol station. If you’re the driver of a larger truck, it might be smart to have two or more empty fuel cans just in case.
2. Tire-pressure checker
It’s a well-known fact that if the pressure in your tires is not on the right level, you’re risking an accident. If they’re too inflated, a small bump can make them burst. If they’re low on pressure, you’re risking damaging the wheels of your truck, and also reducing the handling and acceleration of your vehicle. Besides, in some countries, you can even receive a penalty for driving with deflated tires.
Tire-pressure checkers are easy to get and they don’t cost a lot of money, meaning that everyone can afford to have one in their vehicle. They’re so useful when it comes to making sure that you’re ready for a long ride.
3. Jump leads
If you ever get left in the middle of nowhere, you won’t have a chance to power up your vehicle unless another person drives right by you and agrees on helping you out. Even then, you’ll still need to have a little something called a “jump lead”, which allows you to get the jump-start from the other person’s car. Make sure that you always have this in case things go wrong.
By knowing that you’re about to head on the road shortly, you should completely check your entire vehicle and try to find parts that are in a bad condition. If you do end up finding some, now is the right time to replace them. We suggest you check this if you’re looking for a cheap, easy and convenient way of getting new parts for your truck online.
4. A spare tire
This is already mandatory in a lot of countries, so don’t allow yourself to be in a situation where a spare tire is not a part of your inventory when you’re out on the road. This can be a real lifesaver if you ever experience a tire-burst when you’re far away from places where you can get a replacement.
Some larger trucks should carry even a few of them because more tires mean a higher chance of one of them bursting.
5. WD-40
WD-40 is like duct tape but for mechanical parts. It helps so much when it comes to lubricating moving parts in your truck, such as your brakes or your door. No matter what it is that you find too squeaky, you can always fix it by applying some WD-40 to it.
The famous WD-40 oil can be found in almost every shop, so getting your hands on one shouldn’t be an issue at all. They don’t cost a lot of money either, so definitely a great investment.
6. Reserve clutch
We all know that a clutch is a very important component of every vehicle, but when you’re driving manual, the chances for something happening to it are much higher. This is because there’s a lot more room for error when the vehicle is not automatic, so burning off your clutch completely or something breaking is not very common, but it can happen.
Changing your clutch is also not an easy task, but if you know how to do it, and you happen to have a reserve one in your truck, it might be a real life-saver. Only attempt to do this if you are very confident in your skills, otherwise, it’s much wiser to wait for help to arrive. Do not drive your vehicle with a clutch that’s not functioning properly.
7. A spare air filter
The air filter in your vehicle is what helps you maintain a healthy and fresh environment in your cabin, which can sometimes be your home for many days in a row, depending on what kind of a driver you are. Some truck drivers are usually sent on destinations that are far away from home, so they have to spend the night sleeping in the cabin if the situations require them to do so.
If you notice that something’s wrong with your air filter, it’s always a great thing to have a spare one laying around in your inventory, and changing one is easy, but only if you know how it’s done. Thanks to the internet, there are numerous guides on how to do it, so if you ever need to replace the air filter in your truck, it shouldn’t be a problem to do so.
