What commercial vehicle do you drive?

[Sockpuppet]

Thansk....

[HeliCraig]

Thansk....

Yeah, Scania... nice kit. I prefer a good solid Volvo FH myself though. Or a Stralis if you like a breakdown or two.... IVECO= I Vibrate, Everything Comes Off.

[shaunbhoy]

Yeah, Scania... nice kit. I prefer a good solid Volvo FH myself though. Or a Stralis if you like a breakdown or two.... IVECO= I Vibrate, Everything Comes Off.

Just sent that part to my 25-year old son. He has recently passed his Artic Test and starts a new job next week, working away during the week and kipping in his vehicle every night. He can't wait but his missus is less impressed. Any useful tips I should pass on to him............other than to prepare himself for plenty of Pot Noodles?

[Sockpuppet]

Just sent that part to my 25-year old son. He has recently passed his Artic Test and starts a new job next week, working away during the week and kipping in his vehicle every night. He can't wait but his missus is less impressed. Any useful tips I should pass on to him............other than to prepare himself for plenty of Pot Noodles?

They don't call it tramping for nothing.....

Make sure he has the basics covered as it will make his life a lot easier.
- Stuff to cook on - camping stove, 12v kettle, plate, knifes and forks. Pot noodles get old very quickly. If his company pays for parking then he'll usually get a meal voucher in the parking but if they're full then they need to stop where he can. A £2 stir fry from ASDA is healthier and far better tasting than any tulip you'll find at the side of the road.

- Few 5 ltr water bottles for cooking/drinking/washing

- Plenty of books and/or a notebook and a 3G dongle. Not only does it make finding that obscure place with google maps a doddle but its boring as hell kipping in the cab and the iplayer is a god send.

- As he's new always ask the "old timers". I guarantee he'll make a mistake in his first few weeks everyone does. Make sure he knows how everything works on his truck as if he's on his own for a week its the wrong place to work out you don't know where the on/off switch for something is.

Easiest way to do the above is to ask the other guys what they carry. If they don't have it you don't need it. If they do then don't forget it. Simple things like a screw driver and a few spare fuses can make the difference between waiting a few hours for recovery or sorting the problem yourself.

[shaunbhoy]

They don't call it tramping for nothing.....

Make sure he has the basics covered as it will make his life a lot easier.
- Stuff to cook on - camping stove, 12v kettle, plate, knifes and forks. Pot noodles get old very quickly. If his company pays for parking then he'll usually get a meal voucher in the parking but if they're full then they need to stop where he can. A £2 stir fry from ASDA is healthier and far better tasting than any tulip you'll find at the side of the road.

- Few 5 ltr water bottles for cooking/drinking/washing

- Plenty of books and/or a notebook and a 3G dongle. Not only does it make finding that obscure place with google maps a doddle but its boring as hell kipping in the cab and the iplayer is a god send.

- As he's new always ask the "old timers". I guarantee he'll make a mistake in his first few weeks everyone does. Make sure he knows how everything works on his truck as if he's on his own for a week its the wrong place to work out you don't know where the on/off switch for something is.

Easiest way to do the above is to ask the other guys what they carry. If they don't have it you don't need it. If they do then don't forget it. Simple things like a screw driver and a few spare fuses can make the difference between waiting a few hours for recovery or sorting the problem yourself.

Cheers sockpuppet. I'll pass that on. He has most of that in place already I think and has been getting advice from some experienced mates too. He plans to seek out lay-bys rather than shell out for Service Stations etc., so "tramping" will probably be the case.