If you’re reading this, chances are your new truck has just become your second office (or perhaps your only office?), so it makes sense to ensure it has everything a truck needs to help maximise operational efficiency.
To start, here’s 5 things the folks at Truck Assist have narrowed down to help run your ‘business on wheels’…
A Logbook
Whether it’s fuel consumption, kilometres, or hours, having a record of what you’ve done in your truck is good for future planning and claiming expenses for tax purposes. Keeping a logbook is also handy for knowing when services are due, or when parts are likely to wear out. Something as simple as keeping a logbook for maintenance purposes can save you time and money in the long run.
Safety Triangles
Did you know the law in certain states across Australia stipulate any vehicle or combination with a GVM greater than 12 tonne must be equipped with at least 3 portable warning triangles. However, it is widely accepted as best practice for all trucks over 4.5 GVM to utilise safety triangles too. On that note, you might like to take a quick look at our previous article here for tips on how to handle your first breakdown!
Oil and Water
Know what kind of oil your vehicle uses and keep some distilled water on hand. Consider performing regular checks on your levels while the engine is cool and make a note of when and how much oil and water goes in (perhaps in that logbook we mentioned earlier!). This can help prevent your vehicle from overheating and costing you thousands in repairs.
A Spare Set of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and a First Aid Kit
It may seem excessive to some, but at least if a piece of PPE gets lost or destroyed, you can keep doing the job without having to be unsafe or waste time on sourcing a replacement. Speaking of protection – it pays to have a well-stocked first aid kit in your truck too!
Jumper Cables
The benefits of keeping jumper cables are two-fold – it can make it easy for you to get help if your battery dies and makes you the hero to whoever you may find yourself helping one day. We know battery failure is most common in the cold, so now is the time to get some ahead of Winter settling in.
One last thing…
It might seem obvious but make sure you have a list of important numbers in a book (again, how about that logbook!) or on a piece of paper in your truck – just incase you lose your phone, or it dies, and you’re stuck on the side of the road. The number at the top of the list? your roadside provider!
SEE MORE: Tradie Tough Tests
If you’re on the hunt for specialist insurance or roadside cover, check out Truck Assist. Simple, no-nonsense truck insurance and roadside built for tradies on the go.
Hit up truckassist.com.au and get an online quote in minutes today.
*Limits and exclusions apply. This article contains general information only. When making decisions about our insurance, consider the PDS and TMD on https://truckassist.com.au/insurance/truck-insurance. National Transport Insurance is an equal joint venture administered on behalf of the insurers (CGU Insurance ABN 11 000 016 722 AFSL 227681 & Vero Insurance ABN 48 005 297 807 AFSL 230859) by its manager NTI Limited ABN 84 000 746 109 AFSL 237246.