Looking for the perfect gift for your favourite truck driver, but want to make sure it’s a good one? If there’s one thing we know well, it’s drivers. After all, TruckRight was founded by two people who are former drivers themselves and we have a few other former drivers on our team, too.
In the increasingly high-tech world of trucking, drivers are looking for gifts that make their lives easier – for both work and play. They’re looking for things that are either practical, fun, or both. Most importantly, they’re looking for things that won’t take up much space in their rig while they’re on the road!
Here’s our curated list of the top ten tech gifts for truck drivers – perfect for the holiday season and beyond.
- LED wireless headset: These are perfect for movies, friends and family calls, and for staying in touch with terminal, too. Ones with LED lights are a fun added touch, too. Look for a headset with noise cancellation to help dull the noise of traffic, and which can be charged on a power inverter.
- Portable slow cooker: with more and more drivers trying to eat healthy on the road, a scaled-down slow cooker is worth its weight in gold. They run off a power inverter, have a locking lid that stays on even during the road’s twists and turns, and lets your favourite driver cook a healthy, hearty meal while they’re on the go.
- Bluetooth speakers: why should drivers have to settle for the tinny sound of their laptop’s speakers? A couple of Bluetooth speakers in the sleeper create a more comfortable atmosphere on the road. They can be found at a variety of price points, but if you’re looking for quality sound, we like these ones here.
- Rechargeable head lamp: yes, truck drivers need extra light more often than you think. Between morning circle checks before sunrise, to checking a dark corner under the hood, more light is almost always needed. A headset gives drivers just that AND lets them have both hands free.
- Personalized travel mug: OK, so this isn’t technically a tech gift. With the advances made in keeping hot things hot, though, we’ve decided this counts. The Yeti Rambler keeps coffee and tea warm for hours, and is simple to open and close. And we like that it can be personalized with a word, symbol, or both.
- Heated jacket: An indulgence for drivers who put the “north” in North America, a heated jacket can be a game changer. Rechargeable heat pads in the jacket help drivers stay warm while they’re loading, unloading, tarping, and every other outdoor task made unpleasant by the cold.
- Heated gloves: These might be even better than a heated jacket. Anyone who has ever had cold hands while having to work outside knows how miserable that can be. Heated gloves help keep a driver’s hands toasty while they’re tying down loads, making circle checks, or unloading cargo at even the most frigid dock.
- Ergonomic driver seat cushion: We suppose a cushion isn’t technically “tech”, either. With the amount of engineering involved in creating a comfortable ride, though, we’re going to say it counts. Look for a seat cushion with lumbar and coccyx support, and make sure it’s sized to fit a big rig’s seat.
- Streaming service subscriptions: Truck drivers probably listen to more music, podcasts, and comedy shows than anyone else. Give them a subscription to a streaming service (or if they already have one, pick up the bill for it).
- Gaming subscriptions: Like a lot of people, truck drivers love gaming after a long day’s work. A subscription to a service like Nvidia or Nintendo Switch Online is a welcome gift that keeps on giving.
Of course, truck drivers are far from a monolith, and have vastly different interests like the rest of us. If you’re stumped over a gift that the driver in your life will truly appreciate, though, you can’t go wrong with anything on this list!
You also can’t go wrong by checking out what TruckRight can do for safety, recruitment and retention at your fleet. Give us a call today and we’ll set up a no-obligation demo.