As an owner-operator, your success largely depends on how prepared you are. One of the first things you’ll need to do is purchase owner-operator insurance in South Carolina to protect your investment and prevent an unfortunate incident from bankrupting you. Next, you’ll want to make sure your cab is supplied with the right essentials, including the following:
Tools
You probably won’t do a great deal of maintenance on your rig, but there are nonetheless a few tools you should have on hand in case you need to perform minor repairs to get yourself out of a tight spot:
- Standard-sized Phillips and flathead screwdrivers
- Vise grips
- Adjustable wrench
- Duct and electrical tape
- Wire cutters
- Funnel
- Spare fuses and bulbs
- Work gloves
- Exacto knife
Trucker’s Road Atlas
Rand McNally publishes a road atlas especially for truckers, and is a must for any big-rig driver. This atlas provides a wealth of information such as restricted routes, low clearance areas and the location of weigh stations, in addition to updated hazardous materials regulations. All the contact information you’ll need to find out road conditions, construction locations and more is included as well.
Personal Items
There are also a few personal items you’ll need with you such as:
- Shower items, including toiletries, flip flops, towel and washcloth, etc.
- Hand sanitizer
- Sanitizing wipes/spray
- 12-volt cooler, which will save you money on drinks and snacks
- Flashlight
- Extra rolls of toilet paper
- Digital camera and extra batteries
These items will get you started, but you may also want to add other things to this list after spending a little bit of time out on the road. If there is anything we forgot to include, please contact us so that we can add it to the list.
