Question:
1. Never trust the weight on the bills. There is no law that says they must be accurate. If in doubt scale it out. An $8.00 scale fee is better than a $300 over weight ticket.
2. For quick and cheap cleaning of mirrors and windows carry a spray bottle with washer fluid in it and a small squeege. Just spray the glass, let it sit for a few seconds, and squeegee it dry.
3. Use large post it notes for writing down directions and stick it to the dash or windshield. You can also use a dry erase marker to write the directions on the corner of the windshield. That way you wont be fumbling with a note pad or anything else while driving.
4. When deciding if you should take a load due to hours and/or planning your trip add at least one hour to your estimates of what it takes run it . This way you will have time built in for getting misplaced, traffic etc. This can help reduce some stress in your life.
5. If you think you will have extra time during a trip. Take that time at the end of the trip as close to your destination as possible.
6. Duct tape, a hammer, and a multi-bit screw driver can be a drivers best friend.
7. A truck stop guide is a must, not a luxery.
8. Get yourself a folder to keep your personal papers in, like company policies, drug testing paperwork, and your DOT medical card/longform. This way you always know where it is and can get to it fast if need be.
9. If you will be itemizing your taxes be sure to save your reciepts. A manilla envelope works well and you can write down the total of each reciept on the outside of the envelope. Also at the beginning of the month go back through last months log book and figure out how many days you can claim a meal allowance on. Makes tax time go a lot smoother. Also be sure to keep those log books.
10. Be neat. Keep your truck clean and organized. Fill out your paperwork and log books neatly. Not only will this make things easier on you it will also make a positive impression if stopped and/or inspected.
11. For a nice clean look to rubber floor mats that is not slippery use mop-n-glow or a similar product. Gives a similar look as amour all without the worries of busting your but.
12. Baby wipes can help freshen you up during those times when you may have to miss your daily shower.
13. Even though most truck stops provide them, carry a towel or two and a wash cloth. Sometimes you can shower for free, even if you do not fuel, if you have your own. Also a gallon of water and a bucket can be used to take a sponge bath in the truck if need be. Also sometimes trucking company terminals will have showers, but will not provide towels.
14. Ziplock type sandwich bags come in real handy. You can use them to protect bills that you are leaving with a dropped trailer, place wet wash cloths in them, and use them to store small items like paper clips, rubber bands etc.
15. Carry food and water, enough for at least 3 meals, in the truck. That way if you find yourself stranded for some reason be it due to weather, break down or just majorly detained at some warehouse you will have something to eat/drink. If you carry canned good dont forget a can opener.
16. A small to medium sized pry bar can do double duty as a tire thumper.
17. Cheap jersey gloves make excellent liners for work gloves in the winter or if you just want some extra padding or need to fill up some space in the glove if they are too large.
18. Have an extra key made for your truck and hide it someplace that you can get to in case you lock yourself out. Even if you have to buy the key yourself it is a lot cheaper than having to call a locksmith.
19. Keep some kind of notebook to record all your trips in. Be sure to include any and all reimbursable expenses in it too. Then when you get paid for that trip you can cross check your settlement sheets with your records and make sure you get paid correctly.
20. Make a list of the places you find to your liking as well as places you would never stop at again. (truck stops, truck friendly stores etc.) That way if you get back to that area you can have an easy reference of where to stop, and what to avoid if need be.
Answer:
That is absolutely OUTSTANDING advice, Uturn!
So well stated, and I totally agree with every point!
I could have used a list like this a long time a few yeatrs back when I started, as well as Hoss's list that is stickied at the top of the Newbie forum....
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Thanks U-Turn

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1) Always scale out anyways; What if you are involved in an accident and it is found you were overweight? Then you're in deep $hit.

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A truck stop directory together with your Road Atlas is invaluable.
Why?
Because instead of hoping you will run across a place to stop you will KNOW where there are places to stop along your planned route, either rest areas or truck stops, and can plan your days accordingly.
The larger truck stop chains usually have paper directories of their own locations available at one of their counters and you can always pick yourself up a copy of the "National Truck Stop Directory".
http://www.truckstops.com
http://www.flyingj.com/
If you want a heads-up on the mountains (ie: grades) you may encounter along your route there are Mountain Directory guides available as well. Nice to know about these before you are right on top of it.
http://www.mountaindirectory.com
Once you have been at it for a while and start going through the same areas over and over again you will rely less on the guides and more on your own knowledge of the route and area.

Answer:
Get yourself a micro-cassette tape recorder!
I carry 3 in my truck.
One for keeping track of mileage from state line to state line.
One for recording directions from shippers & receivers from my external speaker for my hands free cell phone.
One is a spare.
Carry extra batteries for everything that you carry on the truck that is battery powered. I realized this the hard way one time when my batteries in my tape recorder died and I didn't realize it until I was trying to playback the directions while manuevering in heavy traffic.
Notebooks or Legal Pads. You can never have enough scratch paper or paper to write instructions on.

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The new pocket truckstop guide is great. Unlike the the 2003 model it also tells you if that particular truckstop does major or minor repair. It is substantially easier to use than the full size. I get the basic info on a place I am going to, then break out the big guide to get more detail.
The micro cassette recorder is also a must have. I have to record my mileage on state borders for my boss. It is also great for recording directions when I am driving rather than scribbling while I am driving, and then trying to decipher my chicken scratches. Spare batteries are also a must. I will go to Costco or BJ's wholesale club and get the 20 pack for about the same price as the truckstops get for a 4 pack.
Living on the road is very expensive. Save money where you can.

Answer:
I too recommend a portable recorder. I use a digital recorder. No tapes to mess with. I've had many of the the mini tape recorders over the years, the new digital one's seen to be more trouble free much easier to use. Recording sensitivity is excellent and many come with 3 or more different folders you can record into. One button erase to erase everything almost instantly. I bought one that is very tiny.
Also a AAA travel atlas in addition to Rand McNally's. AAA list small towns McNally doesn't list. I have an old AAA truck atlas I bought on sale.

Answer:
I keep an index card file with all the CORRECT directions to shippers and receivers. The company directions may not be correct, may not be complete, or give all the info you need, so I make these cards so I can find the place again.
On the cards I also note such things as overnight parking availability, the location of the nearest truck stop and/or the location of the nearest CAT scale, what time zone this customer uses, and references to what I call "Key Routes". These are routes that you would otherwise have to take the time to analyze each time you run from Point A to Point B without the benefit of interstate highways, because they are unavailable or impractical. This system has helped me tremendously.
I am only using one or two cards at a time, and they slide right under the frame of the dashboard where I can reach them easily.
When finished with that trip, they are alphabetized and filed away. It may be months before I see that shipper again, but when I do, I have the correct directions right at my fingertips again.

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Ask your company, if you are so inclined, for a "care package" of things like headlights, tail lights, extra bulbs etc. That way you can minimize down time or possible fines for having defective equipment.
See if your company will give you an extra fuel filter or two to carry along. Even if you do not want or know how to change them yourselves it can help minimize down time if the service truck brings out the wrong one. Same goes with fan belts.
Clean your wiper blades on a weekly basis. It will extend the life of the blade and help reduce streaking and smearing. Simply wipe the blade with a wet cloth or paper towel. ( Water or washer fluid is best for this. Alcohol, while it may remove more dirt will dry out the rubber and reduce the life of the blade.)
WD-40 (or a simliar product) can help loosen stuborn tandems, clean corroded battery posts, get grease off of clothes or off of hands, among a hundred other uses. (Just do not use it on rubber as it will eat it)
Silicon lube spray works well on weather stripping and in locks to keep them from freezing up or sticking in the winter.
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I keep a spare flasher unit courtesy of the company shop. It's really annoying when that goes out and you have no turn signals. But it's easy to replace - IF you have the right part available. So I keep one on the truck. I also keep extra glad-hand seals, in a ziplock baggie so they don't get scattered.
The WD-40 also works well on stubborn load locks. They get a little rusty in the mechanism, but WD-40 does the trick.

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Set up a folder on your "puter" titled Trucking. Then I save post like these as text files. So I don't have to search as much.
Also get a paper folder and save all personal receipts. This can be money in your pocket come tax time.
Charlie

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I have two zip lock baggies (they're wonderful, aren't they?) for receipts. One is recycled monthly. It's my personal expenses, like scale receipts, non-reimbursed expenses that are destined to become tax deductions. The other baggie contains reimbursable expenses. I photocopy all these receipts, such as toll receipts, trailer wash outs, etc., and if the company "loses" a reimbursable receipt, I have a replacement for it. This way, I'm not apt to lose any of my pay due to some one else's carelessness.

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Keep some paper towels or tissue paper within easy reach while you are driving. It is pretty much a certainty that you will have one of those big messy sneezes or you will hit a bump while taking a drink of your beverage and get it all over yourself and your glasses and there will be no safe place to pull over for the next 20 miles.
Answer:
I have not spilled a drink in several years, no matter how bumpy the road gets. I keep my beverage in a spill-proof wide-bottom cup, with a lid, and use a straw. I keep my cup within easy reach, so I am not fumbling for it, not distracted from the road. And - because I use a straw, I never have the cup tipped up in front of my view of the road.
Anything on the truck that I need immediately has to be within easy reach. If it's not, and I can't reach it while driving without some gymnastics, I don't get to have it until I find a safe place to stop and put it where I can get it.
I have personally known drivers who had solo accidents because they thought they could reach for something while driving. One went on the median, the other was a rollover.
Also, I never use beverage bottles (like coke or milk) that have screw on lids. Too much attention drawn away from driving, and what happens when you drop the lid?