Music – Whether you’re hitting the road of kicking back in the cab, it’s time to take a load off with Big Rig Banter, powered by AllTruckJobs.com, your source for finding the trucking jobs drivers really want. Get ready to shift into gear and let the conversations roll.
Troy: Alright, hello and welcome, the date is March 18th and you’re listening to the 50th episode of Big Rig Banter. I’m your co-host, Troy Diffenderfer.
Lenay: And I’m your favorite co-host, Lenay Ruhl. And today’s episode is brought to you by the Pilot Flying J App, saving you time at the pump and money in the store. Now you may be wondering what all you can do in the app. Well, you can reserve an overnight parking spot, you can book a shower, you can start fueling from inside your cab, and best of all, you can save money every single day on food, on drinks, on gear for your rig, and more! So, go ahead and visit the app store or Google Play store and download the Pilot Flying J app today!
Troy: Lenay, how are you doing today?
Lenay: I’m pretty good, Troy. How are you?
Troy: I’m good! I can’t believe it’s 50 episodes.
Lenay: I know! That’s crazy.
Troy: Isn’t it…oh my god, I can’t believe we’ve done this for like, going on what, two years now?
Lenay: Yeah. I know, we should figure out how many episodes I’ve been in. Cause I feel like Big Rig Banter wasn’t a real thing until…
Troy: That’s true.
Lenay: I became part of it.
Troy: I needed like my Robin. I was Batman and I needed by Robin to, you know, make us a full duo. So, I appreciate you joining.
Lenay: Who’s that?
Troy: Batman and Robin?
Lenay: I’m just kidding. (laughing)
Troy: Oh boy. But, I feel like we have to talk about it. It’s been in the news everywhere.
Lenay: Oh no.
Troy: I know. But, I feel like we should bring up the dreaded Coronavirus.
Lenay: Yeah, yeah. It’s pretty crazy. I mean, I’ve been watching it just from the standpoint of like, I used to be a healthcare reporter, and so I’m always reading the articles and thinking what angle I would take. Or, you know, how I would cover it. But, that was only fun for like the first week or two and now… (laughing).
Troy: Yeah, what’s shocked you so far? What’s the biggest thing you’ve, kind of, been surprised… because this is the first time we’re really, you know, going through something like this. We’ve had, you know, the H1N1, Swine Flu, things like.
Lenay: Right.
Troy: But, this is a whole new ballgame.
Lenay: I have to say, I kind of, people’s reactions, like whenever… It’s kind of like when there’s gonna be a big snowstorm and people like stock up on bread and milk. And, I’ve always wondered, “Why?” Because, like if I were snowed in, the last thing I would care about is whether I had bread or milk, cause I don’t really drink milk. (laughing)
Troy: (laughing)
Lenay: Whatever, but you know. So, when there is a snowstorm, I’m like, I need to get, I don’t know…
Troy: Beer.
Lenay: Whiskey. Chips and salsa. So, now there’s this Coronavirus and we might have to, you know, be quarantined to our house. And people are stocking up on like toilet paper and hand sanitizer, and I’m like, “I’m going to the liquor store!” Because, I’m telling you, Troy, whiskey, I don’t know. I’m gonna try it out.
Troy: I know. It could kill anything.
Lenay: (Laughing) Just kidding. What about you? What’s shocked you the most?
Troy: Definitely the sports. Like, the sports stuff is unprecedented. And, I know you’re not the biggest sports fan.
Lenay: No.
Troy: But, I am like… this stuff is fascinating to me, especially, you know, the NBA, and the college basketball and things like that. And like, personally, the betting aspect, and the gambling is crazy because there’s all these things that you can no longer gamble on. And that’s like a huge thing for, you know, Vegas and the gambling industry.
Lenay: True. That’s true. Yeah.
Troy: So, I mean, I always joke, but I’m gonna bet like on the Bachelor winner and like things like that. Or, like the Project Runway winner.
Lenay: You can make a bet on whether or not my whiskey theory works.
Troy: Exactly!
Lenay: (Laughing) I’m just kidding.
Troy: I’ll see if I can find odds for that somewhere. But, that’s the thing that really baffles me is definitely the sporting event stuff. But, enough of the negatively. Let’s put that in the past.
Lenay: Yeah. Well, I was gonna say, you know, it is definitely something that is affecting the trucking industry too. I mean, we make jokes about it, but there are a lot of things that are slowing down in delivery and just overall affecting truck drivers, so for those of you out there listening. How has the Coronavirus affected you? Or, what’s shocked you the most so far about it? Reach out to us on social media, using #BigRigBanter. And let us know what you’re feeling like out there.
Troy: For sure. But, let’s jump right into this next topic. We’re talking all about truck cab accessories. What are those essential things you want in your cab? What are we gonna recommend to you that you always have on hand? And, we wrote a blog about it. We’re gonna read off some of those trucking cab accessories that we really think you should consider. Lenay, why don’t you start?
Lenay: Yeah, so I guess, if I were moving into a truck. For me, decorating it would be the most important. I live in a really small apartment and I like to keep it, I don’t know, cozy, so I would probably get some throw pillows, and some blankets and just set some little nic-nacs around, just to make it feel like home for me. So, I really like, I don’t know if you could burn incense in a truck. I don’t know. (laughing)
Troy: I’m gonna say that’s probably not the best idea. But, I’m sure you could get some really nice air fresheners.
Lenay: Yeah, that’s true.
Troy: Just to go off of what you were saying, I definitely would need some curtains. I know you truckers grab sleep whenever you can and for me, I love it pitch black when I’m sleeping. I’m definitely not a morning person either, so I want as little sunlight as possible when I’m trying to get some good shut-eye. Luckily, Lydia is the same.
Lenay: That’s good.
Troy: We have curtains on all our windows. I definitely like the darkness, for sure.
Lenay: For me, too, like, yeah, I like to sleep in the dark. But, I do, if I don’t have a little bit of light I probably would just not wake up.
Troy: (Laughing)
Lenay: So, I need some sunshine. Another accessory that came to mind for me would be things to cook with. So, I know you don’t have a lot of space in the back of a cab, but I use my crockpot at least once a week. So, I would say, I definitely would want to bring some things like that along to have a home-cooked meal. I’d get sick of the snacking and the fast-food options.
Troy: I know, I wonder what the best, and truckers feel free to reach out on social media, what’s the one appliance you would want in your rig? Whether it be a microwave or a crockpot or I’m partial to the air-flyer. You know I love using the air-fryer. To me, that would be the essential item. It’s healthier, just throw anything you could think of in the air-fryer and you’re good to go. It is a little bulky.
Lenay: Yeah.
Troy: I would definitely go with the air-fryer. But, I’m sure truckers you have definitely some opinions on the matter, for sure.
Lenay: Like a quesadilla maker. (laughing)
Troy: That’s true! I have one of those at home too. Another thing you definitely should have is an inverter. That’s gonna help with all of your electronics. Spread out some of that voltage. I know, on the road, I would definitely want, you know, obviously, your phone charger, using a laptop charger, using a kindle. And that’s just like the recreational things. But, you know, anything you’re gonna use to cook with that takes electricity, you’re gonna have that plugged in as well. So, an inverter is definitely an essential thing you should have in your rig, as well. There’s all kinds out there. You should definitely do your research when finding one that fits for you.
Lenay: Yeah. Absolutely. And, I’m going back to like the comfort thing again, cause I’m just thinking about it some more. I would definitely have to invest in some good sheets, so if it’s winter, I would want some warm flannel sheets. And in the summer, not so much. So, I would wanna make sure I have blankets and sheets depending on the time of year that it is, to stay comfortable too.
Troy: Yeah and just one final thing. And, Lenay, this is gonna come as no surprise.
Lenay: (laughing)
Troy: I’m definitely gonna prefer some magazines or some books and I know it would kill me but I would probably have to get a kindle. Or something like that, even though I want my hard copies of books and my magazines. But, I think that cab would fill up within a couple of months, easily.
Lenay: Yeah. I don’t know if they make bookshelves for big rigs.
Troy: I know.
Lenay: But, maybe you can invent something.
Troy: But, yeah, I definitely would get a subscription and a kindle and, you know, download tons of books. And that is something that would be an essential for me and I’m sure many of you truckers out there like reading magazines and books. So, that’s something you should definitely consider having on hand, for sure.
Lenay: Yeah. I definitely wouldn’t want to go without books and music. Music for me would be a big one. I can live without tv, but not music.
Troy: Yeah, I think that’s interesting. Truckers, what do you listen to while you’re out on the road? Do you use like an auxiliary cord? Are you old school and use CDs? How do you usually listen to music on the road? We definitely want to hear your opinions and maybe what kind of type of music you’re listening to on the road as well.
Lenay: What’s your favorite music, Troy?
Troy: Rock and roll, of course. You know that.
Lenay: Duh.
Troy: That’s a no-brainer.
Lenay: I know. I know. (laughing)
Troy: But, I definitely, so I just like started using Spotify and like plugging my phone into my radio.
Lenay: Yeah.
Troy: I don’t know why I was so against it.
Lenay: Oh my gosh. It’s a whole new world!
Troy: I know! Cause, I’ve always… I have like eight stations programmed, radio stations. I just spend half the time driving clicking between those eight stations, finding a song. And like, the fact that I can just like put a playlist on shuffle.
Lenay: Mhm
Troy: It’s a gamechanger. But, I do miss the radio. I miss, like the personalities and, you know, listening to it in the morning. And I feel like…
Lenay: Yeah.
Troy: …It’s different when you purposely play a song than when a song comes on the radio and you’re like, “Ah, this is my favorite song.” And, it just happens to come on.
Lenay: That’s absolutely true.
Troy: That’s different. That’s a different feeling. So, that’s definitely part of it, that I miss. But, I usually throw my playlists on shuffle so I can still try to get that feeling a little bit.
Lenay: Yeah.
Troy: But, I end up just clicking through them all anyway until…
Lenay: (laughing)
Troy: I listen to that one that I’ve listened to 30 times that day.
Lenay: Yeah, no. I agree. So, for those of you listening, what are your cab essentials? What can you not leave the house without? Reach out to us, let us know, using the hashtag #BigRigBanter. And while you’re thinking about us, why don’t you drop us a review, too?
Troy: Yeah. Happy 50th episode, Lenay!
Lenay: Yes.
Troy: Once again, I thank you for being my co-host all these episodes. It’s awesome to see how much the podcast has grown and thank you truckers for every single download, review, comment you’ve left. We’ve made a lot of really cool friends and fans just in the last two years.
Lenay: Absolutely.
Troy: Especially these last six months, seeing how much it’s grown and seeing our influence. We got an awesome YouTube comment not too long ago. This young woman uses our podcast actually to teach her dad English.
Lenay: Oh yeah!
Troy: He’s Spanish speaking and she made a comment that he loves trucks and things like that and she was actually using our podcast to help teach him. And apparently he just had a birthday too, so Happy Birthday to you as well.
Lenay: That’s awesome.
Troy: We really appreciate that. That’s the stuff that’s really cool to me.
Lenay: Yeah, that was really unique and I’m sure he’s heard the word McDonald’s how many times now. (laughing)
Troy: (laughing)
Lenay: I’m just kidding!!
Troy: But, once again truckers, we thank you. I’m your co-host Troy Diffenderfer.
Lenay: And I’m your favorite co-host Lenay Ruhl.
Troy: And this has been Big Rig Banter.
Music – Thanks for tuning in to another edition of Big Rig Banter. For your next job, check out AllTruckJobs.com, the premier online source for finding the best driver jobs in the country. Browse hundreds of positions by freight or driver type to get back on the road with confidence. Click subscribe to keep the conversations coming until next time on Big Rig Banter.
