The trucker gear shop
Gear that earns its spot in the cab
Life on the road is hard on equipment. Cheap stuff breaks at the worst time, and the wrong tool can cost you a load. I dug through the best-selling trucker gear on Amazon and picked 10 products in each category that drivers actually keep buying — then wrote up what's good, what's not, and who each one is really for.
Jump Starters & Power
NOCO, Clore, Schumacher, or see all 10 in Jump Starters & Power
NOCO Boost GB150 3000A Jump Starter
NOCO · 4.7/5
The one most drivers I know end up with. It cranks a cold diesel and holds a charge for months behind the seat.
NOCO Boost GB500 20000A 12V/24V Jump Starter
NOCO
Overkill for one truck, but if you run 24V or jump other people's rigs, nothing else comes close.
Clore Jump-N-Carry JNC770R
Clore
Old school, heavy and tough. Long cables and real clamps make it easy to reach the batteries.
Schumacher DSR ProSeries 12/24V Jump Starter
Schumacher
Built for shop use with a switch for 12V or 24V. Good if you're helping out in the yard a lot.
Dash Cams & Truck Visibility
Rexing, Vantrue, Vantrue, or see all 10 in Dash Cams & Truck Visibility
Garmin dezlCam LGV710 Truck Sat Nav with Dash Cam
Garmin
Garmin's truck navigator with the dash cam built in. One suction cup, one cable, and your routing and recording are both handled.
Rexing V1P Flex X4 Truck Dash Cam
Rexing
A solid front-and-rear setup that doesn't cost much. The rear cam on a long cable works for day cabs and straight trucks.
Vantrue N4 Pro 3-Channel Dash Cam
Vantrue
Front, inside and rear all in one. Great for team drivers or anyone who wants the full story on video.
Diagnostics & Shop Tools
ANCEL, ANCEL, TOPDON, or see all 10 in Diagnostics & Shop Tools
Autel MaxiSys MS906CV Heavy Duty Scanner
Autel · 4.7/5
This is the one I'd buy if I was tired of paying a shop just to read codes. It handles regens, resets and live data on most big engines.
ANCEL HD3400 Heavy Duty Truck Scanner
ANCEL
A good middle ground. You get real heavy-duty coverage and some special functions without spending four figures.
ANCEL HD110 Heavy Duty Code Reader
ANCEL
Simple and cheap. It reads and clears codes so you can talk to dispatch or the shop knowing what's going on.
TOPDON ArtiDiag HD Scanner
TOPDON
Solid tablet scanner that covers trucks and many light-duty vehicles too, so one tool works for the pickup and the rig.
GPS & Navigation
Garmin, Garmin, Rand McNally, or see all 10 in GPS & Navigation
Garmin dezl OTR810 Truck GPS
Garmin
Big 8-inch screen and routing based on my truck's size and weight. This is the sweet spot for most drivers.
Garmin dezl OTR1010 Truck GPS
Garmin
A 10-inch screen that's easy to read at a glance. Worth it if your eyes aren't what they used to be.
Garmin dezl OTR710 Truck GPS
Garmin
Same Garmin smarts in a 7-inch size. Good for day cabs or dashboards with less room.
Tires & Inflation
TireMinder, EEZTire, Milton, or see all 10 in Tires & Inflation
TST 507 Tire Pressure Monitoring System
TST · 4.5/5
Watching all my tire pressures and temps from the cab has caught a slow leak before it turned into a blowout.
TireMinder i10 RV and Truck TPMS
TireMinder
Easy to read and sets up quick. Good for owner-operators who want to keep an eye on tires without fuss.
EEZTire TPMS T515
EEZTire
A good value system with a clear display. It does what it should without a lot of extras.
Milton S-506 Dual Foot Tire Gauge
Milton
Every pre-trip, this is what I use. The dual foot reaches the inside dual without fighting it.
Cab Comfort & 12V Life
Alpicool, BougeRV, HotLogic, or see all 10 in Cab Comfort & 12V Life
Dometic CFX3 45 Portable Fridge
Dometic
Pricey, but it's quiet, sips power and keeps food cold in a hot cab. It's the one I'd buy for the long haul.
Alpicool C20 12V Fridge
Alpicool
Cheap and it works. A great way to stop buying gas station sandwiches.
BougeRV 30 Quart 12V Fridge
BougeRV
Good size for a week of food without taking over the bunk.
Roadside Safety & Security
Amerex, Master Lock, Trimax, or see all 10 in Roadside Safety & Security
Grote 71432 Safety Triangle Warning Kit
Grote · 4.6/5
DOT-compliant, weighted bases and a case that keeps them together. Buy once and forget it.
Amerex B417 5 lb ABC Fire Extinguisher
Amerex
A real metal extinguisher that's rechargeable. Better than the cheap plastic ones that fail inspection.
Master Lock 377 Kingpin Lock
Master Lock
If you drop a trailer, lock the kingpin. It's the simplest way to make thieves move on.
Trimax Glad Hand Lock
Trimax
Locks the air line so nobody can hook to your trailer. Cheap peace of mind.
Batteries & Charging
Optima, NOCO, Schumacher, or see all 10 in Batteries & Charging
Odyssey 31-PHD Heavy Duty Truck Battery
Odyssey
Pricey, but it holds up to vibration and deep cycling from the hotel load better than cheap batteries.
Optima BlueTop 31 AGM Battery
Optima
A good dual-purpose battery that holds up to vibration well.
NOCO Genius10 Smart Battery Charger
NOCO
Set it on the batteries during home time and they're ready when you leave. Can bring back some dead ones.
Get the free gear report
New product picks and real Amazon deals for truckers, once a week. Free. No spam, no fluff.