As a female entering into a world dominated by men, you need someone to help you pack with a woman's needs in mind.
You're straight out of trucking school and packing for your first road trip with your trainer. You’re not sure what you need, what to pack, what not to pack, and you certainly don’t want to make your trainer mad before you even climb in the truck.
Most of the time your trainer will already have items like maps, tools, etc, so you will not need to pack these just yet. With all of your trainer's things inside, there is not much room left for yours.
But before you jump into panic mode, check out the list below of basic personal hygiene necessities for new women driver trainees.
1. Pack light.
But bring enough clothes for at least ten days.
It can be time-consuming to wash clothes while on the road. Many Truck Stops provide coin-operated washers and dryers.
But remember you are not the only one who needs to wash clothes. You may have to wait in line, which will take even longer.
2. Grab a duffel bag.
A small bag is much easier to carry. You can fold it up when not in use, but carry all of your clothes and shower supplies when you take a shower at the truck stop.
3. Throw in some clothes.
A good number to start with is at least 7 changes of clothes, but if possible 10 days is much better.
Pack shirts, at least 2 nice shirts for dealing with customers, a few t-shirts for days you just riding, a few pairs of jeans, maybe a pair of khaki pants, and a pair of sweat pants.
A really important piece of clothing is panties. Make sure to take as many 10-15 pair, you never know when you will need them. As women we are more likely to have a visit from Aunt Flo.
The stress of a new job, time changes, little sleep, and feeling like you are under a microscope can bring Aunt Flo at any time.
Socks and closed-toe shoes are a must. Most shippers and receivers require drivers to wear closed-toe shoes and some require a pair of steel-toe shoes. Different distributors have varying safety regulations in place that require steel-toe shoes, goggles, hard hats, and a few other safety items. I will create a post for safety wear that a driver should have in the truck.
It wouldn't hurt to grab a baseball cap, for emergencies, everybody has a bad hair day sooner or later. Unfortunately for drivers, it is sooner than later. Grab some hair bows, ties, scrunchies, or something to put your hair up, for a quick fix of bedhead.
Depending on the time of year a light jacket may be all you need, but even during the summer months, the Northern states may still see snow in the Mountains. So make sure to pack a winter jacket just in case.
4. For Personal Hygiene.
Pack shower items before you hit the road, truck stops will charge you an arm and leg for a bar of soap. Save some money buy your supplies at Walmart or order online with Amazon Prime's 2-Day Free Shipping.
A bar of soap, shampoo, and conditioner to wash your hair and body. A few razors and shaving cream to shave your legs.
If you wear cosmetics, pack those in a separate bag so you can easily get to them. Add some Neutrogena Makeup Remover Night Calming Cleansing Towelettes, to clean your face not only from makeup but from the oils and dirt of traveling in a truck.
Definitely don't forget deodorant! after a hot day, you will be smelling awful!
A toothbrush and toothpaste to keep your breath smelling good.
A hairbrush or a comb, to help tame those unruly locks of hair.
And don't forget baby wipes, for quick birdbaths, or messy spills.
Don't forget feminine hygiene items.
5. Don't Forget
You will definitely need flip-flops to wear while showering. Even though the truck stops clean the showers after each customer, it is still a risk of catching an athlete's foot or worse.
A few gallon-size Ziploc bags will help keep your liquid items, like shampoo and conditioner, from spilling all over your clothes. You can also store wet clothes in a Ziplock bag also.
A mesh laundry bag is great for putting dirty clothes in. It will keep your clean clothes separated from your dirty ones.
An extra bath towel would be a good idea, most truck stops do provide towels with a shower, but there have been a few that didn't. I guess they just expected a person to drip dry.
I'm sure there are many more essential hygiene items for women, if you think of something else leave a comment below.
Our next post will provide a list of essential bedding items a new driver trainee needs to pack.
Would you like a list of items to pack?
Check out our post: Essential Items Every Trucker Needs
I may receive a small commission for purchases made through links in this post, at no cost to the buyer.