Your semi-truck is your home away from home when you’re a truck driver, so you want it to be as safe and comfortable as possible. One of the advantages of being an owner-operator is having the freedom to set up your rig however you like. Even if you are a company driver, there are ways you can personalize your vehicle without making permanent changes. Customizing your semi-truck can be very beneficial, and we will discuss a few of the benefits in the blog below.
Five benefits of customizing your semi-truck include:
1. Feeling Comfortable in Your Rig
You will spend a lot of time in your vehicle as a trucker, especially if you are an over-the-road (OTR) driver. Truck customization can help you fight homesickness and make the long routes more comfortable. Bring along mementos like pictures of family members, friends, and events you cherish to remind yourself of home and motivate yourself while you’re on the road. Making cosmetic changes to your vehicle’s interior will also boost your comfort level. Consider replacing high-contact points, such as the steering wheel or shifter knob, with more ergonomic designs.
2. Improving Safety
Customizing your semi-truck can not only improve your comfort level, but it can also improve your safety. Changes like installing a light bar, custom LED lights, or a new navigation system make driving at night or in a new area a breeze. Another safety improvement you can make is tinting your windows. Tinted windows reduce sun glare and keep the interior of your vehicle cool during the hot summer months, all while upgrading your look.
3. Expressing Your Style
Another benefit of personalizing your rig is expressing your unique style. A new paint job or decals is one of the most popular ways to customize your semi-truck. When you turn your rig into a canvas, you will catch people’s eyes on and off the highway. Keep it simple with stripe detailing, or go all out with a custom paint job. Additionally, an added advantage of customization is that certain additions, such as a grille cover and chrome accents, can protect the exterior of your vehicle while also fitting your new paint style.
4. Encouraging a Healthy Lifestyle
Life on the road doesn’t have to be unhealthy. Installing interior electronics can make all the difference in staying healthy during long hauls. Customizing your cab with small kitchen appliances like a fridge or freezer, slow cooker, electric skillet, and two-burner stove allows you to enjoy home cooking while driving. These appliances can also decrease your stopping time, which in turn will improve your efficiency.
5. Getting Better Sleep
Healthy eating isn’t the only aspect of a healthy lifestyle. Getting enough sleep each night is also crucial to your well-being and safety while driving OTR. Upgrading your semi-truck with a personalized sleeping area can improve your sleep quality. Include items like a mattress pad, comfortable sheets and bedding, and a supportive pillow to help ensure you get high-quality sleep during long hauls.
Your Road to A Professional Truck Driving Career
On the road to becoming a professional truck driver, the first stop is earning your commercial driver’s license, and attending a high-quality truck driving school will help you do so. At Phoenix Truck Driving School, we make obtaining your CDL manageable. Our programs have flexible schedules to accommodate every lifestyle, and we also offer an accelerated program that can get you on the road in as little as four weeks.
