Truck Driver Gadgets: Gear For The Road- GPS, Dash Cams And More

Technology has made life easier for many drivers, but it can also be confusing. Which product do you need, and which product is the best.  CDLLife is here to help.  We’ve researched gadgets designed for truck drivers and we’ve listed to driver feedback.  These gadgets came out on top.

Truck Driver Gadgets

[note color=”#eae8e1″] Blue Parrot B250-
$89.95

The first thing most truck drivers tell us about the Blue Parrot is simple: it allows them to hear what people are saying, and what they’re saying back to people.

Second, the Blue Parrot headset fits comfortably and doesn’t cause as much ear fatigue as many in-ear designs.

Third, the B250 – XT line of headsets are made of top-shelf components, so they last well past their warranties and most likely your expectations. Some truck drivers have used theirs for nearly 4 years without issue.

More than 16 hours of talk time on a single charge. Up to 150 hours standby time. Our Xtreme Noise Suppression technology blocks out background noise—even the roar of an 18-wheeler! Ultra-stable over-the-head design. Pairing, mute and volume controls. Includes DC (vehicle) and AC (home) adapter charging cords. Hearing aid friendly. One-year warranty. Compatible with Bluetooth-enabled computers.

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[note color=”#eae8e1″] Cobra CPI 1000

$89.95

Whether you want to power your TV, fridge, microwave, computer or charge your phone, the Cobra CPI 1000 is powerful enough to get the job done. This affordable inverter provides household power on the go! It converts battery power to 120 V AC household power.  Direct-to-battery cables are included. This unit contains a 5 volt USB output, modified sine wave, thermal shutdown, reverse polarity protection, low voltage shutdown, low voltage alarm, 2 grounded AC receptacles, LED volt or watt meter, remote on or off capability.

CPI 1000 DC to AC Power Inverter Direct-to-Battery Cables Instruction Manual 1000w continuous power handling, 2000w peak power 5v usb output modified sine wave Thermal & low voltage shutdowns low voltage alarm external fuse reverse polarity protection led volt/watt meter 2 grounded ac receptacles 12v cigarette lighter plug dual color status led includes direct-to-battery cables

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[note color=”#eae8e1″]  Wilson Dual-Band (800/1900 MHz) Mobile Wireless

$269.95

This is a pricy gadget, but we feel it’s worth the price.  If you use your phone as a hotspot, this booster will be worth every penny.  The Wilson Dual-Band Mobile Wireless will boost your signal strength up to 25 times, making it easier and faster to access the Web and stream videos.  You’ll have fewer dropped calls, faster data and clearer reception.

If your cell phone coverage is less than stellar and you find yourself in dead zones more often than not, we recommend looking into a booster.

WARNING: As of February 2013, the FCC now requires booster users to register their booster with their wireless provider.  Before you invest in a booster, contact your provider.  

Increase your cell phone’s signal with the Wilson Dual Band Mobile Wireless Cell Phone Signal Booster. Designed for use in your car, truck, RV, or boat, this booster significantly improves your cell phone’s performance and signal strength. It supports multiple cell phones and data cards simultaneously, and works with all North American cell phone carriers*, which include both Cellular (824-894 MHz) and PCS (1850-1990 MHz) carrier frequency bands. You’ll experience fewer dropped calls, faster data rates, and clearer reception. * Except Nextel, iDEN & 4G

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[note color=”#eae8e1″]Koolatron Compact Kooler

$99.00

Coolers are usually large and unwieldy, which is why Koolatron developed the Compact Kooler, specially designed to fit in the snug spaces behind the seats of many cars, trucks, and vans. Like many of Koolatron’s coolers, this unit features a 12-volt cooling system that plugs into a car’s cigarette lighter. The cooler’s motor blows cold air over your food and beverages, keeping them 40 degrees cooler than the outside temperature.
The cooler also doubles as a warmer, if you’d rather keep the contents toasty. Outside of the car or truck, the cooler is still versatile, with a swinging, foldaway handle for easy portage and a latchless lid that opens with one hand. Other handy features include a convenient cord wrap and a unique storage spot for the unplugged cigarette lighter. Despite the unit’s compact size and weight (only 9 pounds), it can still hold up to 23 12-ounce soft drinks.

 

Product Features Designed to fit behind a car, truck, or van seat Cooling system plugs into your vehicle’s 12-volt cigarette lighter Keeps contents 40 degrees F cooler than outside temperature Foldaway handle swings out for carrying Weighs 9 pounds and carries 23 12-ounce soft drinks.

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Garmin Dezl 560LT GPS

Designed with truckers in mind, the 560LMT has a large 5-inch display, extra loud speakers, and external video input for backup cameras. Garmin has also expanded the feature list to include trucking speed limits, truck-specific route highlighting, and trucking points of interest.

With detailed maps providing turn-by-turn directions that speak street names, dezl 560LMT provides specialized routing to support truck-related restrictions in both the U.S. and Canada that are customizable by height, weight, length, width and hazardous materials.

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[note color=”#e1dfdb”] Galaxy CB Radio DX979

$159.95

The Galaxy DX979 combines Single Side Band with Galaxy’s StarLite illuminated faceplate. It features the same main circuitry as  Cobra 148, but with Galaxy’s quality and 2 year warranty.

• StarLite Faceplate All of the control information is backlit for easier viewing at night.
• AM and SSB (Single Sideband) Operation Allows use of both AM and Single Sideband modes.
• New Smaller Chassis Allows for easy installation.
• Front Panel Mic Connector with 9′ Cord Allows convenient installation to be in dash or under
• Variable Power Output Control Allows you to adjust your deadkey power.

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Model “Carpa-11 Dual” – 2-camera / Audio / GPS position mapping and shock recording

$299.99

Available at Diesel Boss 

• Medium resolution CMOS (640 x 480) video and audio recording (24 fps in single cam mode and 12 fps in dual mode) mp4 compression.
• The second camera (included) can be plugged into the main camera to record two views at once.  (15′ long wire included for the second cam.)
• GPS position, direction, and speed gauges are shown when using the included viewer program.
•  If you have an internet connection when viewing videos back, the location of that video is shown on a Google Map also!
•  ”Emergency” button on front saves 15 seconds of video before and after you pressed the button to not be over-written.
•  Contains “G-shock” sensors which can be set to trip during “vehicle shock events” and save those videos to a special folder which will not be overwritten unless you delete them.
• Records on a SD card (8GB card included, expandable up to 32GB.)  The amount of video on the card before it starts to over-write old videos depends on the size of the card (see chart to the left on this page.)
•  12V cigarette socket power cable (10 feet), a fused “direct-wire” power cable, 8Gb SD memory card, a universal USB memory card reader, and guide book are included.
•  ”EcoDrive” analysis program software also included.  Allows you to set parameters and analyzes where on the recorded routes you could improve fuel economy and safety by reducing sudden acceleration, deceleration, and rapid turns.
•   Dual video viewer application with Google map playback is included on the SD card.

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