Truck driving particularly in the summer months gives drivers a big dilemma when it comes to keeping food and drink cold, choosing the best cool box for your truck is important, and sometimes bigger is not necessarily better!
Why do I need a cool box?
A cool box is needed to keep food fresh and drinks cold, truck drivers are susceptible to becoming ill if their food is not kept chilled.
A perfect example of this is when I became ill myself preparing sandwiches before a shift and adding garnishes such as salad creme, mayonnaise, or other types of refrigerated toppings.
If these types of food are left in a warm cab and not eaten till the middle of your shift, it is highly likely you could get food poisoning simply because your food was not kept cool.
The food will very quickly obtain bacteria when warm and not kept cold.
Which Cool Box should I choose?
There are different types of cool boxes available in different shapes and sizes.
The easiest way to choose the best cool box is to firstly establish the purpose you want to use it for.
A truck driver who works a day shift driving a vehicle with a day cab and then goes home for an evening meal would not require a large storage option.
If however, you are a truck driver who travels long distances and sometimes has to do nights out in a sleeper cab a larger cooler would be a much better option.
Some sleeper cabs are fitted with a built-in fridge but they are often too small for purpose or in many cases don’t work as they should.
Electric Powered Cool Boxes
Last update on 2024-04-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Electric-powered fridges are a more permanent way of keeping food fresh and cool in a truck, this type would be more suited in a tractor unit where there is ample space to position the fridge unit.
Powering a fridge/freezer can be done easily using a 24v or 12v outlet within the truck, this type of cool box is manufactured predominantly for camping so they should not draw large amounts of power in order for them to operate correctly.
Ice Pack Cool Boxes
Last update on 2024-04-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Cool boxes that require ice packs for their cooling source are a handy size and are best suited for daily truck drivers, who can refreeze the ice pack overnight ready to pack delicious food for the next day’s trucking.
Ice Packs Perfect For Cool Boxes
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The ice packs are essential for your truck driving shift. We recommend that you buy double the amount of what you need in order to ensure that half of them can be frozen while still using the other half during a shift.
“There is always one item on every driver’s list: ice pack!” In today’s world, we all wish and hope our favorite items have an extended shelf life – but this is not so when it comes to food! Nothing beats fresh produce from local farmer’s markets or roadside stands than grocery store offerings. And nothing preserves these wonders better than freezing with dry ice. For drivers who spend their days maneuvering through traffic jams or long hours making deliveries, having a good supply of iced beverages or cool food to eat at break time is beneficial to taste and your personal health.
Cool Bags To Keep Your Food Fresh
Last update on 2024-04-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Cool bags are a great option for keeping your food and drink chilled, this is a good option if you can store your bag out of harm’s way during your working day.
Don’t ram a cool bag into your work bag or you may be disappointed at lunchtime when you try to retrieve your broken squashed sandwiches and crushed cakes, even worse you find your drinks bottle has had the top knocked off and all your juice has poured onto your food.
It is recommended that you carry a food cool bag separately to ensure your food and drink remain protected and place it in a safe area of your cab so it is not trodden on or squashed.
Storing your food and drink
When placing your food and drinks into your box it is worth remembering that cold air travels downwards, with this in mind your ice should always be on top with pre-chilled cans and bottles on the bottom.
Perishable foods like meat and dairy should be stored on top of the ice.
To keep food dry, separate it into sealed plastic containers or seal top bags.
Seperating Food in a Cool Box
When you have a method of cooling or freezing food in a truck it is a good idea to separate your different food types.
The easiest way to store and separate different foods is to use food storage bags that are resealable, leakproof, and BPA-free to help the environment.
Our top choice food bags are perfect for trucking and can be used many times by simply hand washing them after use.
- Food Grade Eco-Silicone Food Bags -- Made of food-grade PEVA material, reusable sandwich bags are PVC-free, lead-free, chloride-free and BPA FRE, an eco-friendly and recyclable material. They are not...
Last update on 2024-04-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Individual plastic containers can also be stored in a cool box or fridge allowing you to store preprepared foods such as soups or stews.
Plastic containers can also save on any washing-up as they make great containers to eat your food out of especially if you are only eating one preprepared meal which could be soup, stew, pasta, or another food type that can be cooled then reheated.
![[10 Pack] 3 Compartment BPA Free Reusable Meal Prep Containers - Plastic Food...](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/514om8r5jnL.jpg)
- ★ KEEPS FOOD FRESH ★ - IGLUU MEAL PREP food containers are made from highly durable food-safe...
- ★ MEAL PREP & PORTION CONTROL ★ - 10 pack of stackable containers ideal for Keto or other...
Last update on 2024-04-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Conclusion
A cool box is a great way of keeping your food and drinks chilled when truck driving.
If a truck hasn’t got a built-in fridge it is always a good idea to store your food in a cool box to stop the contents making you poorly especially on hot days.
An ice pack cool box keeps the contents cool for up to 8 hours, so for longer periods of driving an electric cool box would be the best option.
Thank you for reading this Article “Best Cool Box for Truck Drivers” we hope you found it useful for choosing the best cooling method for keeping your food fresh and delicious for your truck.
