4 Great Gifts For Lorry Drivers

If you've got a friend or loved one who makes a living as a lorry driver, chances are you'll understand just a fraction of what life on the road is like. They're often away from home for extended periods of time doing long distance haulage jobs, so anything that makes them feel a little more cosy and comfortable in the cabin is always well received.

If you're looking for a practical, thoughtful gift for a hardworking truck driver, we've got a few suggestions straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak.

An Electric Blanket

For the most part, drivers tend to sleep in their trucks rather than fork out for accommodation if their haulage jobs take them on an overnight route. Some lorries are kitted out like a luxury hotel, but some are far more modest – as modest as a mattress in a corner of the cab! An electric blanket can be a great comfort on a long, cold night and there are plenty of specialised versions from which to choose. A single blanket is usually the best bet (unless of course you're buying for a truckie whose cab really does resemble the Taj Mahal), and another good tip is to choose a model with a long lead.

A Pressure Relieving Cushion

To put it delicately, for somebody who spends most of their life sitting on the most delicate part of their anatomy doing haulage jobs, there's nothing more pleasing than a bit of well-placed padding! And, while some people may be fortunate enough to have their own natural shock absorption, a little help can go a long way. A high-tech pressure-relieving cushion (they run from super cheap to quite expensive, but you do get what you pay for in this instance) offers excellent support and can also help relieve existing back and neck problems.

Personalised Mud Flaps

What do you get the driver who has everything, including personalised number plates? Glad you asked. Personalised mud flaps of course! Getting mud flaps personalised allows you to use your creativity a bit, because they don’t just allow for letters and numbers. The sky's the limit and you can request anything from a favourite cartoon character to a quote, movie star or even an adored musician. Just make sure it really IS something they'd appreciate though, as they are a highly distinctive feature of the lorry – and you want to be remembered for the right reasons!

An Air Ioniser

Air ionisers are becoming a popular accessory for drivers to install in their cabs. They are simple to use (they just plug in to the cigarette lighter) and they keep the air super clean, which, in such an enclosed space, is beneficial to staying alert and healthy. The advanced technology of the latest high-density models helps to purify the space and reduce pollutants. With the copious exhaust fumes, dust, pollen and general pollution circulating in the atmosphere, keeping the air in the lorry cab clean goes a long way to making those long hours on the road safer and healthier.

We guarantee the lorry driver in your life would be delighted to receive any of the above gifts, all of which are designed to increase their comfort while they're on the road working on haulage jobs that take them away from home for extended periods of time. Except for the mud flaps it's possible they could live without them. But why would you want them to?

Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Haulage Exchange, the leading online trade network for the road transport industry. Connecting logistics professionals across the UK and Europe through their website, Haulage Exchange provides services for matching haulage jobs with available drivers. Over 4,500 transport exchange businesses are networked together through their website, trading jobs and capacity in a safe 'wholesale' environment.