From digital radio tuners to cradles for your tablet or smartphone, there are a variety of affordable and high quality accessories out there for truckers. We have offered our picks of the best below, split into DAB Tuners, Dash Cams, Bluetooth Kits, and Smartphone Cradles, to help you buy only the very best trucker accessories for your cab.
DAB Tuners
Some trucks don’t have DAB radio fitted as standard; and this is especially true of trucks manufactured more than three years ago. There are over 350 DAB channels in the United Kingdom, in addition to the usual AM and FM channels. So if you currently experience the issue of nothing being on, a DAB tuner will help keep you entertained.
First and foremost, we recommend the AutoDAB GO, which retails for around £100.00. This has a built-in FM transmitter, to relay digital radio to your speakers and it offers excellent value for money. The Pure Highway 300Diis an even better product, but it retails for twice the price, although you do pay for what you get because the signal is stronger.
Dash Cams
Have you ever experienced lunatic driving in front of you? Have you ever had a driver slam on in front of you, or cause an accident? If so, invest in a front-mounted dash cam. Dash cams are approved by most insurers and more fleets are taking these on as company policy, to protect drivers in the event of a collision and to reduce insurance premiums.
First and foremost, we recommend the Nextbase 312 GW, which retails for around £99.99 and comes loaded with features, including 1080p recording, GPS and WiFi. The Asus Reco Classic is another great option, retailing for around the same price with excellent quality and the same features, including GPS and WiFi, for easy location tracking and sharing.
Bluetooth Kits
As a trucker, you spend your life on the road. Yet life goes on outside your cab. Bluetooth kits are a fantastic addition to your truck, because they allow you to communicate hands-free with your friends and family, and your work colleagues. They are also cheap to buy and road legal, and many fleets recommend them to improve communication.
First and foremost, we recommend the SuperTooth Buddy which retails for around £45. It clips onto your sun visor and can be paired with two devices simultaneously. Alternatively, the Parrot CK3100 is a fantastic option; this system has voice recognition for true hands-free communication, and it retails for around £180.
Smartphone Cradles
Everybody has a smartphone, don’t they? If you do, then we recommend you invest in a good cradle or smartphone holder. This will prevent your phone from moving around the cabin, and in turn, can help you stop losing your phone. There are many different types of holder for smartphones, so we’ve offered a few different options below.
First and foremost, we recommend the Kenu Airframe+, which attaches to your air vent and locks your smartphone in place securely for just £25. Alternatively, the Spigen Car Mount Stealth has a gel pad which sticks to any dashboard for around £25. We don’t recommend mounts that stick to your windscreen, because they can reduce your visibility of the road.
