The Things I Keep In My Truck! #farminglife #farmlife #farmtok
Rolling out at dawn in a cloud of gravel dust, my pickup is more than transportation—it’s a mobile headquarters for an ever‑changing list of farm chores. After years of broken shear bolts, surprise calf pullings, and flat tires miles from home base, I’ve fine‑tuned the gear that lives permanently behind the seat and in the bed. Here’s a full inventory of what rides shotgun with me and, more importantly, why each item earns its precious square inch of space.
1. Basic Mechanics & Emergency Tools
A farmer’s day can turn into an episode of “Roadside Repairs, Rural Edition” in minutes, so a solid toolkit is non‑negotiable. I stock:
- Socket set (metric & SAE)—covers everything from baler flywheels to gate hinges.
- Adjustable wrenches and vice‑grips—the cure‑alls when you don’t know what nut you’ll face.
- Breaker bar—because rust never sleeps.
- Spare shear bolts & cotter pins in a labeled pill bottle; they’re $2 saviors at hay‑making time.
- 12‑ton bottle jack, four‐way lug wrench, and a plug kit—ranch roads eat tires for breakfast.
- Jumper cables AND a compact lithium jump pack; the pack rescues me on isolated fence lines when no second vehicle is around.
2. Fencing & Livestock Gear
Fences fail on Fridays at 4 p.m., and calves pick blizzards to arrive. I’m ready with:
- Vet box—calf puller, OB sleeves, iodine, elasticator bands, and probiotic paste.
- Fence bucket—hammer, staples, stretcher, barbed‑wire grips, and pre‑tied splice wraps.
- 100‑ft polywire reel and step‑in posts for instant paddock shifts or breakouts.
- Bag of range cubes—handy bribes when 50 steers spot an open gate before I do.
3. Fluids & Fix‑It Fasteners
Hydraulic leaks and thirsty engines wait for no one:
- Two gallons each of engine oil and universal hydraulic fluid in spill‑proof jugs.
- Diesel can—because that final pass with the mower always empties the tank.
- WD‑40, white lithium grease, and spray graphite to silence squeaks or free a seized PTO collar.
- Zip ties (assorted sizes), hose clamps, and baling wire—the holy trinity of temporary fixes.
4. Safety & Survival Supplies
Weather in farm country flips like a heifer’s tail:
- Hi‑viz vest and LED road flares for highway breakdowns when hauling hay.
- First‑aid kit stocked heavy on gauze rolls; cuts from tin roofing aren’t polite.
- Wool blanket, spare gloves, knit cap—frostbite waits while you chain up in sleet.
- Headlamp and spare batteries—midnight lamb checks often involve both hands.
- Five‑gallon water cooler (even in winter) and a couple of MREs; hunger makes bad decisions.
5. Tech & Paperwork
Even old‑school operations need digital backup:
- Rugged tablet with herd‑management app and offline maps.
- 12‑volt inverter to charge drill batteries and that tablet.
- Clipboard with carbon‑copy load manifests, brand papers, and a glove‑box envelope of receipts—tax time comes faster than planting time.
- Emergency contact laminated card taped inside the sun visor for hired hands.
6. Odds, Ends, and Creature Comforts
The small stuff saves the day more often than the big iron:
- Knife sharpener and spare pocketknife—because the one on your belt will vanish exactly when you need to cut net wrap.
- Roll of paper towels, hand sanitizer, and a bar of pumice soap to transition from engine grease to sandwich mode.
- Thermos of coffee, can koozie, and a jar of homemade pickled eggs—fuel for body and morale.
- Dog bowl and kibble scoop; my heeler, Rusty, never misses a ride.
- Bluetooth speaker tuned to farm‑talk podcasts—it makes 40‑mile fertilizer runs feel shorter.
Why It Matters
Keeping this curated chaos aboard means fewer back‑and‑forth trips, faster fixes, and a smoother rhythm to the day. On a farm, efficiency isn’t about cutting corners; it’s about having the right corner brace staple or colostrum tube exactly when the situation turns urgent. My truck’s cargo might look eclectic to an outsider, but every item has earned its keep by saving an animal, a crop, or my sanity.
Load up smart, and your rig becomes the unsung hired hand that never clocks out. That’s #farminglife in motion—rolling resilience, one tailgate slam at a time.
