--- title: "Top 5 Tools You Should Always Keep in Your Truck" url: "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2026/03/top-5-tools-you-should-always-keep-in-your-truck/" publisher: "Pickup Truck + SUV Talk" content_signal: "search=yes, ai-input=yes, ai-train=no" author: "Larry Printz" published: "2026-03-03T12:00:00+00:00" modified: "2026-07-19T13:34:49+00:00" image: "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2024-Ford-F-150_Bed-Storage-Box.jpg" --- # Top 5 Tools You Should Always Keep in Your Truck By Larry Printz Published: 2026-03-03T12:00:00+00:00 Updated: 2026-07-19T13:34:49+00:00 ![Featured image]() Five tools that every driver should have to be prepared for any contingency, to stay safe and mobile on the road. There are two kinds of drivers in this world: those who believe the open road is a benevolent accomplice, and those who understand it is a calculating adversary waiting for mechanical weakness. I have always preferred the latter view. If you are going to truly drive, not merely commute, you must equip it accordingly. Not with gimmicks. Not with plastic talismans from aisle nine. But with tools that respect the simple eventually that something will eventually go wrong. Here are the five driving tools every serious driver should keep in his truck. No debate. No compromise. ## PROPER TIRE JACKS (NOT THE FACTORY APOLOGY) ![image 2]() Harbor Freight Tools Daytona 12-Ton Heavy Duty Hydraulic Bottle Jack (Photo courtesy of Harbor Freight) Let us begin with the instrument most likely to save your evening, and possibly your fenders. The factory jack supplied with most trucks exists to satisfy legal obligations, not physics. It will lift your vehicle in the same way a folding chair will support an elephant: briefly, and with consequences. [A proper hydraulic tire jack]() is stable and rated well beyond your truck’s curb weight. This is non-negotiable. [A bottle jack with a wide base](), or better yet, [a compact floor jack]() if space permits, transforms a roadside tire change from a circus act into a controlled procedure. Pair it with a torque wrench. Tighten lug nuts correctly. The wheel is the final arbiter between you and catastrophe. Treat it with respect. ## KINTETIC ROPE (BECAUSE MOMENTUM IS A WEAPON) ![image 3]() Kinetic Rope (Photo courtesy of Harbor Freight) There is a peculiar arrogance in believing you will never be stuck. Mud does not care about your four-wheel-drive badge. Snow does not respect your all-terrain tires. Sand has swallowed vehicles far more expensive than yours. A kinetic recovery rope, often marketed under brands like [Bubba Rope](), is not simply a strap. It is an elastic instrument of physics. When a second vehicle applies tension, the rope stretches, stores energy, and releases it smoothly, extracting a stuck truck without the violent shock loads that snap tow straps or bend frames. Be sure you know your truck’s recovery points, and never attach the rope to a trailer ball. Rescue operations are best conducted without airborne steel. ## BATTERY JUMPER (CIVILIZATION IN A BOX) ![image 4]() NOCO Battery Jumper (Photo courtesy of NOCO) If your truck has a dead battery, you don’t require another vehicle, a set of cables, and its ritual of sparks to resuscitate it. Civilized motorists carry [battery jumpers](), compact lithium-powered units from companies such as [NOCO](), which can start a V8 with the casual indifference of a valet. No larger than a paperback book, they fit in the glovebox and will even power a compressor or flashlight. More importantly, they remove dependence. You do not need a stranger. You do not need to block traffic. You do not need to hope. A truck that will not start is sculpture. A truck charged with a battery jumper is transportation. ## OBD-II SCANNER (THE TRANSLATOR OF ELECTRONIC MYSTERIES) ![image 5]() Ancel OBD-II Scanner and Code Reader (Photo courtesy of Ancel) Modern trucks communicate in warning lights. An [On-Board Diagnostics II (OBD-II) scanner]() is a handheld device that plugs into a vehicle’s diagnostic port and read the onboard computer’s trouble codes, translating that sullen amber glow into plain language. Loose gas cap? Minor electronic sulk? Or the opening act of something very expensive? Plug it in and you’ll know, which does wonders for both your pulse rate and your mental well-being. And should you still find yourself at the service counter, you won’t be arriving hoping for mercy, but as a driver who already knows the score. ## BADASS SNOW BRUSH (EVEN IN PLACES THAT RARELY SEE SNOW) ![image 6]() Amadaw Snow Brush (Photo courtesy of Amadaw) Snow brushes are instruments of moral responsibility and deliver more than mere visibility. Clearing a tall truck prevents ice slabs from achieving low Earth orbit, sparing other drivers from being ambushed by weather that you personally manufactured. What you want is [a brush with an extending handle]() that locks with the reassuring authority of a rifle bolt, and is long enough to reach the roof without forcing you into an interpretive dance on icy pavement. The brush head should rotate and have bristles split at the ends so they lift and carry snow rather than grinding road grit into your clearcoat like an enthusiastic apprentice detailer gone rogue. And the grip should be substantial and insulated, something you can hold with numb fingers while questioning your life choices at six in the morning. ## FINAL THOUGHTS ![image 7]() 2025 GMC Yukon AT4 (Photo courtesy of GMC) A truck is a declaration of independence, a promise that you intend to handle whatever small indignities the road presents without concern. So, stock it accordingly. Because someday, on a lonely stretch of highway with the sun setting and the air cooling just enough to remind you that machines have moods, you will open the tailgate and find exactly what you need. In that moment, preparedness will feel less like caution and more like quiet mastery. ## Structured page information ~~~json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Article", "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2026/03/top-5-tools-you-should-always-keep-in-your-truck/#article", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2026/03/top-5-tools-you-should-always-keep-in-your-truck/" }, "author": { "name": "Larry Printz", "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/#/schema/person/f57c8392c64b705a74a162c3d9d9ea49" }, "headline": "Top 5 Tools You Should Always Keep in Your Truck", "datePublished": "2026-03-03T12:00:00+00:00", "dateModified": "2026-07-19T13:34:49+00:00", "mainEntityOfPage": { "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2026/03/top-5-tools-you-should-always-keep-in-your-truck/" }, "wordCount": 887, "commentCount": 0, "publisher": { "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/#organization" }, "image": { "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2026/03/top-5-tools-you-should-always-keep-in-your-truck/#primaryimage" }, "thumbnailUrl": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2024-Ford-F-150_Bed-Storage-Box.jpg", "keywords": [ "everyday carry", "five things", "tools", "truck", "truck accessory" ], "articleSection": [ "Featured on Home Page", "Gear" ], "inLanguage": "en-US", "potentialAction": [ { "@type": "CommentAction", "name": "Comment", "target": [ "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2026/03/top-5-tools-you-should-always-keep-in-your-truck/#respond" ] } ] }, { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2026/03/top-5-tools-you-should-always-keep-in-your-truck/", "url": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2026/03/top-5-tools-you-should-always-keep-in-your-truck/", "name": "Top 5 Tools You Should Always Keep in Your Truck", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/#website" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2026/03/top-5-tools-you-should-always-keep-in-your-truck/#primaryimage" }, "image": { "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2026/03/top-5-tools-you-should-always-keep-in-your-truck/#primaryimage" }, "thumbnailUrl": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2024-Ford-F-150_Bed-Storage-Box.jpg", "datePublished": "2026-03-03T12:00:00+00:00", "dateModified": "2026-07-19T13:34:49+00:00", "description": "Five tools that every driver should have to be prepared for any contingency, staying safe and mobile on the road.", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2026/03/top-5-tools-you-should-always-keep-in-your-truck/#breadcrumb" }, "inLanguage": "en-US", "potentialAction": [ { "@type": "ReadAction", "target": [ "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2026/03/top-5-tools-you-should-always-keep-in-your-truck/" ] } ] }, { "@type": "ImageObject", "inLanguage": "en-US", "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2026/03/top-5-tools-you-should-always-keep-in-your-truck/#primaryimage", "url": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2024-Ford-F-150_Bed-Storage-Box.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2024-Ford-F-150_Bed-Storage-Box.jpg", "width": 1000, "height": 772, "caption": "F-150 bed storage box is a great place to keep essentials (Photo courtesy of Ford)" }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2026/03/top-5-tools-you-should-always-keep-in-your-truck/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Top 5 Tools You Should Always Keep in Your Truck" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/#website", "url": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/", "name": "Pickup Truck +SUV Talk", "description": "Latest News, Reviews and Stories", "publisher": { "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/#organization" }, "potentialAction": [ { "@type": "SearchAction", "target": { "@type": "EntryPoint", "urlTemplate": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/?s={search_term_string}" }, "query-input": { "@type": "PropertyValueSpecification", "valueRequired": true, "valueName": "search_term_string" } } ], "inLanguage": "en-US" }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/#organization", "name": "Pickup Truck + SUV Talk", "url": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "inLanguage": "en-US", "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/#/schema/logo/image/", "url": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/PUTC-Only-Shield.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/PUTC-Only-Shield.jpg", "width": 613, "height": 379, "caption": "Pickup Truck + SUV Talk" }, "image": { "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/#/schema/logo/image/" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.facebook.com/pickuptrucktalk/", "https://x.com/PickupTruckTalk", "https://instagram.com/PickupTruckTalk", "https://www.pinterest.com/PickupTruckTalk/", "https://www.youtube.com/pickuptrucktalk" ] }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/#/schema/person/f57c8392c64b705a74a162c3d9d9ea49", "name": "Larry Printz", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "inLanguage": "en-US", "@id": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ef1d27ce356fecd57d9e1ae5e8d30588beb8e9aae4a21e7d20226da5606581b9?s=96&d=mm&r=g", "url": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ef1d27ce356fecd57d9e1ae5e8d30588beb8e9aae4a21e7d20226da5606581b9?s=96&d=mm&r=g", "contentUrl": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ef1d27ce356fecd57d9e1ae5e8d30588beb8e9aae4a21e7d20226da5606581b9?s=96&d=mm&r=g", "caption": "Larry Printz" }, "description": "Larry Printz has been one of the nation’s top automotive journalists for more than two decades. His Tribune News Service column reaches nearly 48 million households. He is the former Editor-In-Chief at Dealer.com, and has worked for ABC-TV, Fox Business News and the nation’s top media companies.", "sameAs": [ "http://larryprintz.com" ], "url": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/author/lprintz/" } ] } ] ~~~