May has officially arrived and with it come higher temperatures and the sound of summer knocking on our door. As the heat rolls in, we are fighting to find ways to stay cool.

If you can be at home and sit in a pool all day or relax in your central air conditioning, then you’re all set, but if you spend most of your time on the road as a truck driver, it is not that easy to stay cool.

We’re sharing some tips and tricks on staying cool on the road or if you’re stuck having to find a way to sleep while it’s still 90 degrees.

Air Conditioning

First thought when trying to stay cool would be to crank the air conditioning on high, kick back, and forget all worries.

Keeping your AC on usually means keeping your vehicle idle for a long time which isn’t always good. Not only is it not the best on your truck and its battery, but it is not so great for the environment.

If the heat becomes too much to handle and you have to crank the air conditioning, use it sparingly, and don’t forget to turn it off when you’ve cooled down.

Alternative Ways to Stay Cool

If you love the planet and your vehicle, there are ways to try to cool down without cranking the AC. The key to cooling down your truck is to keep cool air in and hot air out.

If you’re pulling in somewhere to take a snoozer in your truck, the heat will start to kick in once you stop moving. If you cant find a shady spot, the first step would be to block out as much sunlight as possible with sun shades. Cold water helps as well.

Blankets may work too, but they will absorb the heat, so make sure to put them somewhere to cool down after.

When you’ve blocked out as much sunlight as you can, and you’ve somewhat contained the heat from coming in, the next step would be to cool down the truck with fresh cold air (that will now stay trapped because of the sunshades).

If you’re short on time and resources, you can turn on the air conditioning for a little while to cool the air. When you turn it off, the cold air will remain shaded from the outside heat.

Ice and Fan Air Conditioning

If you still refuse to use the AC, try the old ice and fan method. Get yourself a tiny battery-operated fan and set it behind a bowl of ice or an ice pack.

A fan on its own will circulate the already hot air trapped inside, but putting something cold in front of it will cause it to blow cold air around!

And there you have it, your air conditioning, without actually having to use the AC. Find alternative ways to stay cool and help save the earth, and probably your truck too.