What is the Best Portable Toilet for Truckers?
Truckers spend their days out on the open road, traveling the country and making a living.
While there’s a lot to love about this profession, there are some things that new or aspiring drivers don’t think about – like going to the bathroom.
How Do Truckers Go to the Bathroom?
Do 18-wheelers have bathrooms? If not, what do truckers do when they have to go? Generally speaking, no, 18-wheelers do not have bathrooms. That means that truckers have to do their business just like any other driver – at rest stops and truck stops.
Unfortunately, truck stops don’t always have the most sanitary bathrooms. Some stops only have porta potties, which are just as bad or worse than dirty bathrooms.
To stay sane – and sanitary – many truckers make sure they have a few essential supplies on hand at all times, like:
- Hand sanitizer
- Wipes
- Paper towels
But some other truckers take things one step further by using their own portable toilet. You won’t find a semi truck with bathroom facilities, but you may just find a semi with its own portable jon.
The Non-Obvious Benefits of Portable Toilets for 18 Wheelers
When you gotta go, you gotta go – as the saying goes.
If you’re on the Interstate and the next rest stop is 50+ miles away, you may not be able to wait. Or maybe you’d rather not take a chance and would prefer to have your own toilet.
Either way, there are many benefits to having a portable commode in your truck.
Convenience
The most obvious benefit is convenience. Having a portable toilet in your truck means that you don’t have to leave your truck to do your business.
If you have to go in the middle of the night, you don’t have to step out into the cold or put your safety at risk by leaving your truck to use the rest stop bathroom.
Sanitary
The portable toilet in your truck is used by you and you alone. Hundreds – maybe thousands – of people use the restrooms at rest and trucker stops every day.
When you’re the only one using the toilet, you can make sure it’s sanitary. You’re the one who keeps it clean – not someone else.
Privacy
Having a portable toilet in your truck affords you the same privacy a home bathroom offers. There’s no need to worry about people coming in and out, or embarrassing yourself if you have digestive issues.
Helpful for People with Medical Issues
If you have medical issues that cause bladder or bowel issues, a portable toilet can help prevent accidents while you’re out on the road.
Sometimes, you just can’t wait the extra five minutes to reach that next truck stop.
The Drawbacks of Portable Toilets in Trucks
While there are many benefits to having a portable toilet in your truck, there are also some drawbacks that you need to consider.
Some are Hard to Clean
Some portable toilets are a nightmare to clean. The parts aren’t removable, so you can’t reach every part of it. Others just hold onto odors no matter what you do.
When you’re living on the road, it’s not exactly easy to clean something like a toilet. It’s not like an RV where you have a full kitchen and running water to work with. Unless you want to take the toilet with you into the bathroom of a rest stop to clean it, you may have a hard time cleaning some portable commodes.
Some are Stinky
The toilets that are hard to clean are usually the ones that stink – pretty badly. No one wants their cab smelling like the bathrooms at the local trucker stop.
There aren’t enough air fresheners in the world to take care of this problem, especially when you’re in such close proximity to it while you’re driving.
Not all toilets are stinky, but many are. That’s a major turn-off for many truckers and the one thing that stops them from using these toilets.
Many Don’t Flush
Most portable toilets don’t flush, which means you have to empty it every time you use it if you don’t want it to stink.
These are three major drawbacks to having a portable toilet, but here’s the good news: there’s one toilet that fixes all of these problems.
What’s the Best Portable Toilet?
The Thetford Porta Potti Series Is our #1 Choice
You’re sold on the portable toilet idea, but which one do you choose? There are so many on the market today.
Of all the brands on the market, many truckers prefer the Thetford Porta Potti 550P.
Here’s a quick rundown of its features:
- Compact size and durable design
- Sealed valve that prevents odors
- Carrying handle
- Removable seat and cover
- Rotating pour-out spout
- 2-gallon fresh water tank
- 5-gallon wastewater tank
- 5″ x 15″ x 16.5″
The Thetford 550P is perfectly suited for life on the road.
The seat and cover are completely removable, so both pieces are extremely easy to clean. And unlike other portable toilets, this model has an actual piston flush system. You fill the water tank with fresh water, flush when you do your business, and your waste goes into the wastewater tank.
This is about as close to a home toilet as you’re going to get on the road. No one wants a portable toilet that doesn’t flush. They stink and they’re really hard to clean. The flushing action alone makes this toilet more sanitary than competing models.
The 550P even has a rotating pour-out spout that prevents backsplashes when emptying the wastewater tank. This makes emptying a little less terrifying and a lot more sanitary.
An ergonomic carrying handle makes it easy to move this toilet around and take it with you on the go. If you get a new rig, you don’t have to buy a new toilet.
You’ll really love that this model has a sealed valve. The valve keeps odors sealed inside of the toilet, so you don’t leave your cab stinking.
Another great thing about this toilet is that you can use it when you go camping with the family or when you’re out on a boat. It’s a versatile investment, and one that you can use for years to come – even after your days as a trucker are through.
There are many portable toilets on the market today, but the Thetford 550P offers many features that truckers will truly appreciate.
If you were afraid to take the dive and buy a portable toilet because of the drawbacks we talked about earlier, the 550P will change your mind. This model makes life on the road more convenient – and just a little more sanitary. You can finally kiss those dirty rest stop bathrooms good-bye.
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