First of all, with 3 years seniority, you gotta figure out a way to get rid of the go-go package car mentality. That kind of thinking will get you into trouble in feeders. But management is just like they were in package car, so you'll have to learn to stand up for yourself. Don't take shortcuts, and if you get behind, don't start rushing like you might in PC. That is when you'll make mistakes.
I carry an overnight bag into work every night. I get a lot of crap about it, but what do I care? It's what I need to feel comfortable. My boss was giving me a hard time a while back about how long it took me to get my stuff out of my tractor at the end of the day. Four minutes. Like I said, supervisors are just as stupid as they are in PC. He said I had as much stuff as a sleeper driver. But he was just mad because I'm always over-allowed and won a grievance against him.
Anyway, you will need to build a radio box, with a car stereo head, a CB radio and maybe some car speakers in the box. Somewhere in this set-up, you'll probably want a satellite radio too. And speaking of car stereos, if you have a Ipod, get a stereo with a bluetooth connection. That way you can play your Ipod music wirelessly through the stereo. They're not that expensive either, maybe $125-175.
I keep a couple of small cloth bags in my big bag. In one, I carry personal items. Stuff like lip balm, Rolaids, sunglasses (two pairs, regular and a pair with yellow lenses--I think they call them high contrast--that are lights out on cloudy days), wet wipes, hand sanitizer, cigarette lighter chargers for anything you need charged, Tylenol/aspirin/Ibuprofen, pocketknife, a sleep mask, reading glasses (if you're as old as some of us), and maybe most importantly, a good bluetooth earpiece for your phone. DOT regulations call for a $2750 fine if you're caught holding a phone at your ear. Most of the drivers I know have a Blue Parrot bluetooth earpiece, which are probably the best and will run you about $100 +/- a few bucks. These are my personal items.
Oh, stop the presses...A good pillow is a must..ok it doesn't need to be a good one, but you WILL need a pillow.
In my other bag is my 'equipment' bag. This is the dirty stuff, or the stuff that might/will get greasy. Get a few set of gloves, and the money you spend on these is worth it. If you go leather, go pigskin. Pigskin doesn't get hard after it gets wet, like calfskin does. Deerskin is real good too, but way too pricey for a Teamster. Deerskin is for Republicans, sir.
Get a couple of good LED flashlights. The little ones work great. COSTCO sells a pack of three that uses three AAA batteries and are as bright as you'll ever need. That pack costs about $20. Obviously, spare batteries are a must too. I buy a big pack of AAA's at COSTCO and tape about 12-15 AAA's together and leave these in my big bag. An adjustable wrench is pretty handy to have to. I have a set of adjustable pliers that can handle most things.
And about the grease...you will not avoid it. Like someone above said, make it habit to take those gloves off before you grab you door handle.
You won't, of course. You will get into the cab, drive off, get out, find a bathroom, look in the mirror and notice your face is covered in black stuff. This will not be avoided. Consider it a rite of passage of feeders. The joke I heard when I came back was you go through two sets of uniforms. The first set gets replaced when it get ruined from the grease. The second set gets replaced when you get fat.
Oh yeah, in my big bag, I put my lunch box, my thermos of tea, spare jackets, yellow safety vests and my journal of all of my hours, notes from each day, stuff like trailer #'s, arrival and departure times and anything that might be a holdup in my day. Because, eventually, they will start asking you why your day was long in this area, or that area. And they usually will wait several days after the fact. Take notes, and you will be able to shut them up.
Everyone has their own stuff, but just remember, you aren't typically going to be close by anything when you need something. So think of that when you pack your stuff.
But again, forget the package car mentality. Pace yourself. Who knows, I might see you some day in far West Kansas.