Coolers for truck drivers: 5 options for various budgets

Whether you’re a driver who meal preps ahead of time or you buy ingredients to cook with in your semi-truck, you may find yourself asking, “How will I keep my food cold while out on the road?”

The answer for many Schneider drivers is with the built-in refrigerator in their truck, which is just one of Schneider’s 2020 truck features.

If you’re a regional or local driver who maybe doesn’t have a fridge in your truck, an electric cooler is the solution to keeping your food cold. We created a list of the best coolers for truck drivers based on insight we’ve gotten from drivers over the years.

The coolers for truck drivers vary in price so you can find an option that fits within your budget.

5 coolers for truck drivers (from least expensive to most)

RoadPro 12-Volt Soft Sided Cooler Bag

Keep your drinks, meals and snacks cool with no ice in this 12-volt cooler bag. This soft-sided cooler plugs directly into a 12-volt outlet and can hold up to 24 cans.

With its adjustable shoulder strap and three-pound weight when empty, the cooler is extremely mobile. It has a 36-watt power consumption and keeps contents cold even after it’s unplugged.

Buy the RoadPro 12-Volt Soft Sided Cooler Bag here.

Igloo Iceless 28 Quart Thermoelectric Cooler

Plug the cooler into your 12-volt outlet and you’ll be on your way to cold food and drinks. This cooler features a quiet, brushless motor and convention cooling. And no ice necessary means more space for meals and snacks.

This Igloo cooler has an eight-foot-long power cord, and it can be set horizontally or vertically, whichever you prefer. It cools up to 36 degrees colder than the surrounding temperature.

Buy the Igloo Iceless 28 Quart Thermoelectric Cooler here.

Coleman 40 Quart PowerChill™ Thermoelectric Cooler

This Coleman cooler cools food and drinks up to 40 degrees below the surrounding temperature and requires zero ice. The cooler gets plugged in to a 12-volt outlet and reaches maximum coldness in about three hours.

The cooler can be laid down and used a chest cooler or turned upright and used in narrower spaces. It can hold up to 44 cans and includes a storage tray to keep food organized.

Buy the Coleman 40 Quart PowerChill™ Thermoelectric Cooler here.

Koolatron P75 Kool Kaddy Electric Travel Cooler

No ice necessary with this 36-quart cooler. Fit up to 57 cans in this cooler and plug it into your truck’s 12-volt outlet.

It’s lightweight, has a thermoelectric cooling system and can be used horizontally or vertically. It can cool contents to 40 degrees below the surrounding temperature or heat food to 149 degrees.

Buy the Koolatron P75 Kool Kaddy Electric Travel Cooler here.

Dometic CoolFreeze CFX27 Portable Compressor Cooler and Freezer

With the ability to freeze or refrigerate food and beverages down to -7 degrees and a digital display on the outside, you’ll be confident this Dometic cooler is doing its job.

It has two separate compartments for cooling and freezing, and it comes with a connection cable for 12-volt connection. Although this cooler is more expensive, it has a quick chill capability so there is no need to pre-cool your food.

Buy the Dometic CFX27 Electric Portable Compressor Cooler and Freezer here.