Over-the-road (OTR) or long-haul truck drivers know that the truck is their home. While truck drivers bring everything from power generators to wet naps for themselves, the cab in a truck still doesn’t come equipped with all necessary amenities, such as a bathroom and shower.

Drivers rely on truck stops along their routes, but if a stop has out-of-order showers or simply no showers at all, truck drivers have to go without bathing. This is not only a major inconvenience. Hygiene is an important component for health, and a lack of a nice shower can mess with any driver’s sleep schedule.

To address this issue, Joel Reyes, trucker, welder, and inventor, created a shower that fits inside the cab. Find out more about this invention below, and let’s see if showers can become standard in semi-trucks soon.

How the Shower Works

Based out of Dayton, Texas, Joel Reyes invented a way for truck drivers to have a shower built into the cab of a semi-truck as early as 2016, and he patented his concept in 2018. Dubbed the Tractor Trailer Shower Unit, this device can be retrofitted into almost any semi-truck, or come pre-installed on newer models.

Here is how it works:

An external holding tank is filled with enough water for one shower. From there, the water is heated via an electric heater, and then an electric water pump directs the liquid into the shower head. The unit is powered by a 12 VDC electrical power source.

The shower water is captured by the shower pan, where it travels down a drain that leads to a waste water tank. The waste water tank needs to be emptied when full.

According to the demonstration video, the shower compartment fits snuggly behind the passenger seat and takes up the area normally reserved for pantry or toiletry items. To ensure the top of the unit fits into most cabins, the walls of the component are diagonal. The shower head is elevated by the connected pipes which go up and above the device.

Will Showers Be In Semi-Trucks Soon?

The cost of the shower is one issue, but it does look as if the units can be easily installed. Another issue is that of any spillage. Despite the curtain, water droplets can splash onto the floor of the cabin, and this could lead to mildew and other unwanted issues.

Along the same lines, the Tractor Trailer Shower Unit does not have any waterproofing measures at the top. There is no roof on the compartment. When steam rises or any water splashes upward, what is the risk of water damage or mold on the ceiling?

Beyond waterproofing issues, water weight may be a problem. See, a gallon of water weighs roughly 8 lbs, and to take a shower, about 18 gallons are needed. Taking this into consideration, truckers would need to add about 144 lbs to each haul, plus the weight of the Tractor Trailer Shower Unit. This poundage adds fuel costs to each run.

That said, a private shower would be a major convenience for truck drivers. Let’s see if trucking companies can make it happen.