This article says it's all the general public is the truckers worst enemy. Now, we don't like "a few" truckers with their p!$$ bottles, poop bags, litter etc. give the impression that all truckers are like that, why are we letting "a few" of the general public give us the impression that all the general public is our "enemy" ?

The definition of an enemy is:

1. one that is antagonistic to another; especially: one seeking to injure, overthrow, or confound an opponent

2. something harmful or deadly < fatigue is the truckers greatest enemy>

3. a: a military adversity b: a hostile unit of force

I think you completely missed the point of the article. To me, it says that truckers are truckers worst enemy. It is what the non-professional and really stupid truckers do, that give this industry the biggest black eye of all.

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My wife asked, "What will you be doing today?"

I replied,"nothing."

She said, "but you did that yesterday."

I said, "right, but I haven't finished it."

Part of this lenghty interview with Dan Rather which much of was editied down into the 20 minute segment he grilled me about many stereotypical images the non-trucking public have about truckers.

The truth is what I told him, those stereotypical images are very few from what I have see since I have become a trucker.

There is a very diverse group of people driving trucks.

I have met people from all walks of life from Concrete Cowboys to Gay and Transgendered Truckers, Most of the Women I have met are older than me and have been doing this job for many years.

Many Owner-Operators, Most Professional and take a deep pride and committment in what they do.

Many Company driver who care deeply about their Job and want Truckers to have abetter image to better reflect the decent human being that they are.

Unfortunately, the bad image is hard to shake so some people believe if you are quiet and hide the dirty secret it will go away. That is a FALSE conclusion.

That infection has festered and that silence has permitted a FEW Bad Apples to make an Image for an entire group.

Just the other day I was in New Hampshire and had pulled out of my Shippers dock.

When I pulled out and began entering my Bills to the Qualcomm and Updating my logbook and guy started honking at me and then came charging up to the window because my truck was blocking his Mercedes in the Shippers Parking Lot.

I had drawn my line to long in my logbook and had picked up my white out pen just as the Black Turtlenecked Mercedes Driver came to scold me.

I told him I was just updating my book and I was sorry, I would move.

He said "Oh, are you falsifying your logbook with that White Out Pen?"

I said "No, are you stereotyping truckers?"

He laughed and then we had a good conversation, he even gave me directions to the closest TA because I was short on Fuel and he led me on the freeway so I would not get lost in the small NH Village that is not Truck Friendly.

We have to let Non-Truckers met us, see us and let them know we are not primarily BAD .... it's just the BAD ones get Press from the Media and the Trucking Industry actually controls the images.

This time they do not

Excellent article.

I just wonder how many drivers that really need to read this will (1) read it at all and (2) if they do read it, take it to heart.

My wife has a great philosophy "you train others how to treat you".

This is a very informative article and rings true somewhat for Ireland and some of Europe as well. However if anyone is looking for a model of truckers getting their rights attended to then look no further than France, just google "french trucker strike" and you will see how the French truckin fraternity deals with any issues they have with government, wages or unsafe practices.

I have no trucking experience here, however it is sad to read day after day about honest people having to deal with ######## to provide an essential service to this country.

I firmly believe in my wife's philosophy and if your willing to take the ######## collectively as truckers then the companies trying to make money will surely pile it on to increase a profit margin (though how this works long term baffles me).

I read Trucker Desiree's blog the other day and it was a shining example of how to maturely deal with unfairness and bad practices, obviously in her case she continues to do her job in a professional manner without giving cause for termination.

Here is a link to a New York Times article.
[LINK POSTED BY MEMBER] Only Members Can View This Truck Forum Link.

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If a man is offered a fact which goes against his instincts, he will scrutinize it closely, and unless the evidence is overwhelming, he will refuse to believe it. If, on the other hand, he is offered something which affords a reason for acting in accordance to his instincts, he will accept it even on the slightest evidence. The origin of myths is explained in this way.

Bertrand Russell

The first paragraph is about public opinion and issues that nothing can be done about.

This is just some lame writer getting paid for something monkeys at typewriters could produce....

How do you think the public forms there opinion from fantasy? No they form there opinion from the ones that look like slobs, act like trailer trash, and drop the F bomb every other word in a conversation because they don't have the intelligence to hold a real conversation. There is plenty each and every driver out here can do to change that image that a lot of people have of us. It's called self pride and dignity.

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And this road goes on forever
I've been traveling all my life
I've seen the rain I've felt the thunder
But it never changed my mind
I'm going back to Carolina

I'm with your wife. Unfortunately, here in America, too many people fail to recognize this.

They demand respect without giving it.

They demand to have their opinions not just heard, but obeyed, without ever stopping to even consider the opinions of others.

They demand their "rights," while ignoring the rights of others.

They would rather shriek about differences than seek common ground.

And their complete and utter selfishness ultimately denies them even an iota of what they might have gotten had they thought more of the whole than of the part.

I fear we are lost in this country. The Powers That Be have learned how to forge a society of combatants, not citizens. Daily, the media draws the line, and people form up on different sides, and the slugfest begins. Every single day, someone new is vilified and someone else is victimized. And people just can't get enough of the drama of it all. The Powers That Be know exactly what they are doing, and how it profits them.

So it is not just truck drivers who cannot pull together to force a better life from a stingy corporatocracy; it is an entire nation. We truckers are simply being American ... or what being American has become.

You are spot on Don. I seen a perfect example of this a couple weeks ago. My wife and I passed a truck that had a piece of cardboard taped to the driver side door that read "lift up your shirt ladies". I kid you not. He was driving a dirty old Freightliner that i'm sure the DOT would have a field day with. Now...how many thousands of people are going to see that sign? Hopefully a cop will, but mom's...and kids, grandmom's and church ladies are going to see that and instantly portray ALL truckers as sleazy perverts. He's one in a million, but it only takes one to tarnish the image of all truckers.

We aren't going to be able to fix the "bad apples" in the industry, We can try but it won't work! The only thing we as individuals can do is to present ourselves in a positive light and carry ourselves in a respectable manner.

In other words, Lead by example!

There are many who won't follow but there are many more who will see and learn from the good example that you set.
Having a sign on you truck that says "Leg check 50' ahead" or "Show your tits" just makes you look like a moron! Poor hygene and acting lika a jerk makes you look bad but has no reflection on me if I carry myself in a more positive way.

I make a point of presenting myself in this manner and have found that in the long run I have had fewer problems with the DOT and other law enforcement agencies. I have had great success with customers that might start out with a weird attitude but when they realize that I'm not one of "those truckers" they act in a much more respectful manner.
Here's a news flash: People don't like dealing with you if you are always in confrontation mode! Nor do they like dealing with you if you smell like your own ### or look like a stain on toilet paper!
Most of the time when you get treated like #### it's because you contributed to it in some way.

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I'M A HIGH TECH REDNECK BUT I'M STILL FROM THE OLD SCHOOL...

REDD'S RIGHT: FLATBEDDIN' AIN'T FOR SISSIES!