Serious question that needs an answer. Why do so many truck drivers just bend over and take it?

If there is not enough freight moving capacity in trucking then freight will move by other means or freight will move much less, like building more factories and warehouses or returning to a more regionally divided economy. The people will get what they want one way or another and they don't care if it comes on boats, trains, drones, etc. Not even Detroit automakers or Standard Oil could prevent change.

 

If your situation isn’t good why do you need an entire industry to rally behind you and support you to help you make a change. Just quit and start to be the example and not wait to be the last sheep in the line.

 

People are always afraid to be the nail that sticks out so to speak.

 

Don’t forget the national speed limit 55 back then
1984 I got my class B and don’t miss that first truck I drove.
70’s stake body truck..no power steering just a big steering wheel. Back when the “suicide knob” really had meaning. No A/C and an am radio.

 

I just puked a little bit thinking about that stupid speed limit.

 

I appreciate your well typed out details on this one

 

Last month I could not idle my truck at night in Georgia so my dispatcher booked a motel room for me to spend the night at. Back in the old days the drivers would just hang a hammock under their trailer and sleep on that.

 

Ditto....

--Lual

 

I've only been doing this for 11 years, so I can't speak about what used to be.

My income has increased steadily over that time and I have not been screwed over from any accidents/incidents.

With the exception of a small few receivers, I have felt no disrespect.
And certainly not by the company I work for. (The same company, by the way.)

I guess it is easy to put oneself up on a pedestal for 'keeping the economy moving', but why?
We do a job just like anyone else.
We have conditions to work under, just like anyone else.
And we could not do our job if any number of other people were not doing theirs.

One simple cog in a very complex machine is all we are.

Our current situation is a prime example.
Non-essential workers were told to stay home and wait it out, and what were deemed essential workers stayed on the job.
Truckers were deemed essential. (Because we kept the economy moving?)

But look where that got us.
Supply chain shortages that affect everyone everywhere in every country.
Rising prices from inflation due in large part to 'non-essential' workers getting handouts of large sums of money that was printed from nothing, and as a result a worker shortage when things should be getting back to normal because now so many think they are worth a lot more money than what the job they can do actually pays.


So should I complain about making decent money in a job I like with people I respect and work well with, and doing so for all this time?
I don't think so.