Why do people keep telling me trucking is not the same?

Oh i agree 100% but my friends act like its a vacation or something.
I would love to have them back a 53fter down a small alley.

 

I started driving back in the 70's trucking was way diff back then , there was a comradary between truckers and the public (4 wheelers) still had a little common sence and actually looked up to us as servents of good will .
everybody seemed to know each other and we all helped each other out . there were never storys of guys sitting broken down for hours if another truck came by you had a friend that would do anything they could to get you rolling again .we all stood together when i came to rates and would not back stab and work for nothing just to get a full time load , we worked together for the common good of the industry.
I got out ( due to Getting married ) and had a construction business for 22 years , when my old bones wouldnt take it any more i bought a used truck and trailer and went back # it .
At the time if i had known just how diff it is now i probably wouldnt have gone back to trucking .
There are way to many steering wheel holders on the road now , they dont belong in a truck , No common sence and no class .
stop # a truck stop and just look around # the class of people driving these days and listen to them in public or on the radio . They are uneducated morons.Trucking companys will put anyone with a pulse in a truck nowdays.
Back in the day truckers were always clean, polite professional and cared about the image they projected .
their language was clean and usually all conversations were followed with yes and no maam or sir . we comanded respent and gave it as well .
The non american truckers ( you know who im talking about) are rude arrogant and dont speak english that alone angers me .
Govt. regs are choking us all to death and we are nothing more then rolling piggy banks to the DOT .
You asked for the reason well there it is . we all have a obligation to our industry to project a positive image , I hope some drivers read this and get a clue , If you want the public , shippers, recievers and other truckers to stop treating you like second class citizen you have to show them that you are more then that . God Bless.

 

Depends on what you consider an old timer,

and not the same as when ??????

 

It was actually earlier to get a commercial license back in the 1970's than it is today. They were called chauffeur's license. In my state we had 2 classifications of chauffeur's license. Special chauffeur's license was for 18 wheelers (or semi's, as we called them back then) and chauffeur's license, which was for driving a cab or other conveyance which hauled people. We didn't have schools. We learned by doing. We all made mistakes, but there was always someone who had been around longer who was willing to lend a hand or give some advice. I got my special chauffeur's license by having my employer fill out a form that stated that I need the license for my work. Before that I drove an 18 wheeler with a regular driver's license. A cop told me that I needed the special chauffeur's license to drive a semi. He didn't give me a ticket, either. If that had happened today I would have received a ticket and been shut down.

When I started around 1970 you had to have a license to use a CB radio. You NEVER heard the language we see commonly used today. You had to sign on and off when you used the radio. I suppose the biggest difference between then and now is respect. People respected one another. Strangers were always willing to lend a hand. If you drove a truck you were part of a fraternity. Slow moving trucks often signaled 4 wheelers to come around when it was clear. We would pull to the right as far as we could to accommodate them. It wasn't uncommon for cars to follow trucks because they knew the roads and where they were going. Travelers often stopped at restaurants where there were trucks because they knew if truckers stopped that the food was usually good. My, things have certainly changed.

I think that much of the problem is that many drivers today don't respect themselves or others. It is obvious by the way they conduct themselves and treat others. Some have come to trucking because their profession no longer needs them due to cutbacks or other reasons. We have many from the IT field who have found their way to trucking. Other professions are also represented. When they can't find something in their chosen field they come to trucking. This business has always attracted those who are loners and outlaws. When I say "outlaws" I mean that they like to do things their own way. They would do what they must to get the job done. Drivers were often given bills in one hand and "bennies" in the other to help stay awake on a long coastal run. I find it amusing and somewhat ironic when I hear some discuss how we don't want "felons" in the business. This industry has always had former criminals. It is one profession where drivers could come and not be judged due to their past. It was also easier to keep that in the past so they could get a fresh start after making some bad decisions. It is much more difficult for a convicted felon to get into this business. Funny how things change.

It isn't uncommon to run into driver who are college educated. When I started most did good to get through high school. It was a much simpler time. In some ways things were more difficult, but police and DOT didn't always see dollars signs on our trucks. There have always been those who set up speed traps, mostly in small towns. Fines were not too high and drivers commonly had a drivers license from more than one state in case they got too many tickets they could still drive. Technology has been both a boon and curse. It is much easier to communicate with business, friends and family, but it has also created a new crop of drivers who no longer communicate as much with one another. Drivers will sit in their trucks and watch TV, get on the internet or play video games. About the only games we could play on the road were pinball machines, which were NOT electronic. You also NEVER saw all the trash or urine on the side of roads or in parking lots. It goes back to respect.

I don't expect things will ever get back to the way they were in earlier days. It would be great if drivers once again had the same camaraderie. I still see it with some drivers. It is mostly those who have been around for awhile. Many younger drivers are not taught respect growing up. Some think the world owes them a living. It is a shame. I would like to see things change, but it is only likely to get worse. I can't control what others do, but I always treat others with respect. By doing that I am usually given respect back. If you don't like the way you are treated by shippers or other drivers, then try to change the way you treat them. A little respect can go a long way.

 

I think that is one reason we have so many bad drivers in this business. People come to trucking from such a broad cross section of careers. They tend to romanticize trucking. When they get into the business they find that it is work. You can see the country, but often from the inside of a truck and sometimes at night. I think that is one reason turnover is so high. People come to this business with many misconceptions about what it is and what it entails to drive a truck for a living. It takes discipline and skill to do this profession as it should be done.