The Price of Freedom (long post)

Clerk: That will be four fifty
Six: Four hundred fifty dollars
Clerk: Ha! One day it just may be. Crazy thing is, people will pay it.
Six: Or they will come in with some voucher that says they get one for free.

The clerk, one of those tough old ######## , gave me that ‘tough old ######## look’, “You and I both know that there ain’t nothing in this world that’s FREE.” Aye.

When I was 11, my dad suddenly desired his freedom, and took off and left his family. We lost the house, got bounced into a section 8 place right smack in the middle of a section 8 neighborhood, and went to the school right down the road. Mom applied for welfare and was told that she could only get $25 a month because of her part time job. They promised hundreds upon hundreds more if mom would quit her job.

“Why would I quit my job? I have no intention of living like this my entire life.”

When given the offer of “free” money, mom turned it down. Well, we went to school and they gave us “free” lunch. Doesn’t matter if you want it or not, and they don’t care whether you like how it tastes, because it’s “free.” “You should be grateful, boy...to get free lunch.”

“Nice story Six, but what does all of this have to do with trucking?”

Be cautious of anything that someone gives you at no charge. “Free trucking school!” That’s the transportation industry’s equivalent of the the seedy guy with the van hanging around the playground offering free candy. Or maybe the guy in prison that’s offering free protection.

“But Six, I really want to do this.”

Understood. Hope you understand that your odds of taking a beef injection have greatly increased.

Ever notice that when going to orientation at a company, they hand you a “free” green and white bible, aka the regs book? Why do they do that? Ever notice that if you buy a car, the car manufacturer give you a “free” owner’s manual? Decades ago, there was this big rash of Toyota vehicles that seemed to have issues of the throttle getting stuck and people were having horrendous crashes. One guy up in (I believe it was) Minnesota had his throttle get stuck, took an exit at a buck fifteen and killed someone and ended up in prison. Now, why did the guy end up in prison because of his throttle getting stuck? Because of that Free owner’s manual. The owner’s manual will tell you how to safely get stopped. But who read’s owner’s manuals?

All of you have seen the ads from the scum ambulance chasers. “In a wreck with an 18? Call quick, get in the clique.” Doesn’t matter if they caused the accident or not. They’re going to try to sue you. Why? Because they are betting that you did not read that green and white book. Easy money. Think about it...you can be charged for murder just because some drunken moron driving twice the speed limit slammed into the back of your trailer and you didn’t have you triangles set according to the Bible. They got you, not the trucking company, because the company gave you that free bible. But who reads the regs book?

Have you noticed how “freedom” works with responsibility?

You get into a truck, and tell you where to load and unload. They may even plan your fuel stops for you. Ever notice how they don’t set your GPS for you? Ever notice that despite google maps and gps systems, there are STILL road signs? If it’s electronic, it can fail.

Now, one of the things that I don’t know anything about are those braking systems that they’re putting on trucks that will apply the brakes when the system feels the need to apply the brakes. See, that takes control(freedom) away from you. If it takes away the control, it takes away the responsibility. There ain’t no way in Hell that I would drive a truck that could take control away from me yet hold me responsible as being the captain of the ship. The captain goes down with the ship because the captain is 100 responsible for the ship.

 

A couple drivers that I know, both vets, had an argument. One of them had bragged to the other how on Veteran’s Day, he was planning to go around to all the places that give out ‘free’ meals to veterans and stock his fridge. The other driver became incensed and called him a dirtbag.

“What did I do wrong, Six?”

You are planning to take advantage of someone’s hospitality. It would be like me asking you for a ride from my house to downtown, but when we get to rolling along, suddenly I am asking you to take me to Walmart for groceries, then to pay some bills, then to the mall, and then to my favorite restaurant. It’s a free ride for me, but how about your fuel tank? Someone has to pay for the gas, right?