Drivers/drivers/ drivers

He's great! My mentor, my best friend and supporter. A truly wise man. I will always strive to honor him! The world will be a shade grayer when he goes.

Thank you for the kind words!

Chris

 

To much Me, not enough We!

In the old days drivers would sit in a diner and have a conversation as a group, now everyone sits alone. Drivers would help each other with repairs, now drivers sit and wait for road service and cant even tell dispatch what the problem is other than its broke. Drivers would give each other the best way into a customer, now they rely on laptops and GPS only to find out the route they took is no trucks or a low bridge. Drivers would have conversations on the cb, now the cell phone is stuck to their head, stereo is turn up and they are the first to ask "Whats the hold up" when they get to a back up.

Its time we get back to the we! If the driver next to you at the fuel desk is out of showers on his card, give him one if you have some. If a driver in the restaurant looks like hes had a really long day, pick up his tab from the waitress and on the way out tell him to "have a good day and pay it forward", he will figure out what you meant when he tries to pay his tab. If a driver is struggling to slide his tandems and your sitting there in your cab staring out the window, give him a hand, you might teach him something.

If your a new driver, dont be affraid to ask questions or ask for help. You might be surprised at the friends you will make and the tips you will get.

 

I am going to say this again slow and maybe this time you will read it.

I DON'T INSTRUCT FOR A D@MMED DRIVING SCHOOL ANYMORE!

If want to lock someone up, lock up the owners of these schools! DO YOU REALIZE HOW LITTLE DRIVING INSTRUCTORS MAKE??? NO! AND WHY NOT? BECAUSE YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN ONE! I HAVE! THE OWNERS OF THESE SCHOOLS DON'T SHARE WITH THE INSTRUCTOR, INSTRUCTORS MAKE LESS THAN THE RECRUITER DOES. THE OFFICE HELP MAKES MORE THAN THE INSTRUCTOR.

So, IF you have never been in the training industry then you know nothing about it. I have, and the last school still owes me 1 month and 2 weeks pay.

Instructors are as much victims of the CDL mills as the students are.

What do you suppose is the most costly part of operating a school? Do you still have the guts to debate this issue with me? Because I know how much it costs to operate a school. I have seen 8 of them in this area go under and I know every mistake they made.

Now, Southern Pride. Let's see if there any Southern Gentlemen about you and will debate this or just continue to cuss anyone that is or was in the training industry?

So go ahead, it is your turn to cuss your trucking brother! And while your at it why don't you also insult my relatives that died fighting for the Confederacy? Go ahead, tell me how worthless the Morgans and Pikes were. Go ahead!

And we wonder why truckers don't have a pot to p!s$ in or a window to throw it out of. Sorry, I guess I once thought better of you, but not anymore.

 

I disagree on somethings, but in ways I feel I am a rare driver. I will help almost anyone. I've replaced parts on trucks, anyone that has asked me for a shower I will give them one of mine, because there is a good chance I have one on another card somewhere.

I also think my driving skills are better than most. I was backing into a spot today. After waiting about 10 minutes for another guy to back in, I was the only one helping him on the radio everyone else was complaining. I slip right in like it was nothing. The other driver asks how I was able to do it so easily, I told him I drove local for two years.

 

Again, I have to agree and I'd like to offer something I saw hanging on the receivers wall at a Cargiil office. It meant so much to me I wrote it all down....

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude in life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company...a church...a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the string we have, and that is our attitude... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of attitudes". -- CHARLES SWINDOLL

 

One thing that hasn't been mentioned usually is that the trucks themselves are changing;

Alot of the "old school" drivers look down on the "newer breed," not being as mechanically inclined(supposedly) but trucks today are so complicated that fixing things on the side of the road is difficult----even alot of techs can't even fix things all that easily----something you've probably noticed.

When things are mechanically straightfoward, you can sort of intrinsically figure things out; Can't really do that to any deep extent on today's trucks with all the electronics.

Are the older guys more mechanically inclined than younger guys? Maybe a little(also consider that these days more "city folk" drive trucks as opposed to the past), but i think it has more to do with the way trucks are set up these days.

 

You do not take that tone with Southern Pride. He owes you exactly no explanation!