Things you need to think about....

That's exctly what I'm talkin' about!

I can be a "harsh old cuss" at times.
I prefer it to being all warm and fuzzy and phony!

When I came up in this business, You didn't go to school...There weren't any schools that I ever heard of!
You found a driver and talked him into letting you ride along with him and you did all the flunky jobs that he told you to do and you might go to his house when he was at home and volunteer to wash his truck or help him service it or any other menial job that would get you around the truck and that you could learn from.

Then at some point he would start slowly showing you how to operate the truck and eventually he would let you get behind he wheel and see if you could drive it without tearing it up!
The old guy that taught me to drive would crack me in the side of the head if I scratched a gear or shifted rough and rocked the truck between gears!
That old man was a mean, ornery old bas+ard and never let anything "slide" If I made a mistake, I heard about it!

But you know what?

When he finally cut me loose and I started driving on my own at the tender age of 18...I was a competent and somewhat skilled driver!
He wasn't "nice" and he wasn't "gentle" but now, after 4,000,000 miles and more hard work, fun and many years of doing this without a chargeable accident and after not only driving but OWNING more cool trucks and trailers than I ever dreamed possible when I started...

I could never repay the debt that I owe that old man.
He's been dead now for more than 20 years but hardly a day goes by that I don't hear his voice giving me a hard time or telling me something that I'll never forget and have and will continue to pass on to new drivers and old drivers that are smart enough to know how much they still don't know.

If you think I'm harsh...So what?

I'll be the guy that stops and show you how to change a fuel filter or some other thing that has you stopped by the side of the road while all the "good buddies" roll past you doin' 70 and askin' if you're OK on the CB when they have no intention of stopping to help you...Even if they knew how!

 

He couldn't see it...Big hands, Small tube!


But YOU know all about that...