Opinion needed....

In My Humble Opinion, I think.

 

USA Trucker Subculture 1950's - 1980's
In the 1950's, pressure from police on the trucking industry, as well as the use of the CB radio by American truckers caused an interesting rivalry between the two groups. Truck drivers were seen by police as a criminal element, as many truckers engaged in nefarious activities such as smuggling of contraband, speeding, not paying tolls, and fudging log books. Truckers were also known for engaging in fist and knife fights. This gave them a reputation something like Hells Angels, The Outlaws, and other biker gangs, although they were organized through communication via CB radio rather than a specific gang leader. (CB stands for 'Citizens Band'.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuyLTDAC7fE&feature=player_embedded



Notice two things in these video's: #1 - the interaction between the police and the trucks on the highway, special slang used by the truckers. This slang was used to keep police from understanding who was doing what at any given time. (Very useful to smugglers!) The truckers slang also had a '10-Code', similar to the code police still use too alert each other to the specifics of crime.

So what happened to the police/trucker rivalry you ask? Well... In the early 1980's larger trucking companies took over inter-state hauling, and tougher legislation was enacted to cover crimes that occur in multiple states. Also, a government database connected police computers at the city, state and federal levels. You could no longer commit a crime and escape by running across the border to another state.

 

I contemplated answering this one as I have some very strong opinions about What,Why and Who is responsible. My Dad Who drove for 47 years made a statement when I started 22 years ago "well here comes another Rookie, it is up to the old timers out here to learn him right!" My Dad was talking about me and I was lucky, He taught me to drive and all the "old timers" were quick to jump in my arse with both feet letting me know I was screwing up, but when I asked about a road, or pass those same guys were more than helpful making sure I made it through safely, when at a Dock that was tough instead of watching a driver struggle to get on a door they would instead GET out and help the driver in any way they could. If a truck was on the shoulder HE #### sure better have got on the CB and told someone why, if not there would be 2 or more trucks on the shoulder checking on him, and If he was a little sleepy or tired, they would either share the thermos, or hand him a paper bag and he took his choice.
Now with the Big companies pushing out the Owner Operators, and Desiring to have a turnover of 150% and not taking care of drivers and remembering that without Drivers their Trucks do not move, instead the big companies have Driving Schools run like Feedlots, and New Schools pop up like Puppy Mills, Not to take away from the People who go to them (looking for a job that pays the bills) but the people who run these schools and teach the students have no more business do so, than I have the right to be a Proctologist. It is the Trainers, Instructors, and Big Company demand for more and more drivers who are not Properly trained at that, who are responsible for ruining the way it used to be in Trucking.
As Always I will not sugar coat this or anything I write, so with that being said, Any Driver who has been out here for more than 24 months is also Responsible for the way the industry is today at this moment, NEW Drivers come out here with the attitude "I know what I am doing leave me the hell alone" and the Old drivers myself included have at one time or another IGNORED these newbies and Not offered to help them one BIT due to their arrogant attitude's and compile that with the fact some of US have earned the right to call ourselves Truckers and not Steering wheel holders, this is not because we have a million miles accident free, or the fact that we have backed up farther than some have gone forward, or the fact that we have a great relationship with our customers, having 500 chicken lights does not make you a trucker, having a triple digit truck does not do it either, being an Owner operator well that does not do it either, spending your entire career with one company not that either. To this Day I am still a Rookie, 22 years into it and My Pops and all the "old timers I grew up with still call me Rookie, and they consider themselves a rookie until they are sitting on the porch sipping shine and talking about times gone by.
Being a trucker Is a Lifestyle either it is you and you accept the way it is, or you Try it and you try to change it, But like all things in Life Some things you just can not control. Lawmakers by the dozen try ever year to make changes to the Industry, people panic, they get nervous they listen to Truck Stop Lawyers with their Interpretations of what they read or heard from someone else, and people over react, And Guess what We are still here, Still talking on Sesame Street, rolling down the road our way, Still being Truck Drivers. There are more Trucks and Even more Driver some not qualified to be out here but the fact is ONLY those who care about Trucking can make a change and Bring back the "Bond" we had "back in the day" it is simple Either you are going to be part of the Solution or Part of the problem, you figure where you stand in the equation.

 

Something new comes along and all is great. Technology steps in and things improve. Then there's the lawmakers and public that knit pick. This is wrong, we need to do this. That is wrong and we need to do this. What we did here isn't working so let's try this. Before you know it, there are a bunch of nice trucks on the road with a million rules to follow. Multiply that with he fact the population and trucks are booming and the highways are not.... the old days were better because things were easier.

 

In My Honest Opinion or Humble Opinion

 

The basics will never change, getting stuff from point A to point B. The equipment is much better, but what we had way back was the best at the time and nobody knew any better. I think the big thing when I began was that truckers were truckers by choice. I actually wanted to be a trucker all the time I was growing up. To many in the industry now, it is just a job, or a quick adventure, but not a career. Therefore the attitude is "I do not give a ____". To those of us that have been out here a while, the new drivers do not know the difference, they can't, because you don't know what you don't know. Just like when I started trucking in the early seventies, the old hands then had started in the thirties and forties, we could hear about their experiences (no sleepers, dirt and gravel roads etc) but we really could not understand what they experienced thirty years prior.
Another big change is truck stops. Once large enough where you could always find a parking place and reasonably good, hot food (remember those chicken fried steaks?) are now are small and where the driver only has a food choice of what is better bad for him or her.
Shippers and receivers are taking much longer than they use to just because they can. With so much competition for freight, some (not all) companies do not want to lose an account by trying to collect detention time, so they let the drivers wages suffer.
The last big change is federal and state regulation. There is so much more crap to put up with, nitpicky rules and regulations that just drive wages/income down and costs up. Some rules and regulations are needed, yes. But everything now is like the government saying "because we do not trust you".

 

jbatmick for President. Best post I ever read on any subject.

 

Great post, I feel like the drivers that have Integrity really need to band together and push out those that we talk about in these forrums day in and day out. I hear drivers get on the CB everyday and say something about some driver. First, lets remember, we can get accross whatever we want and still be respectful. I just love it when a driver says something to the effect; "hey you stupid Fing driver, slow your Fing A.. down, dumbA.." I mean, what is wrong with; "Driver so and so, lets slow it down a little, don't need insurance rates to go up anymore, hey brother". Than there are those that, well, we just cant do anything about so lets let them know, "hey brother, you stink, take a #### shower, here is a shower ticket...".

SheepDog