the attitude of the "new breed of driver"

It's not limited to trucking. This is becoming an increasingly "me" society, and it permeates every area of nearly every profession and job type.

So often, we in the trucking industry speak of things like trucking is the only industry affected by a certain issue or problem.

 

I think we all know that it's a universal problem...But we are in the trucking industry so that is our point of reference.

 

Just stop all the whining about something that is really not of concern to you, the young driver just needs to get his road stamina built up. It takes a little time to be able to make a long run and feel absolutely worn out. I recall it took me about 6 weeks before my ### stopped going numb from sitting for hours at a time. Chill out ...

 

Sorry, are you the new "I'll tell you what you can post" sheriff? If so, I didn't get the memo. Anyone get that memo? Anyone? Bueller?

 

On this topic, I was headed north out of Birmingham AL on I-65 yesterday. A flatbed passed me hauling rebar. Every one of his straps was loose enough to be lazily flapping in the wind, and one of the top bundles of rebar was rocking back and forth every time he hit a bump,
So I turned on my radio, called the guy, and said "Hey northbound rebar truck. Watch out there, your straps have gone all loose and flappy, and one of those bundles is moving around a bit."
He said "It's fine. Mind your own business."

As much as I don't care for the "new breed" talk, There are cases where it's deserved

 

Yikez, thats scary!

 

The only problem with that is "anybody" could have been answering. Lots of these newer drivers don't even have a cb let alone have it on if they do. They've got the XM on or talking on those things hooked to their ear. Too busy to listen to the CB.

 

I have no way to know the experience level of the guy in the situation I am about to describe.

I was rolling into eastern Ohio yesterday with a bee in my bonnet to get that load dropped and get to the yard. I was passing a few trucks going up hills, no big deal. Until, that is, I was passing a Dick Lavy. He was loaded heavier than I was and decided he'd ride his load down the hill just to keep me from getting in front of him. It would have been okie-dokie except that he paced me going down the loooong hill, backing up cars and other trucks behind us. I saw this happening and let out of it, filing back in behind him to clear traffic. Just before starting up another hill. Naturally, he slowed back down again and I was stuck behind him as traffic was going by.

After traffic cleared and on the next hill, I tried again. I got most past him and was just about to pull it back into the granny lane when here he comes again, riding his load. Only this time, he blasted past me going between 70 and 75. I went once again back into the granny lane, thinking maybe this time he would just stay ahead of me since it appeared he had it on his engine. It was not to be. That's when I told him on the radio: "That was real prodessional there, Lavy."

I had to wait a while due to traffic, but on a nice, long hill, went on by him as he was mad-dogging me and giving me the finger. Alllllright. I picked up the radio. "Too bad your company can't give you a truck with enough power to get out of its own way." (Yep. I kinda started it.) However. I was not at that point or at any time during the entire exchange attacking him personally except to say any fool can ride a load down a hill. The moxie of a truck is proven by how it pulls going up. Since I have two years dealing with a Cascadia, I know what that 515 is capable of....and isn't capable of when companies mess with the parameters on them.

Rather than attack my S***-Spreader or the company I run for, he informed me that I was a butch d*** c*** rookie who didn't know what I was talking about and even sounded like a boy on the radio. Which is when I had to inform him that I know for a fact I make more money than he does and rookies would have no idea that Cascadia he was driving had a 515 Detroit with a 10-speed tranny, 0.92 top gear and 3.48 rears. He was having trouble making hills because Lavy &$#*ed with the computer and neutered the truck. By the way, is that a 2010 or a 2011? If it's an 11, it should be doing better than that with a DD15, but if a 10, it's no wonder it's weak because of all the crap on the last Series 60s that they weren't designed to support.

He still insisted I was a rookie simply based on the wagon I was pulling, only now his opinion that I was a lesbian was set in stone. No heterosexual female could possibly know anything about trucks. Further, he knew I was gay because he saw me and I look like a woman who likes women and why don't I go perform unnatural acts on myself... This went on for a good five minutes. I thought he'd give himself a stroke spitting into the radio like that. And when he was finished with his tirade, I began asking for second opinions. Regarding whether I "look" gay. Even warned an oversize hauler to watch out for him on his way by to get a look for himself. (Which brought on another spew of expletives.) Yep....feel like a real man swearing out a woman, don'tcha?

When the oversize passed me, he was laughing his butt off. So I asked the oversize hauler whether I appeared to like tacos. He agreed that I don't, but then ask my opinion of him...did I think he looked like someone who would enjoy the company of women? (Using a much shorter term, of course...that described a Mexican sandwich and the action of eating a lollipop.) I said, "Yes, sir, you do." Meanwhile, the hopper hauler behind him nearly spit coffee all over his dashboard. I think I saw some dripping from his right nostril.

Now, I know I didn't have to egg this nitwit on and I could have gone on my merry way. There are just times when an arse needs to be made to look like an arse. Not that this idiot needed any of my help with holding up traffic and blasting down an Ohio hill just to keep a Swift wagon behind him. He had no problem with anybody else passing him. And I was having fun with it.

So. Who would look like the "rookie" here?

 

I liked that Injun. I usaully join in on the conversation, and kick up my General Lee, with a 800watt messenger. I can shut his trap in a matter of minutes. I have a unique way of taking over the radio waves with a Newbreeder. When a POS has no respect for a WOMAN, He gets whats coming, My foot in his arse.

 

That was good. Dammnn