Dateline 1982: 30 years ago. You were a new driver. Why were you....

As for me,when I got my license in 1976,of course,my reflexes where better,sight,hearing,etc.,BUT;how I did not kill myself or anyone else is nothing short of a miracle.. 2 Dui's,1 rollover on a country road,(car totaled) and many,many close calls on the highway and back-roads.

This is one time in my life where getting older has benefit's,I did receive a speeding ticket in New Mexico 6 months ago,but prior to that one has to go back to 1993 for a speeding ticket,-or any ticket-except for the one where I parked in a handicap parking space...at the gym.

Anyway,in answer to he OP's question,all in all,I am a much better driver now than in 1976.

 

Tasertot, Sonny started with Swift less than two years ago. He is a "newer" driver, too.

Bumps! You're back! *runs to give Bumpy a big bear hug*

 

No ones better than the next guy when starting out brand new at something, it's all about how much WORK your willing to put fourth in being successful at your new trade. In the case of some of you hands that got your start in my dads generation alot of you surely have a better work ethic than my generation. I personally believe alot of the problems of today's "new breed" is laziness, no one works on their company trucks because it's "not their job", they run on flat tires because that walk around the truck required them to in fact....walk...

 

As much as I enjoy your hugs....Could I have 1 day with your Scooter?

 

One problem today is too many wannabes . They are cutting each other's throats with their numbers . Wages will never get better . Drivers are just another expense to BFI's .
At one time there actually was a driver shortage and people applying for driving jobs had a professional attitude . Now most wannabes are applying in an act of desperation . The few that have true potential and proper attitude have their applications buried among a mountain of others .

 

The reason I think I was a better "new" driver when I started in 1976 was because I KNEW I didn't know everything. I was EAGER to learn from the "OLD" hands and more important was because of my attitude they ( the OLD hands) were willing to teach me, help me learn, help me become better at my job.

I still learn something new everyday. If not about the job, about myself.

 

Isnt he OGBYN.....oldie gonna be a nooby again? Avatar looks the same.

If drivers TODAY started out in single bunk cabovers with no air ride, no power steering, no cell, and if every single law/regulation were the same today without the bazzilions of new ones, and every driver grew up in the same environment, same morals, now, as back then - The question would be a wash.

Probably not a fair question comparing young farm kids driving 80's iron, with young laid off systems analysts driving luxury trucks of 2012.

Trucking back then was more physicaly taxing. Now it's more mentaly taxing.

 

But many of them still cry they can't work 14 hours or drive 11 hours without taking a nap or stopping for a gourmet meal .

 

I take exception to the notion that forays training is better than 30 years ago. This is not a technical job. It's mostly common sense and on the job training. These CDL mills really don't teach you anything more than what is necessary to pass the DMV test. This is why you see a lot of people taking an hour to perform a the simple task of parking the truck for the night or putting it in the dock. And that rather common sight of some newbie tearing his neighbors hood of, you'd used to hardly ever see that. My first job, you had to run team for q leqst a year before they would turn you loose solo. You can't tell me that 3 weeks of school and a couple of weeks with a traimer equals a year with an experienced driver

 

So you want to know what made me a better new driver than the new driver of today?

Well first of all I would say that back then we all got into trucking because it is all we ever wanted to do . Today I feel that the new driver today gets into trucking because they can't find a job any other way . This may just be my not be the case but it is my view .

I feel that back then we new drivers knew we didn't know anything and we asked and listened to the old hands . The new breed just seems that they already know everyting because they have been to school.

I know for a fact that we were trained better back then even without schools because we were trained by old hands . Today you have guys being trained by another rookie .

I have never driven for a mega carrier so I can't comment on them but I do know that JB Hunt did start raising the pay for drivers back then .

We were not any safer back then but I feel we were smart enough to know we were not as good as the old hands . From my experience with the new driver of today they think that they are as good or better than me because I am a crusty OLD driver .

I have said it before back then it was 90%old hands . Today it is more like 70 to 80% rookies . This is one reason that I feel most of us old hands don't offer our help to knew drivers as often as the old hands did for us . It just seems like amateur hour just goes on for ever now . It isn't one mistake a day to try to help a guy out of it is hundreds of them an hour now .

Some days I get the feeling that I am the only one that has a clue about how to drive at all . I know I can't be the only one that feels like this .

I will be honest with you I just don't have enough energy left in me to care about trying to help a rookie that I don't feel wants or will listen to my help .

Besides that the odds are he won't be driving in a few months anyway so why bother. I am just wore slap out by the know it all new breed .

I am aware that this is a terrible way to be but guys I am just getting tired of feeling like I am surrounded by people that don't care about themselves let alone their jobs .

Ok that is enough ramblings of a crusty old driver! Just remember no one is holding a gun to your heads if you hate the profession do yourself and all the rest of us a favor and do something you love as much as much as I love my job!

You will know be returned to your regulary scheduled programing.