Attitude

The beauty of this job is that I start my clock and I'm going to be out of every ones hair and they're going to be out of mine 14 hours later. What ever happens in between can't change that.

My previous careers weren't like that ... 70 hour in 8 days - cake. I used put close to 70 hours in the office Monday to Friday, plus 7x24 on call ... it begins when it begins and when it ends you have no control and don't know when it will - it could be 30 minutes, it could be 2 days - and everything else and everyone else in your life goes on hold or works around it until your done. Then 10 minutes after you're done, it can start all over again. It took a heart attack before I was 40 and a transplant recommendation by 42, to learn patience and perseverance.

 

honestly, I see this as no attempt at all of recruiting. it is a pretty straightforward statement of how "attitude '' affects ones business. from your response to it, you should pay special attention to this thread. it could very well help.

 

Here is one of my favorite quotes. just thought it may be some food for thought... or maybe im just a fruitloop. either way here it is

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, 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 everyday 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 one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”
- Charles R. Swindoll

 

Well, as far as attitude, I think I'm about half way there... When things are going well I have a good one, but I've hauled a string of loads recently where something was screwed up. I mean how do you handle it when a load is not as described and the broker expects you to re-order permits and sit a couple extra days for no extra money ? or how do you handle it when you show up to deliver and it turns out it doesn't deliver to the address on the bills, but to a rigger's yard across town ?

I just have a hard time communicating effectively in these situations. I know it does no good to fly off the handle, but on the other hand I have to communicate somehow that I need to be compensated for extra work, the longer they take to address it the more it costs me, etc... I mean, is there a really positive way to tell someone, "you screwed up and I am not going to be the one to pay for it" ?

 

When I was younger I worked with a guy for a couple summers putting up hay, one of the hardest workers I know. I used to get all worked up when it would rain and our schedule would get messed up. He told me one day, "You'll get a lot further spending that energy solving problems you can control than crying about things you can't." It's good advice. Like Rollin was saying, many times the ones we have contact with aren't even responsible for causing the problem and/or can't fix it, so you get a lot further treating them kindly and respectfully.

 

"By the terms in the contract, XXX has not complied."

Or something to that effect. I KNOW it sucks. But maintaining a cool professional manner will help you reach your goal of being paid what you deserve for whatever screw-up happens. Think whatever you want inside the confines of your skull (and have a trusted compatriot to vent at), but make sure what comes out of your mouth is cool calm and collected.

 

Hey Chris got the truck parked along side the house gonna fire her up in October and do some produce runs when things slow down in the tour industry. Parked it back in first week of march and went tour bus driving and gotta say Bro that I enjoy the heck outta it but im still a trucker and the dang bus don't bend in the middle...lol.. Other than that im doing good just getting older and wiser and still not agreeing with all the new rules. How u doing Bro good I hope RW

 

A tour bus? Around the country or just out west? Hey, I can't complain. You know a bad day trucking is still better than any kind of day in a factory or at an office... ...it still ain't better than a day at the beach tho

 

lol........you hit the nail on the head there...........I've spent 21 years in a factory.....lol............standing up on concrete....It's hard to imagine what it would be like to work outdoors.

 

Lol.. I stole that from the Mercer thread and made it my own.