Rookies Earning Respect from Expeienced Drivers

Heres what I have seen. I have just got back out on the road after 9 years. WOW! What a change from just back then. It seems like it is every man or woman for themselves. No one says anything about bears or road conditions and such. For a while I thought my cb wasn't working. Hardly ever do I get a good morning or such. Yes I was behind a driver in the fuel island that was washing his truck with the squeegee. He came back and asked if I was ready to go since i was waiting to fuel. He said just 5 more minutes cause he was taking his 30. I mean come on really? It sure is a whole different generation and attitude than I was used to. We should be helpful and courteous at least to each other. Drivers helping drivers,newbe or not. Sometime I think, what a shame. Also, just because I drive a gold truck,without mentioning any names, does not mean im an unsafe or student driver I am just doing what I got to do to get my foot back in the door out here. I am always ready to help that new driver or anyone else that needs a helping hand. Just like the other day driving on 80/94 on the bottom of chitown, the speed limit is posted at 45. Well a driver was yelling for me to get out of the way,guess he was in a hurry. To get to a del or pu or maybe just to get a hefty ticket. Well i have this csa score and a very shallow pocket so I do the speed limit. I moved over to the exit only lane and let him by. No thank you just more derogatory comments. O well I had a good day anyway.

 

Anyone who read my post correctly and is aware of the distances involved probably realized I wasn't claiming anyone should put their tractor at risk or block traffic just so a reefer driver doesn't lose two minutes waiting for you to leave. It's a rare truck stop that is so tight you are forced, either for safety's sake or to avoid blocking traffic, to pen in the driver behind you so much that they can't fuel their reef. We're only talking about maybe three or four extra feet tops here, not a full trailer length.

However newbies, with that said, don't go overboard with my advice and let courtesy overrule safety. The replier to my post, while exaggerating somewhat, did make an important point about being careful when you pull forward. Out of courtesy to the driver behind me, in July 2011 I pulled forward after fueling at the Dandridge TN Pilot on I-40. Never pull forward at that truck stop! There is just enough room to pull forward there without actually blocking trucks to your left from leaving, but it's so tight you're putting your tractor at risk if you do. I should know: a Roehl driver to my left didn't use all his space and ended up tearing off the front left corner of my tractor. I had only pulled up the minimum amount too, just far enough to clear the fuel island for the driver behind me. As I was photographing the scene I could barely walk through the narrow space between the rear of my trailer and the tractor behind.

 

You got that right,every driver for themselves.Far as the crap they're saying to you,it's best to leave the cb off.This is one of many reasons why I haven't used or installed a cb since 2003.Only used it 2 months during the start of trucking.

 

Back when I was driving in 2003-2005 it was common for drivers to go take showers, eat in the diner, or take their sweet time at the fuel island even back then. I can remember one time pulling up at the fuel island and waiting my turn. I was already tired as it was coming close to the end my HOS for the day. I just wanted to fuel up, park the truck long enough for my co-driver to get ready for his shift, and then go to bed. However, the person in front of me was taking forever. When you are fatigued your mind can play tricks on you. Like for example for me when I'm tired and at a stop, if another driver on my right pulls forward slowly it momentarily makes me think i'm rolling backwards, which makes me stomp harder on the brake more than I already am.

In the end I had to mark myself off duty in the sleeper on my paper logs just so the DoT wouldn't flag me for continuing to be on duty after running out of hours. The driver walked out with her hair still wet and got into the truck in front of me and pulled off finally letting me pull forward. If I didn't have other drivers stacked up behind me I would of just parked the truck a long time ago. That goes to show you that even back then drivers were still dicks to each other.

 

Ya pattyj. We pretty much ran out west and no one talks on the radio. I tell ya though when I got around the Chicago area it was blowing up. At one point I wished to be back out west where it was quiet and people were a bit more polite. Anyway thats a bit off subject.

 

I hate that,all you wanna do is fuel and be done with the day.Next time fuel an hr or so before your shift is over then that's one less thing you have to do when its time for co driver to take over.

 

At work a driver left his cb in the trk I now drive just for me think he has a thing for me,lol.I told him thanks but you can take it anytime I have no use for it.

 

Because being an oblivious moron is the new black!

 

People are only concerned with themselves, and the heck with everyone else. Funny thing is.....watch those very same people when THEY need help or assistance.

 

Would like to drive a Mega carrier truck w/ 650HP & 355 rear ends. Yeah that would be cool.