Professionalism, what does it mean?

What you're asking is a difficult thing to quantize.

It's more or less the embodiment of years on the road coupled with an old fashioned concept of kinship or brotherhood with your fellow truck driver.

It's a "no one gets left behind" kinda' thing if you run across someone stuck. It's a notion of "When I'm flush, everyone around me is flush".

Yes it's all those things you mentioned about personal hygiene but it goes beyond that straight to personal integrity.

If a cause came along that effected the group negatively, everyone got together to fight it.

It is a sort of "one for all & all for one" kinda' deal.
Corny I know but, there was a lot more comradery involved in yrs past.

It's in the simplest of things like extending a hand or a wrench when a fellow driver needs something fixed on his truck in the parking lot on a layover. Throwing a meal &/or $20 to another driver stuck at the T/S. A bus ticket or a just a ride closer to home for another driver down on his luck.

None of the pettiness of that "sqealin'" on one another just cuz one of your other company trucks was able to pass you or you saw him/her drinkin' a beer before hittin' the sheets.

Don't leave out stopping for a 4 wheeler stranded in crappy weather.
It's not tailgating each other &/or 4 wheelers just cuz you want to go faster. It's not cutting off your fellow hiway travelers...4 wheeler & 18 wheeler alike.

It's in knowing your limitations & asking for a hand when necessary...and getting that hand when possible. It's in returning that hand somehow, somewhere down the line.

You see, it's not easily a written thing so much as it's an abstract group of concepts aimed towards keeping you humble on the road because that next breakdown or ditch could have your name on it & you'll need a hand to get out of it.

I know this isnt exactly the best explanation but it's off the cuff.
Someone else will do better.

 

ahhh they blame it all on the "new breed of driver" but it's those grumpy old hands that aren't practicing what they preach too! it is ,i believe, a downturn of society in general.

 

professionalism begins with respect. and respect seems to be a part of the past.

 

i heard that i did!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I'm ashamed to say that you're right about too many of us old fartz.
Most of us know better & have become too jaded by our later-life experiences & the worlds' attitude towards us.
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I believe Jack.Frost said it better than I could.
Well said Jack.

 

you sound like you know what i am talking about. i have a feeling you will be a good trainer.

 

well, thank you! i try to follow that old golden rule! do unto others.....
you reap what you sow etc etc.

that's iss it, alot of the newer drivers weren't home trained early in life to treat others with respect and treat any job they do like it was the most important thing in the world. as for the older drivers i think some are disheartened by the way they are being treated by everyone from the government to the newer drivers and are just disgusted with the industry.

 

Well I can tell you what it means to me and what I require in my drivers.

I come from the old school when being a truck driver meant that the most important thing was getting the load there above all else, now I do want all drivers to be legal and that wasn't always the case. What I don't want is the attitude tht if they wanted it this morning they will really want it this evening. I only hire O/O but they will follow the rules that I have or work elsewhere, which is thier option of course. I require them to be clean shaven, well groomed, and a good haircut. I require them to be in blue pants and a blue botton shirt..tucked in. I require that they keep thier truck clean inside and out at all times. When the trucks with my name on the side of it pulls up at a customer I want them to know that my drivers are professional and will take care of thier equipment or merchandise. To me nothing is worse then pulling up at the customers and the long haired, unshaven, dirty/holey t-shirt and shorts wearing truck driver to jump down out of a dirty truck and represent me....never going to happen in my company. We haul specialized freight that pays them very well so they understand the rules and are willing to follow them....they understand that they are the business and are for the most part all any of my customers know about me. When they pull up at a weigh station they are not fumbling to find all of their required paperwork, it is all neat and organized in a permit book...simple I know, but how many times have you seen that guy who is pulling up the folded paperwork out of his front pocket. Professionalism.....is attitude, opinion, work ethic, and first impressions. Just my .02 worth.