Professionalism, what does it mean?

Basically all it means, is your bonded by to many regulations, under paid, treated like garbage, every time there is a wreck, they blame you. So that is what it means to be a professional..

 

You can't blame a lack of professionalism on all new drivers. I have started to notice there are two types of new drivers though:

The young guys (myself included), usually pulling flats, that seem to genuinely enjoy what they're doing and seem to have an "old school trucker" heart.

And the midlife career change guys that what nothing to do with anybody else on the road. They often look away while passing so they don't have to acknowledge another driver, don't flash their headlight to let you over, don't thank you when you flash yours for them to come over and usually have some sort of Terminator (as I've seen it described on here) looking headset on.

I'm not trying to group people, but that's been my observation.

 

The ones I like the most are the ones in traffic who pass you just to get one space a head of you.. I had a 4 wheeler once who wanted to get passed me so bad in a traffic mess, that she actually drove over the curb and through the grass to get one space ahead of me .

 

Flatbedders... Self respect... Pride in your accomplishments all have been touched on here very well.
A flatbed man can be proud when he is sent out with 3 chains, a load sized tarp and told to go get 65 bales of cotton and take it 500 miles.
He runs a chain from rail over front trailer tandem up around the front to the opposite. Forklift op brings three bales wide, jams tight and finishes loading like he is trying to break the chain. Loaded out, run a chain from
rail above landing gear around rear and back opposite. Snug back up with old fashioned pinch binders with a cheater pipe the length of the width of the inside of your cab. Forlift brings up bale crosswise, sets on top for driver to roll forward to get it all on (less 3) and balance out his axle weights. Then sitcks the last three longways to trailer, throws the third chain over and binds it tight. Foklift op set the tarp up on the back. Driver rolls it out to front, flips each side and the back down, climbs down the front to stand on his tanks and pull the front flap down. Then pulls out of the pit into the yard out of the way and walks around it tyiing the tarp down. When finished, he can run 60 MPH down the road with no more tarp bulge obscuring his mirrors view than a new Tautliner. Front chain stops coming forward, rear from losing it off back, and the top one holds the whole package down to the trailer. Have to turn the rig upside down to lose any.
A man who does not "respect" himself cannot command respect. It's knowing the you are clean, honest, and capable that impresses others to follow your lead, suggestion or commands. A person who does not value himself has no feeling of self worth and is a failure in waiting at what he attempts.
Pride in what you do is necessary. Regardless of what you drive
(van-flat-tank-car rack) you go get a load and take it somewhere. If you don't feel that it is up to your "important self" you need to seek a "classier" job. Life is too short to waste hating the work you do.
An adage: If a job ios once begun, never leave it till its done.
Be it large or be it small, do it WELL or NOT AT ALL

 

I suggested you read JolliRoger's brilliant post.
It's also about attitude and one's outlook.

 

I do take pride in my job, that is why I'm still driving. I was layed off from a 64k yr job in 05 and came to driving, and after my first yr only made 13k. But because I new it wasn't going to be easy I decided to stay and earn my way or else I would have left in my first yr especially after only making 13k..

 

Hang in there. With all of the trucking companies going under due to high overhead cost, you should consider becoming an O/O. There are opportunity's knocking for those who are willing to do their Due Diligence and exercise a little risk.

 

I have alwasys wanted to be a O/O, but with the high cost of fuel right now and the youngest still in school I will have to pass. The wife and I are thinking on going back OTR after the youngest finishes school in two yrs. I took her out for two weeks, when I was still driving OTR and she loved it. All she talks about is wanting to do it again, so in a couple of yrs it might happen. But for now with the kid in school, and she looking at another surgery next month on her neck it will have to wait..

 

JolliRoger got it right - it's about pride in yourself. That means pride in what you do.

People I've talked to face to face look at me like I'm nuts when I tell them my previous job was as VP and partner of a phone company. Why on earth would I leave that environment and take up trucking?

Partly, it's because I don't see the change in jobs as a come-down. I probably know more about the telephone industry than any other trucker (possibly not, but it's unlikely), but I don't know JACK about the trucking industry. By the time I know as much about trucking as I do about telecom, I'll have spent 10 or more years trucking.

I do know that in both industries, I'm going to depend heavily on other people doing THEIR job so I can get my job done.

The answer doesn't matter, really. But I plan on being the best driver on the planet - whether I do this for 6 months or 60 years (well, ok, maybe 20. after I'm 70, trucking may be too much for me. Maybe). O/O - I'm not about to say 'no' when I don't even know if I like the job yet. But then neither am I going to say 'yes'. Ask me in 5 years.

Who knows - maybe something better might come along and trash it all. I did have an idea this morning...(yes,it hurt)

Back to professionalism. Pride. I've never been one to equate 'clean shaven/short hair' with pride and professionalism. It's more about how you carry yourself:

Are you courteous to all others?
Do you obey all the rules? (ok - there's argument about this one. I disagree with some, but am new enough to know I don't know enough to not be willing to change my opinion)
Do you maintain your equipment to the best standards?
Are you clean? (this applies both to personal hygiene and the contents of your office. It also means that your clothing must be in good repair as well as clean. No holes, tears, oil stains, etc. No off-color or political messages in public.)
Do you keep good records?
Do you try to make other's jobs easier - or at least, not worse?

In my book, all these things stem from, and lead back to pride in yourself and your job - which results in professionalism.