Non traditional truckers

There is a big difference between the old school mentality and the new breed mentality. You can be a rookie and have the old school mentality. You can also have 10 years under your belt and have the new breed mentality. I'll take the old school mentality any day.

I hear more disrespect and garbage coming out of the mouths of the new breed mentality drivers and that is just nuts. You want to figure out who's who, put a lady driver on the CB, and you'll figure it out really fast.

 

In referring to "non-traditional" drivers, I am talking about people who have no respect for themselves, or others. People who will purposely tear up a company truck because they are mad at someone in the company.

People who only look out for themselves, and care nothing for anyone else. The vagabonds of society who are takers and not givers. We had them then, as now. Just not in as big numbers as today.

I don't like shorts, sandals and t-shirts for truck drivers, but that is my personal preference. If a person is clean, neat, and holds himself to a professional standard, then that is OK.

I didn't look like the drivers before me when I started. My cowboy boots, blue jeans, and western shirts were not what the drivers wore before I started. But I was always clean, always respectful to the "old timers", and never had one say anything bad to my face about me or my way of dress.

The real drivers were the ones from the 30s-40s-50s. Those were real men to drive the trucks of the day on the roads they did. My generation wasn't a pimple on the butt of those men, just as many drivers of today aren't a pimple on my generation of drivers butt.

New roads, trucks like home, power steering, A/C, heat and defrosters that really work, air ride seats and suspension, engines that have the power to go up hills faster that 25 MPH. All of these have made trucking much easier than just a few years ago. But, the trucks of the 70s were just as much advanced when compared to the trucks of the 30s-40s.

The self respect and concern for one another is what has changed. Look around. There are still many new drivers of good character and professionalism in this industry, but the lower forms of life are increasing at an ever alarming rate, even more so with the mass layoffs, and trucking companies whose only requirements are that you be able to get to orentation.

These trainer companies don't want character, they want people they can manuplitate. Personal appearance and moral standards are secondary to low priced, easily moulded drivers.

The computer test companies give that ask several hundred questions about situations you may encounter is a way for them to weed out people who can not be easily manipulated into what they want.

So, to end this rant, much of the degraduation of the trucking industry with "non-traditional" drivers, as I have described them, lies at the feet of the driver mill companies, who pay less, expect more, and care not one bit for anything, except profits above all else.

That's my rant for now, stay tuned for more.

 

stranger - you aren't the only 30+ year veteran that wore cowboy boots, western shirts, and jeans. Lordy, you are describing my dad to a T! You sound a lot like my dad too.

 

I'd hardly call myself an "old timer" I've been driving 26 years and only 5 years older than you but some of the "old timers" are right there is a lack of respect out there right now. I find it very hard to pass by a rig broken down at least asking on the CB if he's OK. Very rare to hear that from "to-days" drivers. Yes things were much better years ago but we just carry on. OK now for the touchy subject you say it's the fault of any number of races (white included). Certain races were brought up in a society were they were #1 and didn't give a rats ##### about anyone else. Here's were the problem started Everyone needs to adapt to the way society is in this part of the world and if they can't adapt drive elsewhere in this big world. I actually think the biggest problem isn't who you are or where you came from but.....it todays society is rush, rush, rush with deadlines and soaring costs, wages being lower when you factor money made vs. money spent. Whether your an O/O or company driver it costs more to live on the road. I don't think alot of people have time to stop and help nor do alot of them care cause there #1.....yes you look after yourself first but if a fellow driver needs help I will help them. We all need to be the "good old boys" regardless of who you are its not hard. We all all members of an elite group of people and shouldn't forget that.

 

Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned the race bit. It's true that I have heard gys complaining about how it used to be and then go and spew out some racist crap which is a big pet peeve of mine. However, I'm sure they are the exception and not the norm.

Yeah, I always ask if a driver is OK if broken down or stopped in an unusual place. Usually the response, if there is one, ends with 'thanks for asking though'. I don't usually have a whole lot of time to stop but would if there was something I could do to help, even if it just meant letting someone borrow my cell to make a call. I stopped to check on a 4 wheeler in the ditch during a snow storm a few weeks back. He was OK and we couldn't get him out but I did let him make a call. Poor guy had been there for about 20 minutes and noone would stop. I'm not sure if people just assume everyone has a cell, people are scared to stop, or people are just too concerned about themselves but nobody seems to care about others anymore.

 

Excellent post Stranger, Been there with you, driving now for 38 yrs, sure miss when it was fun AND profitable.

Tinytim, there were all races driving back then to, but, nobody aggravated it by speaking a foreign language on ch19 just as we respected the other channels chosen by (pick a race)

RESPECT, one word, when not used causes more chaos an hate than can be imagined.


Cowboy boots may seem strange to some of you, but a snakebite in Arizona may change your mind.

 

There is definitely a lack of caring these days. There are times when I haven't been able to stop to help, but have made calls on my cell to report things, like the time I watched someone spin out on a bridge and play pinball off the jersey barriers on each side behind me. It was a rainy afternoon, and I'm guessing somebody was going a bit too fast for conditions. Lucky that no one else was hit. Had it been just an hour later, it would have been rush hour traffic.

 

Well stated......................

 

A "non-traditional" driver. That's kind of funny since driving a truck has always had more of a variety of people ever since it started. It didn't matter what you wore or what you listened to on the radio. There was one requirement that just about every driver had to follow and that was being a PROFESSIONAL.

What mattered was how you drove the truck and what kind of image you projected. Back then we didn't have CDL schools that rushed us through the requirements to get our driving license. We actually had to learn the skills of driving before we could even think about being turned loose on our own. We had to learn about the truck and how to take care of it. We had to learn to be courteous because back then truck drivers had a reputation of being "Knights of the Highway". Now I'm not saying that every one of the drivers accomplished this but it was the standard.

I honestly believe that the ratios have fipped 180°. Back in the day you would see a driver that would not follow the unwritten rules that promoted the image of a professional driver and they would stick out like a sore thumb. Nowadays it's the opposite. You might see a driver that takes care of the equipment and is a very well rounded professional driver but his type is less than the driver that thinks trucking is to get from point A to point B as fast as he can. I will bet that the drivers nowadays that do follow the old unwritten rules have had someone in their background that used to drive and has had an impact on them.

I also believe that when the schools came in the older drivers took a back seat in training and it's hurt the industry. Most of you know my stance on driver trainers. If the trucking industry really got smart they would push for drivers trainers that are really qualified for the job. They would see that a driver with a million miles or 20 years safe driving is an asset and would use them to pass on their habits to the newer drivers. They've got to be doing something right to accomplished that kind of record.

Please don't get me wrong here because it's not a comparison with old drivers vs young drivers. It's a comparison with professional drivers and steering wheel holders. The object of the game is to make as much money as you can and come out with a perfect record or a record that will allow you to land the better jobs. If you want to get out there and drive aggressively and always speed then the industry doesn't need you. That's my opinion and it's one that's landed me the best job a driver could ask for. I'm glad I had my Dad and friends that started taking me for rides in a gasoline tanker when I was 4 years old. And I'm grateful to them for taking the time to teach me how to drive. I think that we need more of the better drivers taking the time to show the newer driver some tips and safety habits. And I would hope that the newer drivers don't think they know all there is to know because even after 20+ years of driving I learn all the time. Just my 2¢.

 

Man, I am NOT looking forward to hearing any of that racist, redneck, hillbilly crap when I enter this profession.