Its un freakin believable

Hmmmm...

Did you ever lose $100 on someone holding 5 bags of soda over their head?

Did you ever get get suckered into holding a bag over your own head?

LMAO...oh hell yeh !! Being a newb in trucking, is easy. I have the scars (from oil field) to prove it too.

 

A lot of times, it's not the newbies who are getting razzed, it's the companies they work for. (I'm a Swift driver, I should know!) When the old heads do rip on the noobs, a lot of times it's because the BS meter is going off. Once you've been in the transportation biz for a while, you can smell BS a mile away (I worked for the railroad for 3 years, so believe me, I know the smell of BS) A lot of new guys come into trucking thinking that they're gonna have a decked out Peterbilt and haul coast to coast with their cowboy boots on and their bassett hound sleeping on the passenger seat. (kinda the "Smokey and the Bandit" road romance). The old guys lived it and know it isn't ever coming back and when they see a new guy trying to emulate it, they view that person as a poser.

Tell ya what though, that new guy is in for a shock when they get a newer Volvo in plain white with nothing more than the company logo to decorate it. IT's about as romantic and exciting as a wet fart.

Ahh the good 'ol days, how I wish I knew ye....
Russ

 

Thumps up..well said.

 

Im a newbie,ha but this up there ^^^ is the truth. And that's how i looked at every job i had, got to pay your dues in everything you do in life. I found that most older driver's do help out alot, then you got your mr i know it all that dont care about them there company or anything around them. Just part of life in my book.

 

generally it's your attitude that determines how much grief you get as a rookie. Plus we know the vast majority of you won't make it a year anyways

 

Don't you just love it ?

Anyone have any hard figures on the "drop out" rate for rookies the first year ??

 

We are getting along...a forum has nothing on what really goes on out on the road.

Ever think we are tired of hearing how hard you have it? You don't have a clue, got satellite radio, lap tops, cell phones, a/c and a nice bunk. Hmmm I learned in a KW cabover, slip through a hole to find the "bunk", a/c died and my shift took me across the desert at temps of 100 plus degrees....thank heavens my trainer/friend showed me how dry ice can cool a truck. Had a calling card and a roll of coins, lots of paperwork and radio that wasn't worth turning on....cb's were the norm and had lots of "good" information on them.

Most of you come into the industry thinking we are lying to you about a 70 hour work week. And you can't believe your going to miss birthday's, holidays and what use to be important is not really that important. Gone for weeks on end and driving in weather that you never thought you venture out into. Then you find out....we aren't lying and getting the load there on time is not as easy as most of us portray it. Most of you don't have any time management until after your first 6 months. You don't understand when a company says accident will cost you the job....until you have a fender bender...unfortunately with the rigs that is no such thing. It's a pricey endeavor when you scrap, dent or rip off a piece of the equipment or run into another truck because you didn't think it was "cool" to get out and look. Accidents cost companies big $$ and more and more companies are not tolerating many of any kind before they release you.

We are getting along, it's just maybe the noobies need to listen a tad better. Most of us who have been around for awhile will help you on the road. Got questions on how to hang iron or what gear you need to be in going down a pass...we'll help just pay attention and listen...if you need to take notes.

Us that have been doing this for years remember how we watch out for each other. Now days it's ever driver for themselves....don't think we can ever capture back what we once had. Sorry to see the industry change and it's not necessarily for the good.

 

Yepper. I see many **cough** professional drivers out there that lack the first thing a professional should have. Courtesy.

 

There's alot of drivers on this board that take the time to help any new driver out. But if you come on here with an attitude then you can expect little or no help. I have yet to see a driver with many years turn down or give bad information to a new driver asking legitimate questions. I feel it's our job to pass on information that will help the driver based on our past experiences.

As far as courtesy goes it's not like the old days when you could stop and help without being robbed or hijacked. If I can communicate with the broke down truck I will but I won't stop. I won't stop because it's against company policy and I'm hauling alot of gasoline. It's just common sense.