Abilene Motor Express....A New Place To Call Home

Had one in Indiana wake me out my sleep to ask me if we're delivering to the same place,if it was anybody else they would've taken his cane and knocked some sense into him.

 

And I thought I was the only one who had a “leave me alone” attitude! Good to know I’m not by myself in that.

 

There was one time last year when I had pulled over to take a leak right where the 1-lane stretch of US35 turns back into the 2-lane bit before you hit I-64 and Charleston. Like a lotta dudes, I take advantage of my physiology by using a jug for these situations so I don't have to leave the truck.

Finished my business, sat back down in the driver's seat -- and #### near jumped outta my skin when a fellow Abilene driver knocked on my door. It was that young dude that RILLY likes to talk and talk and talk and talk and talk, and I've never met another human being who can talk so much and say so little. Anyhow, he was just checking up on me, see. Wanted to make sure I was okay.

Always thought that was really weird. Like, I see an Abilene truck on the side of the road, I assume they're handling whatever business they need to handle without my intervention. Would never occur to me to pull up behind one to check on 'em and make sure they were okay unless the driver was standing on the side of the road trying to flag me down.

A week later, it happened again, with a different Abilene driver.

 

I often stop in that same spot to mark my territory. I mean, I'm not trying to come across like an a hole, if someone needs help, Abilene driver or not I'll help. But it just seems like this company.....smh...these drivers act like we blood brothers and sisters. The one today made me so angry. Going to have his door open and keep hollering " yo Abilene "at me, it was dumb. And I cant count the number of times, i get trapped in the fuel island on the Richmond yard by another driver wanting to tell me their life story.

 

I've noticed that alot of the older drivers here do some sort of nonsense like that. I guess because I'm young I'm supposed to laugh, I'm not sure. Last time I was in Richmond I was going around the back of the bobtail line and an older driver start walking straight toward my truck, deliberately. I stopped, I started again he was talking some rubbish about " just checking your reflexes"

... yeah you mf'er I'd like to take this bat and check your reflexes is what I was thinking. It's like a big drama club at the yards.

 

I know that guy you are speaking of. He doesn’t work here anymore. Yeah, he was a PITA, but harmless. I don’t stop to see if anyone is okay, but I will give a shout on the radio. If you answer, fine, if not, that’s fine, too.

As far as at the yard, I used to talk to folks more. But, well, listening to the wads in dispatch when they think no one is listening, listening to the porch dwellers, and coming on here, and hearing some of the things discussed, and now, these last couple posts, really remind me of why I stopped.

I actually liked talking to the old hands. You know, the ones who have been out here for years. I’m still a rookie with 7 years. I like hearing the “good old days” stories, especially the stories from women who have been out here a long time, and I appreciate just how much easier it out here for today’s generation of drivers. If you know how to listen, you can find out a lot. JB is direct and to the point, probably because he’s a born NYer (and IMO, that never goes away no matter where you live LOL), but most guys are not, even those who don’t drive for a living.

**Just 2 cents from an older person.**
Oh, and waving and acting like we are “blood brothers and sisters “? We do work for the same company, so what’s the harm in a short conversation or a wave? When I started here, even before JB (imagine that!) it was customary to do those things. I on the receiving end of such help once-and it was very badly needed. I thanked that owner operator every time I saw him. Glenn Minnis. May he RIP. So, chill guys, it’s just a conversation, but maybe it’s more than that to someone else. And what does it really cost you? Roll with it.

 

If I'm out in a public space, like fueling or whatever, and someone tries to start up a conversation, I don't think that's unreasonable. That's actually a very American thing to do, and it's one of the aspects of our culture I'm pretty proud of. If you want to never ever have another human being try to start a conversation with you when you're in public, move to Finland or Germany. Over there, striking up a conversation with a stranger in public is considered a significant breach of etiquette, and they'll think you're weird (or American) if you try it.

I do think it's kinda odd to roust someone out of their bunk for a conversation though.

 

As a former Abilene driver that still follows this thread religiously I’m going to give my .02. Some days I’m not in the mood to talk to others (part of the reason I enjoy driving), but when I was at Abilene most drivers flashed their lights when passing (kinda a unique thing Abilene had going). I see a fellow driver from the outfit I will throw my hand up to say hello, or verbally say “good morning”. I don’t mind answering a question or helping out a newer driver who needs it.

You should be thankful the other driver stoped to see if you were okay, that shows compassion. When I first started driving before, Qualcomm’s and cell phones, it was very normal for drivers to stop when a driver was on the shoulder, you didn’t know if the driver was having a health issue or a mechanical issue. The company I’m with now I had been here a week, I pulled over to double check my directions, within a minute a fellow driver from the same company (a great women in her seventies) pulled over to see if I was okay. I didn’t find it annoying, I actually found it pretty awesome. So like RC said lighten up a little bit.