So many new drivers.

Sounds like a tough life, doesnt it? It was! A trucker was tough as nails. His wife was tough as hell. Even the kids were tough. Daddy was going to work. There was no crying and boohooing. He's got his dusty old boots and his ballcap on. The wife wasnt the "old lady", she was "mama". She didnt whine or cry or give ultimatums. She would bring the car with the kids to pick daddy up when he got back to the yard. There wasnt a terminal, there was just the yard.

There wasnt any dumbas$ truck drivers. If you saw a bigtruck in a ditch, you didnt pick fun and call the driver a dumbas$, you asked if the driver was okay. If the driver lived, you breathed a sigh of relief. If he died, you were silent.

Your name, your race, whatever, didnt matter. The older hands gave you a handle and that was your new name. Even mama would start calling you by your handle. In fact, mama would get her own handle from the other drivers.

The cops knew you by your handle. Even the cops had handles. You knew them, they knew you. You would say hello to them as they watched for speeders and they would respond.

I remember an old deputy sherriff for the Forsyth County Sherriff's called "Afterburner." Everyone in those days knew Afterburner. He sat in the middle of I-75, north of Macon, right around the coup. He didnt bother the bigtrucks too often, unless they got really carried away. Afterburner was after the "drug dealers in 4wheelers" that used to race up the bigroad from Florida.

There was no hatred between cops and truckers. In fact, in an emergency, a cop knew that he/she could depend on a trucker for backup if things got to heavy. Try to fight a female cop and truckers would line both sides of the interstate to kill you. Smack your girlfriend around in public and a trucker would shove his pistol in your mouth. You didnt hurt women and you didnt mess with kids in a trucker's eyesight.

Another driver needed help, you helped him. You didnt even ask. You stopped, got out of your truck and helped. To hell with the load, if your fellow driver needed help, you were going to help. When the driver asked how could he ever repay you, you tell him to just be sure to help the next driver in need.

 

###### Triple you made me think of riding with Pawpa when I was a kid (I know to older drivers I still am at 24). So much of the stuff you see in our industry just wouldn't fly even 15 years ago. The best sleep I ever got was in a moving truck, or if we were parked for the night sleeping on the doghouse. There are hundreds of "war stories" from those of you with more experience than us rookies, and I enjoy listening to them (although I have yet to acquire a taste for coffee which could be why I'm not a trucker). I do admit that I am not a trucker. I am a at most a truck driver, or perhaps a semi-experienced operator who is learning something new everyday.

I didn't come into the industry as some did with the expectations of major income, sightseeing with unreal ideas, and the thought of a woman in every town who loved me because truckers are the last of the cowboys. I came to drive a truck and make a paycheck, I came to learn something about myself, and also to get a feel for what I want in life and if this career is right for me as it was for my Grandpa (Pawpa) as well as my dad.

I have learned in these last several months that I do have the intelligence and determination to succeed out here, but I also know that in the long-term it isn't for me. I respect the "supernatural" talent that real Truckers display on any given day, and I can only wish that when I do find my niche in life that I will be as good there as they are in their chosen path.

So from the viewpoint I have watch out for the Rookies such as myself, some of us are better than others, but most won't be at the level of a real Trucker for quite some time (if ever). However, if you give us a little time, we will do the job safely and to the best of our abilities, hopefully learning each day as we go.

 

It's the economy. Everyone dreams about driving a big rig. What better time to give it a try when than when you are laid off? Your sitting at home, not knowing how you are going to pay the bills, the mortgage check is a month late, and that Roadmaster Driving School ad comes on the tube promising a $45,000 a year job after just 4 weeks of training.

These folks will come and go. I wouldn't worry about it. Just try and stay out of their way. This job just ain't for anyone, anyone who has been driving more than a year or two knows it. Hell, I've been out here 12 years and to be honest, I'm about ready to go home and deliver pizzas.

 

Hell, I've been out here 12 years and to be honest, I'm about ready to go home and deliver pizzas.

Mr. Mustard, at least youll be greeted by happy recievers every single time, and be rewarded for your work most times by them...

 

And I won't have to talk to them though a hole in a piece of glass.
I won't have to sit in their driveway for 3 hours until they are ready for me.
I won't have to hire a lumper to carry the pizza from the car to the front door.

 

It's a bit different than that... job market is changing, and the CDL mills are really pushing their stuff.

First, age discrimination is a real thing. No one like to say it, but the older guy making more money is more likely to be let go these days than the younger guys. Price of two younger guys = 1 older guy. It's illegal, but if an employer says the right things, they get away with it.

Second, unless an older guy has some overriding skill that's unavailable in the general market place, the HR guys (younger) tend to look at the older guy, and think, "am I going to be able to party with gramps?" The answer is no, so the older guy is less likely to get another job.

Third... retraining. Older guy - ex middle manager type, making good 5 to 6 figure salary, goes down to job services to apply for UE. Has to register for new jobs...

- Changing bed pans at the old folks home. Minimum wage.
- Janitorial, cleaning urinals. Minimum wage.
- Washing dishes. Minimum wage.
- Stocking at WallyWorld. Not much more than minimum wage.
- Lawn maintenance at neighbors' homes. Minimum wage.
- Driving a truck.

You can see where this is going, especially after visiting the CDL mill, and they're telling the guy he's gonna make a million bucks driving a truck, being a "knight of the road." Goes home, watches "Smokey and the Bandit" for a couple of hours and is sold.

 

Is that a movie that you saw because I drove out of Jacksonville FL in the late 70's and it was nothing like that. Alabama cops didn't even bother with your name, they just said here you go driver as they handed you a ticket. I broke down along the interstate and it took forever to get help. Of course South Carolina had some nice "houses" in Santee and you could get medicinal help if you needed it. But in all of the 7 southern states I ran it was all business.

 

Then, of course, there is the flip side to this.

I did the 4 years in college, and have 10 years experience in my trade(Information Technology, security and network infrastructure). The highest paying job I can get is $12/hr right now in my area. My wife's family is here, so we don't want to relocate.

Now, my family has been involved in trucking since there was a trucking industry. That really is no joke. We have O/O's, terminal managers, company drivers, you name it. I have family that held some pretty high profile trucking jobs. So, if you are part of our family and not involved in trucking, you really are odd man out.

I got tired of contract work and constant layoffs. I had no benefits, and a family to take care of. Lets not forget the corporate BS all the time.

So, I went to trucking and haven't been happier. I got in with a small but very strong company that runs right in the midwest.

So, count me as one of those who turned to trucking because my chosen profession went to hell. And you know what? I'm much happier.

 

The boys in blue have always been decent to me. Perhaps it was just you. Longhair?

 

No in fact I was active duty Navy driving on my days off. But everyone knew that AL was the hardest on trucks then. It just wasn't as you painted it. Cops gave tickets to trucks. Trucks would go by a broke down truck without a word. And there were plenty of CB rambos. It was a little bit better in the public eye but that was about it.