Are you an operator or just a driver

I'm a somewhat new driver. I didn't take the typical route though. Never went to a driving school. Got my cdl when I was 18 and got all my driving jobs based on my attitude and willingness to work. I also learned to drive from my father who drove for 35 years. I have also never been otr, only local gigs, all small companies. I also carry tools to fix anything I can on the side of the road. I have parts too, water hose, air fittings, spare belt, fuel filters. I get paid by the hour but can't stand sitting on the side of the road for hours waiting to be rescued. My company usually throws me $50 for saving them the roadside call.
I have worked with guys that can't even tell me what transmission, or engine, or suspension a truck has. Makes me wonder how they can do a proper pre-trip.

 

Most of the drivers today are not in it for the job its just a pay check that they want & honestly why should they give a Hoot?They are giving them .22 cpm?26 cpm and the super truckers are getting so called top wages .46 CPM and then they pay them book miles the SOB's companies today don't deserve a good driver and most trucking companies don't want anything to do with any driver with IQ above 10. Because he/she will quit after there orientation Hell they may not want to go to orientation after their first consultation with the company recruiter. They Like them Dumb & Desperate and if they are healthy enough to pass the doo doo physical that would be the icing on the cake 10/10 heellowComin
Ahmen my trucken friend ?

 

O/O or company driver i think everyone out on the road should have some mechanical knowledge and carry some tools in the truck. there has been many times both as a o/o and a company driver that i have been able to make quick repairs on the side of the road to keep on trucking or at least get back to a shop or a place to get parts.

alot of people also need to be re-schooled on how to drive respectfully and responsibly

 

THIS+++

If you do not know what's in your truck, you are not performing an appropriate pretrip. It's really that simple.

 

Great words of wisom.I'm just a driver.Most companies don't care what the driver knows.So they're to blame more then the drivers are.Think about it,all you need is a pulse an you're as good as hired.With todays economy it's ALL ABOUT MONEY.I do agree with you ,drivers should know more then just getting from point A to point B but like I said companies could care less what the driver knows just hurry up an get that load delivered.So why should drivers care.

 

Fix'd it for ya.

 

Just because the company wants you to be an idiot does not mean you can not take it upon yourself to learn more about your source of income than is required of you by the company.

I think that is part of the reason old hands don't want anything to do with most new breed drivers .
They don't seem to want to learn about trucks and trucking they are more worried over if they have time to play video games and watch cable tv.

I think you owe it to yourself to learn as much about your job as you can . I know most meat in the seat out here today hate the job and everyone in it so they just do enough to get their paycheck and don't care about anything or anyone else .

It is seen as a lack of respect by most old hands and that's why they just don't want to help the newbee . At least that's the way I take it .
They seem to want to be a steering wheel holder and not a trucker from what I have seen . If you try to help most tell you that they know how to do it and stop bothering them . They pull into the truck stop close the curtain and you don't see or hear anything out of them until they leave .

I blame part of it on the fact that is no coffee shop to shoot the bull in anymore also .
We seem to be worked like dogs and fed like kids anymore .
All you see is fast food at these so called travel centers .
I know they make more off of subway than a restaurant but it is killing the world of social interaction with other drivers.
That's why we are on this website I guess LOL !!!

OK that's enough rambling from an old fool for now have a good day everyone .

 

Was Dinosaur now Fossil here. First off Drivers are not Operators. Second, guys that work on Trucks are called Mechanics. I could care less how these new Trucks work,their Plastic/Electronic crap. I can't even tell what the switches do anymore cause their not in ENGLISH. Can I drive them,Hell yes! Somethings never change.

 

6 Weeks??? hahah thats even better....

 

You may be one of the old hands that do care but I have seen many old hands as bad as new drivers.They just want their shift to hurry up and get over with.The pay,the laws,companies and the no care attititude towards drivers makes them this way.If I see something wrong im not going to fix it unless the company pays me what a mechainic charges.But if a driver ask for my assistance,im more then happy to help because I do believe in teamwork.Just not teamwork with companies because they play the one way street game.