Central Refrigerated Truck Stop II

I really think it's just a stereotype that was perpetuated by a small percentage of drivers that were more than happy to fit that mold. It makes it that much harder for the dedicated, hard working drivers that take care to present themselves in a positive manner to overcome the presumed image in many peoples minds. I was in car sales for a while and it's the same thing...customers think you're a shyster trying to trick them into something before they even drive on the lot and give you a chance. Takes a while to prove you're different. Of course there are still jerks in every profession but the only person you control is you. My wife and I too are going to be joining Central in a few weeks and we are extremely excited about it! Good luck to you and your husband.

 

When people think less of you, show them a settlement. I take solace in knowing I make more than most of the people around me, and therefore don't care what they think of me.

 

yeah the whole unskilled labor thing is a crock of bull. Drivers and this industry are under constant scrutiny from the gov and other organizations about logs , formalities and god knows all the permits and tax crap. Most people go to school to learn a profession, truck driving is an ongoing education and a job from day one till the day you retire or stop driving. In my opinion all the people that look down their nose at you for being a pro driver would also be the first ones griping if the trucks all stopped rolling, And hardly any of them could run an accurate log or work time to make deliveries. Yes, you can teach a monkey to drive a truck but it takes a special person with dedication and perseverance to make a professional driver! Just remember without trucks this country stops, don't let other people's uneducated opinions sway your decision.

 

Best of luck to you too! I understand that the average worker has at least three major career changes in their lifetime. I guess at 45 & 47 yrs old it's our time again.

 

truckers have a piss poor image because. that's the way it's become.

GONE are the days of the professional trucker. welcome to TODAY. where 95 percent of the truckers have less then 1 year experience. have no respect. or brains. or etiquette.

and half of those. are 500 pound slobs.

and then, you can add all the govt BS. becuase of the amount of rookies on the road today.

i came out here 13 years ago. took a 10 year break to be local. now i'm back out on the road and the picture has changed DRAMATICALLY.

you really have to have a strong desire to be a trucker these days. cuz it's down right pitiful and disgusting what's out here.

if the local market would get back in shape and pay the wages they did 10 years ago. i'd leave the road for home in a heartbeat.

 

Yes! Finding a good local job is so tough in this job market. One hundred applicants for every job. And trucking? An estimated need for 20,000 new truckers/year over the next five years! We need to clean it up fast but, like you, I just don't see much hope on the horizon. I thought more governmental involvement would change the landscape and attract only the pros. I thought sky-high gas prices would cut out the amateurs.

 

The the government intervention and high fuel price are doing nothing but causing the experienced "good for the industry" drivers to hang up their keys! All the gov's crap is playing into the hands of the big mega carriers and killing the entrepreneurial spirit of the little man. this industry definitely needs a facelift but all the new rules and regs , in my opinion are counter intuitive. I think that a lot of our issues could be fixed if the states would include a "sharing the rd with and driving around CMVs" class with their standard drivers license classes. As a trainer I teach all of my students to be the truck driver that nobody remembers! It's better to be unnoticed than to be remembered as the "idiot driver that about killed someone". I grew up with trucking and I remember when being a truck driver was a relatively admirable profession. I maintain a sense of pride in my job and I go to sleep everyday knowing I did my best and this is how I attempt to train my students. If all of our trainers would do this we could bend the curve back in the right direction but it takes time and men and women that are proud of their profession and train for the industry not just for the money!

 

Taking pride in your work is a lost value. I used to run a small crew of guys and the turnover was ridiculous because all anyone cared about was payday. "Yeah the work looks terrible, but we still got the check!" It's depressing, and its why our labor force can't compete in a global market. Made in the USA used to mean made with pride by people who care, now not so much.

 

Kudos to Kraft Dedicated (LINK) ... Wonder if the drivers will get any recognition??

 

I doubt it. We haven't gotten so much as a good job message on the QC. I assume "key employees" means account managers rather than the guys getting the freight to the 99 on time and damage free. Still, it's nice to be noticed.