Fuel tanker drivers

The driver that hired me at the ripe old age of 19, told me to act like a professional, wether I was one or not.

He said if he ever heard me jamming gears, or jerked the bumper up in the air when I took off or changed a gear, he would kick my ###.

After a few trips by myself, he rode with me one night. We were going through Charlotte on 74 heading toward Wilmington. I came off of 16 onto Independence Blvd, grabbing gears, and letting her roll.

I would take off from the stop lights showing him how smooth I was changing gears, how I could get through the lights before they turned red, and how many gears I could change each time I took off.

He never said a word. I thought I was really a truck driver now. I could go through the low side before you could shake a stick, and never feel the truck lurch one bit.

About Monroe he told me to pull over. I didn't get an ### whipping, but I sure thought it was coming.

It was explained to me that being a professional wasn't just smooth shifting and changing a lot of gears, but smooth easy driving, changing what gears are necessary, and no more. I was told if a light catches you, it's better than trying to drag race it before it does, and don't do anything on the road or in a truck stop that causes people look at you.

Yep, I sure got a well deserved butt chewing. I took my chewing, then drove like I had some sense, and it was never brought up again.

I have used the "act like a professional" line on many people since that night. That butt chewing did more to make a professional out of me that anything else could have.

That lession served me well in the years that I drove a tanker. That is the secret of tanker driving, act like a professional.

 

another bit of advice that should be extended to everybody behind the wheel.

My dad's rule of thumb - and now it's mine: If you cause somebody else to take evasive action, you screwed up.

Braking, accelerating, lane changes all constitute evasive action.

Sure, sometimes you have zero choice. If your truck is governed below the speed limit, for instance - 90% of the rest of the traffic on the road must avoid you. But in general, you all know exactly what I'm saying.

 

Maybe so these days the way my bones feel. But when I started I was still wet behind the ears.

 

Oh, man I understand that.

And at my age, it's a strange feeling to be wet behind the ears!

 

I wonder if this aspiring fuel hauler ever accomplished his goal.

 

I wonder as well.