It's your fault.

Thanks, I needed to hear this today. You're absolutely right.

 

The thing is, we used to have that respect and enjoyed the fact that people respected us and knew we would always help when needed. I can remember a young pregnant girl, who was headed from colorado to some base back east to wherever her husband was stationed, she came in he truckstop and ask me for some kind of help with her car. She told me that her mother told her if she got in trouble or needed any help, find a truck driver, can you imagine a mother telling her 20 year old daughter something like that in todays world. with todays drivers.

The industry has went to hell and we have no one to blame but ourselves, with all the whining that goes on.
Every body wants more money, but they want to whine when anything extra at all is ask of them, it seems.
I am not pointing at you either, just the industry as a whole. I would hate to go back to driving and working like we did, in fact I couldn't physically even do it at this stage in life, but up till a couple of years ago I would have if I had to, and be glad to do it if that was all I had to do.

 

I'm glad you found it good. Trucking ain't that bad. That being said I have never been otr and probably never will because it seems most jobs just suck (no offense meant to any otr drivers with that). I spend 12-14 hours a day in the truck same as everyone else but I'm only out two nights a week and get put up in a hotel by the company. I drive #### trucks...no way to sugar coat that, most guys would quit before they even left the lot by the way they talk on here but I get compensated for it very well so it doesn't bother me. That and I have always driven old trucks so I haven't gotten used to new ones, can't miss what you never had. You guys are tough as #### for being able to live out on the road, it's something I have always wanted to try but I can't give up the social benefits like you said. I was all set to do it but then realized I would ####ing lose my #### being away from my family that long. A few nights a week is fine to me but not a month at a time. I think otr is more of a lifestyle than a job, you have to live it and want to do that job. My line of work I could realistically go work in any ltl barn, beverage, or food company and it would be all the same stuff just different colored trucks. If you don't think you are getting what you need now maybe try a local gig? If you go to the ltl rants forum and look at what we cry about it's old trucks , long days (not as long as you have living in the truck), crappy pallet jacks, etc. It's very rarely pay, benefits, treatment, or just not liking the job....just normal bad day stuff you would have working and job in any industry. As far as the lack of respect I feel bad for you guys out there that get treated less than human because of the parking lot crappers and piss dumpers, I see it all the time at my work when outside carriers bring stuff in, they don't want them out of the truck really because they are rarely dressed appropriately (pants, steel toes, etc) and they are just thought of as dirty people. It really sucks for the good guys out there to have to get lumped in with all that.

 

Yeah, it can be very disheartening out here OTR the way the public views us. I'll give a few examples and keep in mind I've only been driving since January this year:

1. Go to Chil Fil A in Ontario, California down the road from the TA/Petro. Cashier is friendly and makes small talk. I know it's her job but still. She's smiling, asks if I'm here on vacation. I say no, here for work. Her eyes light up, she notices my accent and can tell I'm from out of town. Asks me what I do for work. Tell her I'm a truck driver.

Her face, literally went from happy go lucky to a frown with the lips curling up a bit. She quickly caught and corrected herself, she clearly didn't intentionally make that facial expression. It was just a reaction. But still, I think she would've made the same face had I told her I was a murder or something. Made me feel so not so good.

2. Went to Taco Bell/KFC in Williams, Arizona, down the street from the Loves. Cashier is making small talk with me again, says I have beautiful blue eyes. I smile and the small talk continues. Same question - what am I doing there in town? Same answer, I drive a truck? Her response?

"Ohhhhhhhhhh.........." followed by the smile from her face disappearing.

3. Online dating - I'm almost middle aged but not quite there yet. You would not believe how disgusted girls are when I tell them I drove a truck for a living. I don't think it's a blue collared stigma. I have buddies doing carpentry, an uncle whose a plumber, they don't get the type of reactions that truckers get.

As a young man, it's very disheartening to see girls my age in their mid to late 20's be so disgusted by what I do for a living. The best response I got from a girl doing the online dating thing, after the inevitable question of what I do for a living came up, was:

"Oh, well, that's ok, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do, you know?"

Yeah. I don't know. Hopefully I don't sound like a complainer. Nobody owes me anything, I know that and I take responsibility for my life. And I'm very grateful for what trucking has done for me so far.

But I can see it, in society, truck drivers are looked down upon and are not, for the most part, liked at all by the general public. I would be cool with it if the public viewed us in a neutral light, but we can't even get that as we are viewed in a very negative light, generally speaking.

 

You slipped under the radar. Perhaps you should sound a horn every time you assist a driver/wannabe. Some times, you run into people who think that your helping means that you should only say what they want to hear.
Plenty of helpful people here. @Hammer166, @G13Tomcat, and @Lepton1 come to mind. The mods are pretty good at assisting also.

Here are my last two.
Networking

Developing Problem Solving Skills (LONG POST)The best drivers

 

Well not to bust your bubble but i learned to drive a truck and i do it well. Its my niche now if u like. So to me that does make me a truck driver. because i enjoy it and feed off that adrenaline of getting a load delivered on time and safely.

 

1. Tell her you are a Transporter (like Jason Statham)
2. What are you doing in town? “Looking for Trouble.”
3. No online dating. Work your mojo face to face. I prefer to sit in the restaurant, at the bar/lunch counter and engage the cute barkeep. Conversation is a lost art. You can enthrall women with conversation.

If you can cut a rug, they will line up to dance with you. The Man that can dance is devastating.



Oh, and brush up on your manners and etiquette. After all, we’re supposed to be Barbarians.

Luck in battle.

 

You can't bust my bubble, you are either a truck driver or you aren't, you may be one of the ones that is, but you can't build one out of somebody who isn't. I have watched people try for years. And like I said, that is my opinion, no such a thing as any scientific evidence. lol

 

I got called a super trucker once before, but on the cb. Back when we had that 55 speed limit, I was just cruising down I-20 in the vicinity of abilene late one night, probably bumping 100 mph or close, when I passed some right lane riders. One was a lady in a JB Hunt ( wasn't you was it) and she started chewing me out and letting me know that the speed limit was 55. A buddy of mine had been chasing me for miles, but we had turned around high gear in his truck, and he could not get her in the high hole till he hit a down hill, so I had gained a few miles on him. I never knew how fast that truck would run, but once you got in the big hole, you could sure make some time with it, and I had already seen him coming up at a high rate of speed in my mirror. I told her if I had upset her, she better lock her door, or she may get sucked right ouit of the cab in just a few seconds. lol
You sure that wasn't you. lol

 

100 in a truck has to feel nuts. I have had mine up to 85 and that was enough. I felt like the rear trailer was gonna wrap around in touch the front bumper lol.