New drivers arrogance

Have seen plenty of experience drivers in my time pass me then end up in the ditch. I started driving back in the early 90's then took a nice long break. had to go through all the training again even know I have experience. I never think that I know it all because you learn something new almost every week. When I feel like I know it all then it is time to park the truck.

 

Ignorance and arrogance tend to go hand in hand. And all name calling does, when it is done in a derogatory manner, is to bring down the person doing it. Remember the old saying about pointing your finger? You may have ONE pointing at somebody else, but all the rest of them are point right back at YOU.

I am in agreement with the poster who said he never takes offence at "rookie" or "old timer." These are not necessarily terms of derision, more of description.

It is fairly easy to tell who actually has the experience, and who just has the hot air. For the most part, I think letting the hot air go ahead and blow off doesn't hurt anything. Just gives the rest of us something to either laugh at, or just shake their heads over.

OTOH, (and this was point out to ME very graphically by a true "old timer" who has BTDT, when I was talking through my rear end on here one time,) there are newbies and wannabies reading these posts that will learn from them. So the question is, are you teaching them the right things, or are you just talking bo jive that may get somebody hurt or killed?

Something to think about.

 

out of the cowboy comandos from the school I went to back in 1990, only 6 of us have our CDls intact out of a class of 35 , and the biggest hot shots where the first to loose them, one was 3 months after taking school got his suspended for a year ( and most of them didn't get the good job interviews either ) . as a driver trainer the last few years I have been getting some snot nosed arogent people lately , they don't understand the product ( caustics and acid ) we carry in the back of the truck is dangerous and they go along like we are hauling coolaid and treat it the same way when we pick up or deliver . but also the owner of the company had the idea that if you can drive a truck we can teach you to do the job . wrong attitude , and thats one of the reasons why he is now out of business , when I interveiwed the drivers, My first impression is the one I had in hiring them or not , most of the guys who I hired stayed on till the doors closed , the ones hired by the owners wife or the college boy Logistics coorinator ( no offense against college educations ,I have one myself ) , most of them lasted 6 months and mostly fired due to having an accident or arguing with a customer or shipper ,attitude plays a big role in the industry, but most of the peope think you have to be rough and gruff and have pissing matches to be a driver , NOt ... I prefer a driver who will listen , and understand what he is doing ,over a know it all , I even had experianced drivers come to me with this attitude , I tell them leave it at the terminal or at home . its not just the new driver that have this attitude , this is one reason why I don't have a cb in my truck or hang around the truckstops .too much BS and attitude .

 

I am new to driving tractor trailers. However I have driven tractors for almost 14 years transporting them from mostly the assembly plant to the first customer, in my case this was mostly Penske. The difference between bobtailing all the time and having that 53 foot beast behind you is like night and day. After a rather bad backing situation I finally got backed to a dock a while back. There was an old hand that had already backed looking at me. He asked me if I was green and I smiled back and said "how did you know" with a laugh. He gave me several tips that day and welcomed me to truck driving. I can see how someone insecure might have blew that guy off, but in my case I try to be a sponge soaking up all the tips I can get. I can think of only one situation where I would go off of on someone in this situation, and that's if they start patronizing me. If this happens I will tell you where to put your attitude and walk away.

 

You're right Big Don and, IMHO, you can add fear to arrogance. False bravado has its' origin in fear.

Fear tempered with respect for the potential (both the good potential and the bad, i.e., killing potential) of the equipment we operate is a good combination. Arrogance (fear in disguise) has no place in this industry.

Ignorant yahoos with CDLs (or earlier "chaffeur licenses) brought us to the point we at today. Too bad the true professional drivers who are from the same era as the yahoos were so grossly outnumbered. It's also too bad the yahoos were allowed to run rampant for long enough to bring about such things as CSA 2010 and insane HOS rules.

 

A bit of a broad-brush generalization, wot? Such generalizations get derailed when one can find new drivers who are a far cry from the descriptions made above. The OP reminds me of the self-flagellation which self-loathing caucasians wrap themselves in when trying to prove that they are not racist.

Arrogance crosses the boundaries of experience. Don't believe me? All one needs to do is turn on their CB at a truck stop or the docking area of a consignee when a newbie, especially if they have dared to drive a rig from a company like Swift or Werner, is struggling to do a backup.

 

i am happy for you and YOUR state....

they MUST be done in a specific order.

i treat the students like the DMV testers will...you fail you're done, get out.....it's an EFFECTIVE DETERRENT to the students that think they know it all..... (at a later time, they come back in and i go through it with them, as this way, they GO AND READ THE PROPER PROCEDURE AGAIN..and this particular student was one of these
know it all's that thought he was going to skip a step, or did you not read my posting..??

think of it anyway you wish. the students do not feel "stupid" they feel like they NEED to do it right and pass........i've been doing this now for 3 full years, and i/we have a very high first time pass rate at the DMV....and you...???

you really shouldn't question someone that has to deal with 3 states and the DMV and the testing procedures....somehow, i kinda know what is expected of the students from the DMV testers.....and you...???

what your state does is what it does....you cannot compare.....

 

Yeah, but Rerun, we all know you are a certified "Hard Arse!"

 

..yep...but they end up passing too....