Real Truck Drivers

I think you qualify as a driver if you are delivering what the customer needs.

 

If you are safe,conciderate,and carry yourself in a professional manner you are a "REAL DRIVER" in my opinion.

 

Real "Professional" drivers always get my respect; 4 wheeler, straight truck, 18, or 24 wheeler.

 

I always hear that I don't drive a 'big truck" since I run a single axle Sterling with no bunk on the back. Fine, I would rather have my N.U.T.'s tazered than drive OTR again.. It is what it is.. Just enjoy your job hauling steel if you like it and forget what some clown says to you. I work with 2 million milers here that never drove OTR - are they inferior drivers? Don't think so...

 

I've had drivers tell me that local driving is nothing like OTR with the idea that OTR was much harder. I was driving an 85' oversize gasoline tanker throughout the city everyday. I've done both for many years and what you drive does not make you a truck driver in my book. Competence, courtesy, ability, performance, attitude, knowledge, reliability, and safety are just a few items that I believe that makes a professional driver.

I've hauled triples OTR so does that make me a better truck driver than just a semi driver? I think not. If it did it sure didn't reflect in my pay check. I've seen some OTR drivers that couldn't handle the city driving but I haven't seen any city drivers not be able to drive OTR. There's just too many obstacles in the city that an OTR driver is not use to. Sure after a day or two they're right there and they always change their outlook about local driving.

My company for awhile would not hire OTR drivers. They wanted the city drivers with gasoline station experience. So there's pros and cons with all types of driving. A 40' truck is not some pick-up running around town. You have all the same blind spots and hazards any other truck has. Besides, if you get a ticket or in an accident you're treated just the same as if you were in a semi. So just blow off comments like that and do you job to your best ability and someday you'll be ahead for the experience.

 

If that tractor-trailer driver tried to back your straight truck, he would look like an amateur. It is hard to break old habits.

 

Appears that driver that said that to ya has some sort of ego problem. You ARE a real truck driver if you practice what others mentioned. I'd like to add to that as well. It makes no difference the colour of truck or the name on the door. There's real drivers and lifelong wannabes in all of them!

 

I've seen plenty of these "so called" real truck drivers out here that I would not let stand near my truck!
The guy was probably some "six month wonder" because a "real" driver wouldn't even think of saying something that stupid!

 

I was sneered at by an egoist once while at CFI. I was "trying" to help him out with a load going to Simcoe On. Well, he found out I was a Canada driver. Then he started calling us "local" drivers like we had something wrong with us. He was a little setback when I told him that Levis Quebec was better than 800 miles one way from here, and that I was there frequently. I then asked him what his average length of haul was. He got the pointe.


Don't know why I posted that. Just did I guess.