And, Mister 35-Year-Driver, when you were out in your first week, you never, ever had to do that, right? Never made a mistake, never had to ask for help, never felt frustrated so your skill fell to the bottom, never felt like a beginner. Well, I'm glad for you. You're my hero.
Hey! Speak for yourself! I am perfect have not had to do a pull up in six months! Ima just a backing GOD! So good I can back and type goal backwards while backing! Can put this big rig in places that other truckers just look at and move on!
Ladies and Gentleman, now entering the arena...Sir Backsalot! He is always looking over his shoulder to make sure his arse is covered!
Nope, it doesn't matter. It's the same colloquialism as in aviation, "Any landing you can walk away from is a good one." Same goes for trucking, anytime you park and don't cause another driver to wake up, take out a disposable camera, and call road service is a good parking job. Regardless what the SuperTruckers say on the CB. Psst - I never listen to the CB at truckstops. I use it for traffic information and at the limited DC's that still call you in that way. I used to be one of those impatient truckers only interested in how fast I could get things done ... including parking in at the truckstop. One night, in Baltimore, I got the hood ripped completely off my T2000 by a Werner trainee that didn't seem to think that he had caused enough damage to stop. I was sound asleep and he hit my truck hard enough to toss me from the rack and onto the floor. NOT A NICE WAY TO WAKE UP. So, yeah, I am sticking with my original opinion. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW LONG IT TAKES AS LONG AS IT GETS DONE WITH NO DAMAGE. Since we all know how it is when you're new in this gig, let's give the trainees a break on the radio and let 'em learn. Now, since I feel this whole thing is as clear as mud, I'll climb down off my soap box for another evening.
You can always tell when you're getting close to a truckstop if the CB is on. The idiots start getting louder and more vocal. The day you, another driver, or anyone other than my company starts paying my checks I might give a flying F what your opinion of my skillset is. Until then if I am having a rough day, get over it. Your or any other drivers impatience doesn't mean ####e to me, I'm still accident free.
I was in the Murfreesboro, TN T/A when they had half the parking lot torn up. Found one of the last parking spots and set up for it. I had to blind side in across the only driveway and work around the huge hole in the concrete 40 feet directly in front of my spot. Well, ain't no way a girl would possibly ever lease a truck on her own, so I had to have been a team driver or a student. "Where's your ol man?" "Better let your trainer have that one!" "Aw, crap...she's gonna go on ahead with it....hope that guy in the Ken is watchin..." Figured I'd play it up a bit. Got lined up, got out and looked, pulled up, looked again, lined her up, looked, (more fussing on the radio) this went on for a few minutes despite the fact I could have dropped it in after the first pull up. The louder they fussed, the more time it was going to take. Finally, the guy in the KW got on the radio, powered over all of them and wouldn't surprise me if a few radios were fried with that setup he had. "Awright, Swift. Quit f***in with 'em and plant that thang. When ya pull that air brake, let's get some supper. Alla the rest aya, if'n yadda shaddup, she'da had that in there five minutes ago. Heh heh heh..." Radio silence, at times, is a beautiful thing. And it was a most enjoyable dinner.
There's an old saying amongst night cargo pilots: If you have the radar on and you don't like what you see, turn the radar off, pull the seatbelt tighter, crank the lights up and the seat down. And hold on. My rule of thumb is: If you don't like what you hear on the radio, turn the radio off. And smile. Drives 'em crazy.
