Way back there when you were a newbie....were newbies better drivers?

When I was 20 years old [ 1973 ], my dad put me in a 1970 cab-over KW with a V-8 Cummins , 903 model. No AC , no power steering, torsion bar suspension. Hooked me to a 40 foot van, and put me to hauling produce out of Florida up the East Coast.Not many interstates, mostly 2 lane roads. Bunker / blower and ice, no reefer, and produce can be the hardest type of freight re-location there is.
I learned a lot. Dad had always had trucks, been a farmer, so I had grown up around trucks and equipment.
Back then, there were no driving schools. You would ride several days with someone, drive a few days, then you were on your own. I have taught others to drive in the past.You learned to think for yourself, and became very self reliant. Nearly everyone carried a jack, and changed their own tires. if need be. This was before tubeless tires, all tires had tubes.We all carried a tool box, and assorted spare parts. Knew how to fix things. No choice at times.
One thing in our favor was the fact that most 4 wheeler folks at that time had been around trucks. Nearly everyone had a brother, uncle,or cousin who drove. Now most citizens have no idea of the makings of a truck, and really do not care for us. Better public relations in the earlier days. Lots of songs about trucking.
Not near as much traffic 30 years ago. I remember loading fruit in Fort Pierce, Florida, getting on the recently opened I-95, going north at night, and driving with my headlights off for about 10 minutes, just to enjoy the full moon.Might have met half a dozen cars.
MOST drivers had a "WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER" attitude. We all helped each other. Part of that may have come from the newly discovered "CB". We could talk to each other, and it made us feel closer.Today there is a "ME" attitude among drivers.
Cops still wrote tickets, DOT inspected us [ but not nearly as much], and shippers and receivers were still hard to deal with. But as a rule, we were not talked down to like we experience today. We all knew each other had a job to do, and respected each other.
I guess the biggest difference in then and now is the fact we learned to think for ourselves.Had to. We had no managers,planners, dispatchers, etc. to complain to, and plan our jobs. We made all our decisions, based on what we knew, but realized trucking is hard, uncertain work, and took pride in our jobs. No constant complaining. Just do the job.
Common sense seems to be lacking from some of these new drivers. Some of them may be able to handle a truck better than me, but I meet a few who have absolutely no clue about trucking. Some feel like trucking should change to fit their ideas.
I came up in trucking the hard way, and it taught me a lot about life.But like they say, if I have to explain it, you would not understand.

 

Back when I was a newbie, wait, I still am. So I guess nothing has changed from when I was a newbie. I don't know what it was like in the old days. I hear lots of different stories, some suggesting training was non existent and some saying the opposite so I guess it depended on where and how you got started.

Anyway, I don't think training is the problem. Now I am still new so I could change my tune in years to come as I get older and hopefully wiser but I think the problem is with selection. I got my license through a cdl mill, I started with a company who did very little to train me. I had a short period with an experienced driver who determined I had the necessary skills and judgement to do the job. I think that is the key right there. This business isn't rocket science and there is no single thing about it that could really be considered hard. But there are certain traits and skills required to do the job safely and successfully and most of those things can't be taught. I hear about some of the very long 'training' periods some of the big companies have and I just see square pegs being forced into round holes.

But, when you live in a society where even the losers get trophies what would expect?

 

I have enjoyed reading this post, lots of great views from alot of experience drivers. As someone who is a trainer of current drivers i think the biggest problem with newbies today compared to just 5 years ago, 80% of the so called newbies don't want to be Truck Drivers, they lost a 8-5 job and are dying for a paycheck and truck driving seems to be the easy way to make money. Then they get out here and hate being away from home weeks at a time, and find out its a job, not a paying vacation.

 

It is true....And most instructors are going to do the absolute least they can get away with. I actually think it was better when you got your Commercial Chauffeurs license on paper and went out with a company trainer for a few weeks and learned to drive, and I have done the training both ways.

CDL mill owners never seem to have any trucking background at all.

 

I like the "Roll the inside dual up on a 2x4 so you can take the outside one off and patch it" thing. Your impact was a socket on a breaker and a cheater pipe. Then there are the Dayton wheels....put your socket on the ground next to the tire and spin it so that it rolls true! 1 1/4" I believe?

Sounds a little like hauling wheat in Roosevelt Oklahoma! If the truck breaks down....fix it!

 

I observe the nieces and nephews and their friends during family get-togethers during Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter etc for example, sitting around playing video games. Each kid has their own laptop computer and they sit around on the couch playing games with their cyber-friends instead of going outside to throw a ball around. In 5 years these young people will be entering the workforce. In 10 years, these young people will be taking over the jobs we leave behind when we start retiring.

Is this next generation going to be able to handle an unplugged lifestyle that trucking can be at times? What about construction jobs? These flabby soda sipping, couch potato, computer jockeys are going to go out there and all of a sudden be able to put in 8 10 or 12 hours of hard work in the cold and heat after such a charmed youth?

 

Actually very good points Scottied. I have no idea what the future holds but I think I'm better off now as a newb than in the future.

How long before drivers actually just monitor the truck as it drives itself? Perhaps the plugged in generation will be the best fit? Plug them into the truck, they push a button when the truck doesn't know when to turn right or left and they only get out to gas up and take a dump lol. Who knows? That or some rogue nation nukes us and we're back in the stone age.

 

English is now considered a "Foreign" language....

Liberal programs to destroy trucking as we know it....

See the above....it's not their fault....But some "do good" politicians trying to "Level the playing field"....ie.... "We have too many white O/O's who wear cowboy boots, listen to that 'racist' country music...and vote Republican"....

Reintroduce the "Tire Billy" back in the cab....for starters.....

 

Or fit in the cab of a truck.........

 

Wait a minute! You mean people don't use a tire billy anymore?
I'm beginning to feel old...