Why are things going down hill on the road .......

Looks like a picture in Yellowstone (or just north of the park) in your sig?

 

It starts long before they get into a truck.

 

Attitude is a big thing,i find that most folks when they need help and try to, they always say "I know, I know I dont need you telling me how to do my job"

 

On one hand we have mega carriers who are cranking out drivers so fast they barely have a clue on what they are doing. Then they coax these guys into lease operator plans that get them so far in the red that they feel forced into becoming trainers, regardless of whether they are really qualified to teach anyone anything.

On the other hand we have quite a few old hands who look down their noses at some of the newer crowd and instead of offering advice or help, they complain about them or harrass them.

Both things don't have an easy solution.

As for me, I came back to trucking after I lost my job at Wal-Mart that I had for 7 years. I chose to get back behind the wheel because:

A. I actually did miss driving.

B. Finding a warehouse job (i was in grocery receiving at Walmart) in El Paso that paid more than $9.00 an hour wasnt gping to happen. When I was fired, I was making near $12 an hour.

Many new drivers are facing similar circumstances. The jobs being created in this country don't pay anything. Trucking looks much better when compared to a $7.50 an hour job as a fork lift driver or machine operator which is what those jobs pay in my neck of the woods.

 

I think alot of these new guys are thinking they will jump right in the money from word go,and you are right about advice, Im sure im not always nice as i could be being an "old timer" . you really do need to enjoy driving or it will never work.

 

I thank alot of it is started at these schools that dont really teach how to drive, than these newbies get out in two weeks on their own. Thats a bad start already. Now add into that say half of the new guys do something wrong or stupid and an old timer says something to them to correct them and they start f you or kiss my a zz. Things of that nature. Well after dealing with that those of us who grew up in this and have been doing this for a while get mad and we loss our cool.

 

Good guess, it's close. It was on US-12 in northern ID. I couldn't believe I was getting paid for that.

 

New drivers right out of school that dont have a clue about life on the road.

 

I wanted to be a truck driver after watching Convoy as a kid. While that brotherhood is gone, the Arizona cops hating on truckers is alive and well, lol!