Why not help....

things change so much over the years i have been in this industry. time was when we'd have a breakdown and was on the side of the road, 20 drivers would pull over to help.

we were "stranger friends" at the truckstops and diners across the states. we waved at each other in passing. we'd chat (or BS really) on the cb radio.

as time wore on, so did the qualifications of drivers, at various companies.

time was, NO COMPANY hired you with less than 5 years experience. i recall Werner for example, had a 5 year experience requirement, now they hire "do-dahs" off the CDL Mill automated walkway..

a driver got his experience starting by loading and unloading trucks, and going with a driver, to..unload trucks.

occasionally, drive a truck, maybe back to the barn.

many others got thier experience working on the family farms.

as time passed on, newbies were BACK THEN, starting to flood the workforce, with promises of high pay.

some were really good back then. the trucking schools (before the CDL mandate), actually taught the students things they needed to know.

then as i recall, many schools dropped a lot of classroom and skills training, all because some companies were starting to do that, in order to get new drivers, to fill the seats.

when you get a company that MAKES a rookie a trainer after only what, 3 months in the saddle, can anyone respect that company..??

i know i can't.

the attitude of MANY newbies suck, PERIOD.

some self deserve the bashing they get, for thier mistakes AND the fact that they work for a training company, that really DOES NOT TRAIN.....

i too "used to" help out newbies, and ONE DAY, i was told to......well...i was "told off"...

from THAT DAY, i swore off helping ANYONE, even if he asked me.

there is still no excuse for that driver, to have entered the wrong driveway. he could have gotten out and looked, and obviously, he did not.

self deserving his folly, and the camera crew filming it all.

i have seen WAY TOO MUCH in my upcoming 48 years out here.

and i have had enough, of the BS, from all avenues in this industry.

 

I know this is coming from left field, but it is a great example of humor that can come from mistakes.

On the above, you will see two arrows. This is on the north side of the Atlanta Airport. This is actually where the old terminal was pre-1980. The top arrow is the location of what then was called Air One and it was the general aviation parking area. Late one night it was IFR conditions and I was late coming from a party very near the airport. As I was taxiing the Cessna I was flying I made a big screwup and turned left at the arrow NOT the actual intersection just a few feet ahead. This is not a taxiway it is a service road. I got myself corrected finally and left going from the right to the left on the top runway. The guys working at the FBO had been monitoring the ground frequency and they were laughing, I know this because i went back to Atlanta about 2 weeks later and we all had a riot laughing at what I had done.

My point? If a trucker has messed up and pulled a boner help the guy out. However, it is still funny. I wish I had a video of some of my boners. Anybody that says they have not pulled a boner at some point in their driving career is speaking with heap forked tongue!

 

If he is blocking me from doing my business, and I have nothing better to do, what's the harm?

 

Yes, I am sure. I am not sure how long ago this happened. In my story, this happened about 25 years ago, and there was nobody filming. Things today have changed. You are not going to do much of anything in today's world and there not be a camera filming. If I see this and I have seen the driver is getting the help needed. I might film it. I get video all the time almost every day. In fact, I have filmed drivers and sent the video to their safety dept. Humor is humor. I'm not debating the morality of doing it. I'm just saying it's going to happen and people might as well get used to it!

 

Wait.... did they put in another enterence in that place, I remember it being one way in and if you went through the pumps, you had to hook around to get out through pretty much the same road,

 

I was at the TA in Troutdale Oregon not too long ago.. and most of it's parking spaces are set up to be blindsided into. GENIUS DESIGN.

I'm sitting in the drivers seat, just chillin and lookin pretty, when a driver is attempting to jack it into the last spot for 40 miles anywhere near Portland.. and it's almost dark.

He's getting close to the pretty Pete on his blindside, so I hop out and tell him I'll be his eyes.

I get him into the hole quickly and safely.
Not a thank you.. not an F you.
NOTHING.

Dude popped the brake and talked on his phone..
It goes both ways.

Vets help. Young dudes can be pricks.

 

People are ######## today.

 

I always try to help out other drivers but since I'm only 3 years in a lot of times by the time I figure out they need help it's already too late.
check this video out here this guy could have used some help but I think he needed mental help.

 

i help drivers by offering my advice to avoid the toms brook loves