Being Professional

It's really hard. I was ready to go off today, but I didn't. It would be easier just to speak my mind with difficult people, but it doesn't solve anything. I about lost my patience with the Shipping people at the Walmart DC in cleburne, TX today, but I kept my cool. I was raised not to bring my problems to work. My dad put a sense of urgency into me and to always do my best no matter what I am getting paid. It drives me nuts that these people could care less. If it's your job or not you can at least answer my questions. I am being ambiguous I know, but I wanted to vent a bit.

The cherry on top was some of the staff at the lancaster terminal treating me like an idiot when I was asking questions about Sim training. I realize I should have read the paper given to me, but it doesn't help to be given the cold shoulder when I am asking basic questions. Ahhh it's difficult to be the professional, but it always pays in the end.

Old school, Brett, G town you guys are so right when you say the go getters get taken care of. The people who do the bare minimum and act unprofessional will always be stuck in a rut. Sometimes biting our tongue and just taking what is dealt to is, is the smart way to go. It also helped me avoid a conversation with the boss on why I'm not allowed somewhere if I would have done what I wanted to do. Being Professional is hard.

Man, that was all very well said. It is hard being professional. The goal should be to always hold yourself to a high standard no matter what your circumstances. Do you make excuses for behaving badly or performing poorly? Or do you always behave professionally and perform at a high level regardless of the circumstances?

That's the difference between the top tier drivers and the rest. Top tier drivers consistently perform at the highest level, not just once in a while when the conditions are favorable. It takes an incredible amount of commitment and discipline to do that. Part of that equation means you have to learn how to get along well with people as often as humanly possible. Taking the high road is the best way to accomplish that most of the time. It seems like the hardest thing to do sometimes but it's almost always the better solution in the end than any alternatives would have been.

Amen and Amen!

Good for you Gladhand. Great post. You have learned something very valuable that many drivers twice your age have yet to realize.

Being professional at all times is indeed difficult, but far easier than dealing with the consequences of behaving unprofessionally.

I was practically told off by my dispatcher this morning. I asked about our trailer inspection procedure at the Laredo yard and got the response "didn't they cover that in orientation?"

Instead of sending back the snotty response of "well I think but I've slept since then" I just let it go and simply asked the gate guard.

Sometimes I have to bite my tongue with my dispatcher. I realize I'm new to the company, but sometimes it seems like she treats me as if I'm completely new to driving period. It's aggravating but I let it roll off and keep the peace. Especially since she really came thru on my Thanksgiving hometime.

So I just roll my eyes and continue to be polite, no matter how much of a smartaxx I want to be.

Good for you man. Sometimes you just have to ignore people's rudeness. I used to get mad about stuff like what you described, but it doesn't really bother me that much anymore. I might initially get irritated, but I'm learning to just let it go. I usually forget what I was irritated about after just a few minutes. It's just not worth it to get angry at people like that.

And literally pat yourself on your back for not feeding into the sickness. If it doesn't make you chuckle it will at least get rid of your anger. Gets you in a better frame of mind. When I leave a certain place, cant mention it here, I literally wipe that atmosphere off my arms and head. And leave that nastyness where it belongs.

It's True that you can attract more flies with honey than with vinegar. That is what my Mom always says. I was a hot headed little ******* when I was younger. Now.......not so much. Age has mellowed me quite a bit. I just don't like to expend that type of energy anymore. Good for you Gladhand, you are learning quicker than I did at your age!

Just to add a positive experience. After finishing up with my customer yesterday, I received my next dispatch. I am grabbing a load an hour away and taking it east to Tcall. This load will be getting a guy from NY back home. I must admit lately my DM has been behind the power curve lately getting me loads. No preplans lined up, waiting 30 mins or so after I am finished to get my next load. Anyways, as soon as the message came in a quickly looked at the location, punched it in my GPS, then double checked that route vs my Atlas. It matches up well enough, so off I went. In my hurry, I didn't bother looking at the pickup time and date. I move at the speed of NOW. I had time on my clock so off I went. I get to the Shipper. It is a local trucking company with a wharehouse that handles freight for SCA. So after I arrive I take a good look at the dispatch. Oops, pickup is the next day at 10am. So, I write down the B/L number and walked to the office. They call the wharehouse workers. They are still there. The office lady says I have t go to dock 8 on the backside of the building and to hurry. I beat feet to my truck, pull the tandem release, open the doors, slide my tandems all the way back and run around to the back side of the building. As I am backing up, the dock foreman comes out and tells me he misunderstood what the lady in the office said. He thought the inbound load for tomorrow was early. He tells me to go back around the corner and put it in dock 2. He states they will load me first thing in the morning. I smile and say thank you, then tell him, I will see him in the morning. Instead of doing a lap, I just back around the corner to the other set of docks and put it in door 2. I call the guy I am going to Tcall with to make arrangements for a place to meet. As I am talking with him, next thing I know, I feel my trailer bouncing around. They are loading me. I quickly scan my atlas and pick a middle point between the other driver and myself. Honestly the guys at the wharehouse loaded me faster than I ever have been. Literally like 20 mins and I am done. The foreman comes out and tells me they are doing the paperwork now and the guys decided to go ahead and get me loaded since they are only staying over a few minutes to do it. I thank him and pull forward to secure the load. As I am putting in the load straps the guy comes out with my paperwork and seal.

Moral of the story: you do get more flies with honey than vinegar.

Drive Safe and God Speed.

Patrick wrote:

Just to add a positive experience. After finishing up with my customer yesterday, I received my next dispatch. I am grabbing a load an hour away and taking it east to Tcall. This load will be getting a guy from NY back home. I must admit lately my DM has been behind the power curve lately getting me loads. No preplans lined up, waiting 30 mins or so after I am finished to get my next load. Anyways, as soon as the message came in a quickly looked at the location, punched it in my GPS, then double checked that route vs my Atlas. It matches up well enough, so off I went. In my hurry, I didn't bother looking at the pickup time and date. I move at the speed of NOW. I had time on my clock so off I went. I get to the Shipper. It is a local trucking company with a wharehouse that handles freight for SCA. So after I arrive I take a good look at the dispatch. Oops, pickup is the next day at 10am. So, I write down the B/L number and walked to the office. They call the wharehouse workers. They are still there. The office lady says I have t go to dock 8 on the backside of the building and to hurry. I beat feet to my truck, pull the tandem release, open the doors, slide my tandems all the way back and run around to the back side of the building. As I am backing up, the dock foreman comes out and tells me he misunderstood what the lady in the office said. He thought the inbound load for tomorrow was early. He tells me to go back around the corner and put it in dock 2. He states they will load me first thing in the morning. I smile and say thank you, then tell him, I will see him in the morning. Instead of doing a lap, I just back around the corner to the other set of docks and put it in door 2. I call the guy I am going to Tcall with to make arrangements for a place to meet. As I am talking with him, next thing I know, I feel my trailer bouncing around. They are loading me. I quickly scan my atlas and pick a middle point between the other driver and myself. Honestly the guys at the wharehouse loaded me faster than I ever have been. Literally like 20 mins and I am done. The foreman comes out and tells me they are doing the paperwork now and the guys decided to go ahead and get me loaded since they are only staying over a few minutes to do it. I thank him and pull forward to secure the load. As I am putting in the load straps the guy comes out with my paperwork and seal.

Moral of the story: you do get more flies with honey than vinegar.

Drive Safe and God Speed.

Good story...we'll call it your time as the "bat".

Nice to see the dock workers and foreman went the extra mile (so to speak) to help you out. I agree, how you approached them by being professional and respectful, not "copping and an attitude", clearly influenced a positive outcome. Great lesson for all of us.

Good story.