Why All The Hate...?

Why is there so much animosity toward newer drivers and the larger companies?? I have lost count of the number of conversations that I have had to distance myself from because of all the bashing going on toward rookie drivers and "mega carriers". When I have tried to offer someone advice about training or discussed my experience working for Prime, people have been so nasty! Is it that older (more experienced) drivers have just forgotten what it's like to be new and struggling starting out in this industry or are they just a-holes? Everybody has to start somewhere, and it seems like the larger companies are really the only ones out there truly willing to take a chance on someone just starting out. We aren't born holding a CDL after all! LOL

Thoughts?

Hey Kat...

Honestly I ignore it and tend not to engage in any unsolicited conversations, but that's me. Although I don't think any of us know the real truth behind the negativity, I think it has everything to do with temperament, an inability to adjust to the changes in the industry and personality. When someone is miserable in their job, there is a tendency to bring everyone else down to their level by spewing negatively laced fiction, somehow temporarily making their life better.

I have read many opinions attempting to explain this...here is one of Brett's gems from years past in response to a similar question posted by Gladhand...

For starters, don't let anyone kid you into thinking they were part of some Golden Age of Trucking. Truck drivers were referred to as Knights Of The Road way, way back in the day. Not a little back. Way back. Like in the 50's and 60's. Movies like Convoy and Smokey And The Bandit came out in the late 70's and if you've seen those movies you know that truckers most certainly were not considered Knights Of The Road by that point. They were mostly considered outlaws and trucking was very much an outlaw culture. The truck stops were scary places where drugs and prostitution were commonplace. You didn't have 10% of the enforcement back then that you have now. You didn't have all of the advanced drug testing and extensive background checks and close monitoring you have today.

Drivers are better trained, more professional, and held to higher standards today than they have been in 50 years. Obviously there is a lot of room for improvement yet, but don't let anyone kid you into thinking today's drivers are somehow less talented or responsible for some kind of decline in our status or standards. Quite the contrary in fact.

The real reason drivers with 25+ years out there are miserable is because of all of the enforcement there is today. Drivers back in the day were on paper logbooks and didn't have the constant scrutiny you have today. They weren't subjected to nearly the level of enforcement in the form of DOT inspections, drug tests, in-cab cameras, electronic logbooks, and the continuous monitoring of every aspect of your driving.

Back then you basically did whatever you wanted to do. Today it's nearly impossible to get away with anything. But even that only applies to the guys who have been out there a long, long time. We're talking since the 80's and early 90's.

The next time some old timer gives you a hard time about this "new breed of driver" thing you can safely ignore it if you like because it's baseless. Or if you like to "give a little back" when someone is harassing you then just let them know what you know. Let em know it was their generation of drivers that ruined the reputation of the industry. It's their generation that was popping pills and doing West Coast turnarounds in five days, changing licenses from state to state when they maxed out their points, running 100 mph everywhere they went, and acting like a bunch of outlaws.

Today's drivers are better trained and held to higher standards than at any time in the history of this industry. The drugs have been cleaned up, the equipment is beautiful, and the rigs are being driven safely and professionally by the overwhelming majority of drivers out there.

Deven (Gladhand), your attitude is awesome. I wish there were three million drivers out there that approached life the same way you do. Don't let anyone ever take that smile off your face. Enjoy the heck out of what you're doing every single day knowing you have a great job with a great company and you're handling yourself like a true professional.

We have a ton of great people here on this website that I enjoy immensely and all of you are this "new breed of driver" that the old crabby guys are referring to. Don't let those guys fool you into thinking that today's drivers are in any way less talented or less professional than drivers were in the past. Baloney. You guys and gals are driving in an age where even picking up your phone for a moment or going 15 minutes over on your hours or hitting the brakes a little too hard can land you in hot water. You're subjected to extensive background checks, highly accurate drug tests that go farther back than ever before, and the continuous monitoring and scrutiny of every single aspect of your driving. And you're doing it as well as any generation has ever done it.

Personally I think this new breed of driver has an opportunity to raise our standing in the community. I would love to see drivers get the respect they deserve for the risk, dedication, discipline, and sacrifices it takes to move freight in today's world. So the next time you're at a customer or a truck stop and you get treated like garbage simply because you're a truck driver, remember it's not your fault that people view truckers the way they do today but it is your opportunity to change that perception for tomorrow, and I hope you will.

Wow, G-Town. I don't know how you found that but I'm sure glad you dug it up! I think I might do a podcast on that topic. I do in fact have one that's closely related:

Episode 9: Are Major Carriers Nothing More Than Starter Companies?

I suspect a lot of it has to do with the fact that the large mega-carriers are run more efficiently, have lower operating costs and are able to haul loads profitably at a much lower cpm rate. You are their competition. Instead of adapting to the changing times they've chosen to fight tooth and nail to keep the profession as it was instead of moving forward. Instead of trying to compete effectively they've chosen to blame the competition for low freight rates and make spurious accusations about their safety records. Don't worry about it - these dinosaurs will disappear soon enough.

Wow, G-Town. I don't know how you found that but I'm sure glad you dug it up! I think I might do a podcast on that topic. I do in fact have one that's closely related:

Episode 9: Are Major Carriers Nothing More Than Starter Companies?

I did a quick search on the words "why all the negativity". Not much escapes your search engine...very effective!

A great many people are simply unthinking rectums...

Little addendum to the happy feelings put forth above.

The "mega carriers" have a fairly high turnover rate in comparison to the mom n pop, Joe Bob outfits. They also have thousands of units on the road.

So 1. A lot of new inexperienced drivers making rookie mistakes, (in their eyes they see it as the same group doing it over and over)

2. Sheer volume, Swift, Schneider, Werner etc could have an accident a day, and 100 minor oopses and it's a minor stastical blip overall. But there are thousands of Super Truckers out there with cell phones to catch each and every one.

So, blow them off. 90+ % of the negative I've seen is from Internet truckers. Rarely does it show up in real life.

If that doesn't work, cut their hearts out with a spoon! (Kidding)

Kat, I'm wondering if what you call "hate" is actually another person's offer of a different idea to solve a problem or offer of a suggestion you may not agree with. I've been on this web forum a bit more than twice as long as you have. There have been plenty of disagreements that did get personal. (Thankfully, Brett does take out the garbage as needed, so you won't find them here.)

There are lots of threads covering the every-day stuff, as well as hot button items like driver cams, weapons on board, unions, even trucker chapels at truck stops. But unfortunately these are some things that get cleaned up, since the discussion soon does not involve trucking.

But overall, Trucking Truth forums stay focused on trucking, driver's and rookie's experiences, and such.

Kat, nowhere else can you get the quality of help you find here, even for correcting your misunderstandings and filling in "holes" in your training. Relax!

This website is not the problem. I am probably one of the most tolerant people on the planet when it comes to conversations with differing opinions. I welcome debate, even on hot topic issues. However, I don't like feeling disrespected or being told that my views and experience are meaningless simply because of the path I took to get my CDL or the company I work for. It's tough enough being a woman in this industry without having to deal with guys who make name calling and put downs their primary occupation. If I see someone spreading blatant misinformation about Prime, I'm going to step up and say something, and I'm going to let others know that I have had an overall positive experience with them. So no, I don't think I need to relax. I think as a whole, the level of respect shown to fellow drivers needs to come up some. (outside of this forum, in the real world) I may not have 20 years under my belt, but I worked hard to get where I am today.

Kat, I'm wondering if what you call "hate" is actually another person's offer of a different idea to solve a problem or offer of a suggestion you may not agree with. I've been on this web forum a bit more than twice as long as you have. There have been plenty of disagreements that did get personal. (Thankfully, Brett does take out the garbage as needed, so you won't find them here.)

There are lots of threads covering the every-day stuff, as well as hot button items like driver cams, weapons on board, unions, even trucker chapels at truck stops. But unfortunately these are some things that get cleaned up, since the discussion soon does not involve trucking.

But overall, Trucking Truth forums stay focused on trucking, driver's and rookie's experiences, and such.

Kat, nowhere else can you get the quality of help you find here, even for correcting your misunderstandings and filling in "holes" in your training. Relax!

When I stopped worrying about what other people thought about me or my profession and started seriously concentrating on being the best employee that I can be for my customers and my employer, I realized that not much else matters. It doesn't matter what other truckers think about me, my company, my truck, the fact that I use electronic logging, or the fact that I keep my company provided truck in showroom condition at all times (I catch a lot of grief from coworkers about this). The only things that matter to me are my wife and my daughter, and to make sure they're well taken care of, I make sure my employer and my customers are well taken care of. Everything else sort of falls into place. In the end, it doesn't matter one bit what others think about you or your company. Surround yourself with positive individuals (i.e. the folks here on TT, friends, family, etc.), make your job and your customers the most important things that you "stress" about during your workday, and everything else falls into place. Leave everything else at the rest stop.