The Web Of Lies And Misinformation

I am a realist. We all have to die sometime. It is just a matter of when. 3 deployments and a late wife taught me that much. When it's your time it is just your time. Until then, enjoy life and live it like you are dying. Because you are.

Hi.

Haven't been here in some time...on the forum, I mean. I get the emails about articles from TT and read them. This article basically summed up what I've experienced since I started to venture out and look for more information about trucking. And I'll tell you, those people did a number on me. The sheer volume of negativity that I saw out there on the "information highway" actually turned me off from exploring more about this industry. I wanted to drive a truck, but the things I saw...

Video of a guy "dancing" in his seat, filming himself with his phone while driving. And I don't mean chair dancing, he was literally up, moving around, not paying attention to the road at all.

The....unsanitary things that some people do at truck stops...and I don't mean inside the truck stop.

The "tricks" people play on each other at truck stops...why? Why would people do this? Why would you mess with someone elses truck? I didn't find any of it funny.

The stories...the endless stories of "lot lizards", as well as stories of those who would try to take advantage of you if you're female. And all I could think was, "But I would have to go x amount of miles before I could ever bring my dog who would definitely prevent that...is this really that unsafe?"

The hatred for certain lines - the endless mocking for anyone who drove for a certain carrier or two.

The one sided stories about how someone was "forced" to do something or get fired.

The endless complaints about pay, which, in a nutshell was, "You all aren't going to get paid anything that you can even live off of, don't even bother!"

The overall sour attitudes in general, and the fights between truckers.

Then there were the accidents, the one article I read about the trucker being shot for his money, of which he didn't even have that much, and the giant crowd of truckers who called everyone else a few choice names for not driving in extreme bad weather, and causing problems for those they thought were "driving too slow" in those extreme bad weather conditions.

I thought to myself, 'This sounds like the road is filled with a bunch of (jerks) who excel in complaining and trying to make everyone elses life really hard for their own entertainment."

I do not doubt that these things happen, and happen often, but your article brought me back around. I have one last personal thing to overcome, (what the hell do I do with my pets), and then I'm going to get back into pursuing this. The idea of sitting in an office until I retire makes me want to vomit. I can't. I don't know if trucking and I will get along, but I want to try - because I have to be out, moving, seeing things, experiencing things...and I know that the best experiences I've ever had all had sacrifices that I would have liked to have done without, but I would never have had the good experiences without them.

Yes. Listening to the internet will have you believe that everyone in trucking is a miserable SOB, but I don't think it has to be that way. Thanks for the article.

Oh, and I forgot to mention: I'm a huge fan of Ska...so that was a nice little treat to read in a trucking article. I know truckers come from all walks of life, but i never thought I'd read of one who enjoyed Ska.

Hey Serenity, listen to this podcast. It will help you understand all of the negativity and where it's coming from. You'll feel a lot better when you realize it's not everyone that's like that and you can safely ignore those who are:

Episode 10: Terminal Rats Are Derailing Trucking Careers.

By the way, as much as I hate to say it, it's true - truckers are famous complainers. Not all of them, but as a group I've never been around such a bunch of whiny crybabies in my life. That's one of the reasons I created this site. I wanted people to know that there is a group of professionals out there who love what they do and do it with pride. The bad reputation this industry has is unfortunately not entirely undeserved, but there are plenty of top tier drivers out there that don't run to YouTube to draw attention to themselves:

What It Takes To Be A Top Tier Driver

Hey Serenity, listen to this podcast. It will help you understand all of the negativity and where it's coming from. You'll feel a lot better when you realize it's not everyone that's like that and you can safely ignore those who are:

Episode 10: Terminal Rats Are Derailing Trucking Careers.

By the way, as much as I hate to say it, it's true - truckers are famous complainers. Not all of them, but as a group I've never been around such a bunch of whiny crybabies in my life. That's one of the reasons I created this site. I wanted people to know that there is a group of professionals out there who love what they do and do it with pride. The bad reputation this industry has is unfortunately not entirely undeserved, but there are plenty of top tier drivers out there that don't run to YouTube to draw attention to themselves:

What It Takes To Be A Top Tier Driver

Thank you. That was enjoyable to listen to...and it's the same wherever you go. I've had jobs filled with whiners, but I've never seen them take to the internet, as a group, and complain like I have some drivers. When I get to school, I will remember to stay away from the terminal rats. I'll probably crack up, to be honest, when I see a rat's nest, as you said. The good news is, I don't like to do a lot of small talk, so I usually steer clear of that type of thing anyway. But this is also good for people like me who find themselves tripping over rat's nests on the internet. In fact, those nests reach a wider audience and can get people before they even start day one of school.

My work ethic is very strong, so I just need to do my job, not hit anything, and realize the rats for who they are. Thanks again.

Serenity adds:

Oh, and I forgot to mention: I'm a huge fan of Ska...so that was a nice little treat to read in a trucking article. I know truckers come from all walks of life, but i never thought I'd read of one who enjoyed Ska.

Jah Man...very cool. My Sirius radio is frequently on channel 42.

"Love dat rustic beat of dah Reggae beneat mah feet".

Delighted my article had a positive affect on you...and looking forward to reading about your progress.

Good luck and Be Jammin'

We have an awesome new article out today by G-Town:

The Web Of Lies And Misinformation

It's pretty astounding how much bad information there is out there on the Web about trucking. That is indeed why I started this website 11 1/2 years ago and named it TruckingTruth in the first place.

I hate to say it, but things haven't gotten much better over the years. The sheer volume of complaining, finger pointing, and slander is overwhelming.

Why is that?

It's hard to say, exactly. In my opinion I believe it's because so many people who take a shot at trucking either don't belong in this industry, underestimate the challenges it presents, or went in with the wrong expectations altogether. I think all of the moderators here at TruckingTruth know we're fighting an uphill battle and that will likely never change.

But neither will we.

I think it's incredibly important to decide what approach you're going to take toward your career in this industry, or any challenging endeavor you're going to face.

Are you willing to go far beyond what most people would be willing to do in order to succeed? Are you humble enough to accept that you're going to have to prove yourself first before you'll be trusted and rewarded the way the top tier drivers are? Are you able to accept the industry on its terms instead of your preconceived notions of how the trucking industry should operate?

Some people want to know the path they'll need to take in order to succeed. Others look for a scapegoat to blame before they even set foot on the path. Plan on succeeding and prepare to do whatever it takes in order to establish yourself in this industry. Don't listen to the naysayers. Don't fall for the conspiracy theories or become cynical toward the industry.

Have a great attitude. Be determined. Make it happen. Don't fall for any baloney.

The Web Of Lies And Misinformation

Truly, honest, sincere, and dignified drivers are hard to come by.

Very true Aaron!

Thanks for stepping up with your first post here. You are always welcome here in our conversations. I'm so glad to see you hanging in there at C.R. England! You are doing the right thing for your future career. Here's a great podcast that Brett put together on that very subject. Take the time to listen to it, you will realize why what you are doing is so important.

Why Stick With Your First Company For One Year?

TruckingTruth truly is the Gold Standard. Every time that I've had a question, the TruckingTruth Community has come through for me. Big thanks to all of you for riding shotgun with me.

Yup! Fell victim to it myself (even knowing better than to do so beforehand!) Wish I had found this before yesterday. But thankfully as soon as I posted something here in that vein, I was quickly directed to that awesome article.

That article should be required reading here for anyone that is attempting to register for an account on this site. Probably save alot of time and typing for many people, lol. And it would be better for people to start off their journey on the right foot!

Excellent write-up, sir!