A Thank You, And A Promise To Our Community

I was speaking to someone yesterday who feels very strongly that unless you have driven a significant amount and dealt with the reality of trucking you don't really "know" trucking. I admitted that I am really a "non-driving f***k."

That "someone" made a good point.

Rob D wrote...

I was speaking to someone yesterday who feels very strongly that unless you have driven a significant amount and dealt with the reality of trucking you don't really "know" trucking. I admitted that I am really a "non-driving f***k."

We all started at the bottom; knowing nothing. Your acquaintance had the perfect opportunity to encourage you and help guide you. Instead, like so many drivers employed or otherwise, they choose to discourage. It’s exactly the opposite of what we try to do...

The majority of people starting out on their path to a Trucking career don’t need to be reminded of their “lack of knowledge”.

Years from now Rob, when you are a successful driver and have an opportunity to positively influence someone, I’m quite sure you’ll do the right thing. We need good people out here...desperately.

And Banks...Thank you. Gratitude is attitude! All you Brother. You got it done. I’m glad you gave me the opportunity to share a day with you.

Another thing to remember is a lot of people come here after seeing the other trucking sights which paint a horrible picture of all companies and the trucking industry in general. So they probably expect the same type of crabby miserable uncaring people here. I saw a different site where one guy was telling someone how bad the mega companies are and he has never even had a CDL but his word was taken as gospel.

That "someone" made a good point.

I was speaking to someone yesterday who feels very strongly that unless you have driven a significant amount and dealt with the reality of trucking you don't really "know" trucking. I admitted that I am really a "non-driving f***k."

I'm one of those non-driving-f**ks myself.

Doesn't mean I get any less respect (at least publicly) here. Nor do I pretend to have anything to offer with regards to being OTR full time (I've "moved equipment" for friends locally occasionally - hey Rick, can you go up to Orlando and grab a trailer from the auction for me?).

But I stay active in the forum - stay up and regs and technology - which is why my title here is "Technical Advisor", instead of Moderator - out of deference to our mods that ARE ACTUAL DRIVING F**KS.

Those folks that consider my posts "worthless", can just scroll past them. Occasionally someone will say something about my "non-driving status", and I get a twinge of "why the heck do I bother?" - but the guy that OWNS this place, assures me my contributions are welcomed and valued - so I stick around and help where my expertise can be of assistance.

Peoples LIFE EXPERIENCES are of value here too - so while I (and others) may not actually "know trucking" - from a full time OTR perspective, that doesn't mean they (we) don't have anything of value to contribute. It is only the EGOTISTICAL SUPER-TRUCKERS, that try to make non-super-truckers feel of little value...

Rick

It is only the EGOTISTICAL SUPER-TRUCKERS, that try to make non-super-truckers feel of little value...

Well said Rick, very well said!

the guy that OWNS this place, assures me my contributions are welcomed and valued

They most certainly are valued and welcomed in a very big way.

Peoples LIFE EXPERIENCES are of value here too - so while I (and others) may not actually "know trucking" - from a full time OTR perspective, that doesn't mean they (we) don't have anything of value to contribute.

That's also true in a big way. Everyone here has something special to contribute. We all have unique personalities and life experiences that give us insights and perspectives only we can have. The strength of this community comes from the combined knowledge, experience, and insights that each member contributes to the group.

Rick, whomever may deem your posts 'worthless' has no business in the business, anyway... IMHO. Heck, my 'driving' husband (of many years) STILL gleans valuable information from YOUR POSTS~! You sure know your stuff, man.

Don't ever feel less valued than a 'driver' here. You know more than many DRIVERS I know, TBH~! (ps: I'm a 'non driving' f'er myself, haha!)

Brett, major respect and props to you for starting this thread. (ps: I'm one of the peeps that was trying to nag Rick, haha!)

Major thanks and Kudos to you both, as well as ALL the mods and contributors here. I may be a 'lurker' of sorts, but I sure love y'all~!! :)

Rick,

Those folks that consider my posts "worthless", can just scroll past them.

Those people are missing out on more than they know. I always find your posts thorough and engaging to read!

Brett,

I don't post much (because i'm also a non-driving f**k) but have been lurking and reading daily for a couple years. After reading a recent thread I was feeling really down about this site and within a couple days you posted this thread and I certainly feel more encouraged now. Thank you so much for your level of integrity, the amount of your time you put in, and in general shaping this site to be the beacon of light in a fog of information.

I was thinking to add another point to this thread. Brett started it with a "Thank You" and a promise to this trucking community. And this particular topic had turned into a model thread!

What's going on here? Different ideas are added in, some here agree to disagree, and each new post moves this topic forward.

The idea I wanted to bring up is demonstrated here in the last several posts: quoting and referring to previous posters by name. Sure, I get an ego boost when I read "Errol said ..." But more importantly, referring to and quoting another post (no matter if it's in agreement or or disagreement) supports the overall net of consistency and respect that makes Trucking Truth the best place for new people to learn about this career.

We know what Bobcat Bob says is true:

Another thing to remember is a lot of people come here after seeing the other trucking sights which paint a horrible picture of all companies and the trucking industry in general.

Let's keep TT different from all the rest.

I wanted to bring this back to everyone’s attention and share some thoughts.  First, I’ve noticed a nicer tone to our conversations and more participation in the forum. I’m really pleased to see this. Good communities attract good people. The better we are as a community, the better the quality of people we’ll attract and the more readily they will interact with us.

I’ve also noticed something profound about myself. I’m far more relaxed when I’m in the forum, and that has carried over to my life in other ways. I interact with people differently. I’m less cynical and judgmental. I’m more accepting of the challenges people are facing and more empathetic. 

I take a different approach when giving advice now. Previously, I would listen to their problems and immediately try to change their thinking or behavior. Identify the problem, propose the solution. “Doing it that way is wrong. Stop doing it that way and start doing it this way.” 

Now I first take the time to imagine the world from this person’s point of view. Why do they think the way they do? Why do they do what they do? If I can put myself in this person’s world, I can better communicate with them. I can offer insights and ideas that are easier to understand because they mesh with their way of thinking. 

“You didn’t let your dispatcher know ahead of time when you would be empty. Why not? Oh, because you were afraid of being a bother. You know he’s busy, so you wanted to keep the distractions to a minimum. That makes perfect sense, and it’s true. But there’s something else to consider. The better your dispatcher knows your situation, the better they can plan. If they know ahead of time when you’ll be empty, they can secure loads for you while there are still plenty available. So it’s good to keep distractions to a minimum, but let your dispatcher know ahead of time when you’ll be empty. That’s important. You will make your dispatcher’s job easier and turn more miles.” 

Here is a story about how this is working for me outside of our community.

I have a good friend who has a very aggressive dog. I’ve met the dog, and I sensed nothing inherently wrong with it. I suspected my friend inadvertently trained the dog to be aggressive. In the past, I might have said, “You’re probably the one who made it aggressive. Stop doing what you’re doing and start doing it this way.” 

This time I took a different approach.

I asked her how she introduced the dog to strangers. She tells people not to look the dog directly in the eye and to feed the dog food from their plate. I asked her where she got this idea from and she said it came from her good friend who trains seeing-eye dogs for the blind. I asked her why her friend thought this would work. Her friend thought this would communicate to the dog you were not a threat, so the dog would see no need to be aggressive.

Now the situation made perfect sense. Her friend doesn’t work with aggressive Type-A dogs. She works with docile, affectionate dogs. Her friend thought a dog would attack if it felt threatened. This can be true. But normally a dog will become aggressive if it senses weakness and vulnerability. The dog believes it can dominate you and therefore secure a higher rank in the pack for itself, which helps ensure its survival and a better quality of life. The dog is also being rewarded with food for its aggressive behavior toward people. The more aggressive it became, the more food they gave it.

By taking the time to understand the entire chain of events that led to the dog becoming aggressive, I learned that my friend’s misunderstanding of dogs came from a trainer who doesn’t work with aggressive dogs. Now I know her dog isn’t aggressive because something is wrong with it. It’s perfectly capable of being friendly but they inadvertently trained it to be aggressive.  

The entire conversation lasted 10 minutes and was very pleasant. There was no criticism and my friend never became defensive. She didn't need "tough love." It was easy to resolve the situation. I never felt like I had to force her to see my way of thinking. She was open to my suggestions. Because I took the time to understand the entire situation and see it from her point of view it all came very easy and natural.

This has been a real game-changer for me. Thanks again to Kearsey for helping me understand a better way of approaching our community, and in turn the rest of the people in my life. And thanks to everyone here. You do such an amazing job of helping people feel welcome and supporting them through the challenges in the early stages of their careers. I can't thank you enough for that.