Pattern Recognition

Thousands is probably a bit of an exaggeration lol. And I do thrive here. I have indeed considered that it separates the motivated from the unmotivated. Very few of us stick around long indeed.

I certainly don't buy into thinking that the company makes the difference, especially in our first couple years. By and large I'm still very pro Knight, the people and the relationships I build there are far more important to me than my grievances with policies.

I guess in looking at it, it probably comes down to my expectations of how a Corp works. My inexperience in that world leads to unrealistic expectations I think.

Most of the time I let it go and not bother me. When I don't mentally fixate on it and just do my job and keep progressing I'm happier. Sometimes though, in an OCD manner I'll pick at it, if that makes sense.

I suppose it's probably something that a lot of have gone though early on in our careers?

I actually practiced Brett’s pattern recognition today in bumper to bumper traffic on I-238/I-580 eastbound from San Leandro to Lathrop, CA. It does start to work after awhile.

I actually practiced Brett’s pattern recognition today in bumper to bumper traffic on I-238/I-580 eastbound from San Leandro to Lathrop, CA. It does start to work after awhile.

Fantastic! Keep doing it. You'll get better all the time and it will make you a much safer driver.

I suppose it's probably something that a lot of people have gone though early on in our careers?

I struggled early in my career talking with corporate types. I was 21, and I grew up in Upstate New York in a blue-collar, Italian family of steelworkers, autoworkers, brick masons, farmers, and mechanics. We are not soft-spoken people. We are loud Italians and we really don't have a filter. Whatever is on our minds, we just say it.

I always thought the expression, "It's not what you say, it's how you say it" was the dumbest thing I ever heard. It made little sense to me. If you can't speak the plain truth to someone, that person needs to grow up and learn how to handle life like an adult. That was always my feeling about it.

As you know, that approach does not work in the corporate world. I learned that the hard way, and quickly. To be honest, I hated it. I still hate it. Who has time to figure out the most sensitive way to say everything, and why should that be necessary? It seems ridiculous.

But most people get their feelings hurt rather easily. So I had to learn to speak with people the way I would normally speak to a 5-year-old girl. It drove me nuts. I would never want to spend time in an environment where you have to be super careful about everything you say. Heck, even here in the forum, I really have to tone it down, and most of the time I don't do it as well as I should.

Dealing with the "corporate way of doing things" is extremely difficult and frustrating for me.

I also found it very frustrating that almost no one in the offices has the slightest clue what it's like being on the road. They don't know how we do our job and they don't know what we need to do it well.

All that said, I found the most important thing is to keep a great attitude and count your blessings. The things I mentioned are little things, and you can't sweat the small stuff or you'll be miserable most of your life.

One saying I love is, "Where your focus goes, energy flows." If you focus on the negative, you will waste your energy and good spirit on petty things. You'll kill your enthusiasm and have very little fun. You'll eventually become stressed out, frustrated, and bitter.

If you'll notice, most drivers with 10 years or more experience are as calm and pleasant as a monk, or stressed out and angry all the time. They either go around with a big smile enjoying themselves, or a scowl on their face cussing' their bad luck and the unfair world we live in.

So much happens out there on the road that it's important to keep a positive outlook and count your blessings. Otherwise, that focus on the negative will pile up over time and one day you'll wake up and realize you've become a terminal rat! You're angry and bitter all the time.

I would never want to work in a classic corporate environment, but I learned to deal with it. I didn't let it get the best of me or take away from my peace and wellbeing.

I agree that I’m glad to be out of the corporate work world and largely for reasons Brett shared.

The last 10 years of my former work life saw “Wokism” infiltration. People became very sensitive to perceived “micro-aggressions”. In the “Woke” world words are the equivalent of emotional violence. Some of these people don’t see the difference between emotional violence and physical violence.

I just saw Davy A. Reference to motorcycle riders using pattern recognition. Well, there were motorcycle riders today weaving in and out around the slow moving traffic. Real nice and safe guys.

When I lived in Luanda, Angola the traffic was horrendous. I had a leased car with a driver.

The motorcycle riders would weave their way through the stalled traffic. It was motorcycles with two riders that we watched out for because these were the guys that pull up to a car and pull out the guns to rob people or worse if any resistance given.

I agree that I’m glad to be out of the corporate work world and largely for reasons Brett shared.

The last 10 years of my former work life saw “Wokism” infiltration. People became very sensitive to perceived “micro-aggressions”. In the “Woke” world words are the equivalent of emotional violence. Some of these people don’t see the difference between emotional violence and physical violence.

Your last sentence NAILED it, Dennis. Pretty much sums it up. As you'll be with time, as Brett stated above,

If you'll notice, most drivers with 10 years or more experience are as calm and pleasant as a monk...

I don't know that I could DEAL with Tom coming home on a daily, tie askew, jacket in arm, and a sour scowl on his face; bitterness and retribution emanating from every pore. It affects everyone. Emotional violence is 10x more painful and harmful than physical violence. Great senior thesis topic, and that was many years ago. I'll carry O/S's tarps around anyday, before dealing with that mental/emotional abuse ever again.

I sure hope things work well for Solo; I've thought about that since Brett's first reply here; it was shortly after he went corporate again.

Wish him well. As to all of y'all, too!

~ Anne ~

ps: Great thread, BK and all participants.

Davy wrote:

Thousands is probably a bit of an exaggeration lol. And I do thrive here. I have indeed considered that it separates the motivated from the unmotivated. Very few of us stick around long indeed.

I’m glad you understood my long-winded point. I actually considered not posting anything… but I knew the root of your post was frustration. You know how things should be…as do most of us. Its an imperfect system with company specific variables, that fortunately you’ve figured out how to thrive in.

Hi Anne, I totally understand where you are coming from regarding a spouse/partner emotionally abusing their partner, usually the man abusing the woman with words, destroying their psyche and spirit.

However, that is not the “emotional violence” to which I referred. Hyper sensitive “Woksters” react to minor words (“micro-aggressions”) as if you physically punched them in the face, ie. they make no distinction between words and physical violence.

Hi Anne, I totally understand where you are coming from regarding a spouse/partner emotionally abusing their partner, usually the man abusing the woman with words, destroying their psyche and spirit.

However, that is not the “emotional violence” to which I referred. Hyper sensitive “Woksters” react to minor words (“micro-aggressions”) as if you physically punched them in the face, ie. they make no distinction between words and physical violence.

Hay, Dennis ... thanks man!

I realize I was a bit ambiguous in my reply; having worked WITH my (late) husband, FOR his father, in a corporate environment, in Florida. When we both quit, he got his CDL and I drove hotshot for General Propeller in an '89 Chevy 3/4 ton w/3 on the tree, pulling a 28' Big Tex cage trailer, tarped, and 'obviously' under 20,001# (never got my CDL sadly) and life improved. Temporarily, anyway.

Don't get me wrong, the emotional violence was still there in our relationship, but at least not in my workspace/workplace, in addition to. Some days it was like splinters under fingernails. I hear ya.

Great topic!

~ Anne ~

I came across a situation today that relates to pattern recognition. I was on my route to a pickup at Claussen Pickle in Woodstock, IL. Just a few blocks before the facility, my navigation told me to turn left on a two lane street with cars parked all along the right side of the street. I was a little apprehensive about this street until I noticed that all the overhanging trees had the typical 13’6” trailer haircut underneath due to regular truck traffic. This is a good sign. If your trailer is hitting tree branches on a street, bad sign. I had viewed my route beforehand on satellite view and street view and was fairly confident that I was on the correct route. The underneath tree haircut thing sealed the deal. I sure didn’t want to get in a pickle heading into Claussen Pickle.