Lack Of Respect

I recently returned to trucking after a six year absence. It wasn't nearly as hard as I had imagined. I could still float the gears , back up and go down a mountain with not much problem. What has struck me the most is how badly truck drivers are treated. I have had to start over again at the bottom, so I am considered a first year driver, so maybe that's it. If I talk to anyone at my company, then are often condescending and dismissive. I asked other drivers about this and they agree. We are just dirt bag truck drivers, a dime a dozen. I don't think it's justified, as truck drivers aren't the morons we are claimed to be. I just stopped talking to the office staff and only use the qualcomm. Is it like this everywhere? Are there any companies that are nice to their drivers?

I like a lot of the folks in the office where I drive. There are a couple that are just like you say. I hate talking to them in person and would rather just use the qualcom to speak with. I do not think it really has anything to do with us driving trucks, there are just some unfriendly people out there.

I recently returned to trucking after a six year absence. It wasn't nearly as hard as I had imagined. I could still float the gears , back up and go down a mountain with not much problem. What has struck me the most is how badly truck drivers are treated. I have had to start over again at the bottom, so I am considered a first year driver, so maybe that's it. If I talk to anyone at my company, then are often condescending and dismissive. I asked other drivers about this and they agree. We are just dirt bag truck drivers, a dime a dozen. I don't think it's justified, as truck drivers aren't the morons we are claimed to be. I just stopped talking to the office staff and only use the qualcomm. Is it like this everywhere? Are there any companies that are nice to their drivers?

Well I can tell ya some people just don't care and are in it for the pay check... not sure what dispatchers get as an hrly wage, but if it wasn't for us drivers, they wouldnt have a job to goto... When I was OTR , there was one dispatcher who worked nights and was just a complete jackass to anyone who came into the office..

We have 1 person at my company like this. I guess it's alittle different for me being a female. I get treated better than normal but some folks are aweful. What gets to more is the way that drivers treat one another.

Some are horrible. I have heard them bad mouthing people on the cb and have been the object of a lot of it. But I have also heard really nice stuff.

I was trying to do a nasty tight back and I was tired. It was the last spot that was open and I had found it! BUT some other driver had parked along the side of the parking lot and was making it so that I didn't have much forward room.

Two guys got out and helped me (and I needed it!). While another sitting in his truck leaned out his window and was cussing me and calling me all sorts of names. The stress was terrible. Between being tired and being yelled at, I was having trouble with just basic movements.

Later on, I heard another driver over the CB putting that nasty one WAY down. And he wasn't alone. It made me happy that some of the guys out there were standing up for me and only one (that I know of) was being a jerk. But that one jerk makes it kind of hard.

Another something I have seen, is I keep getting mistook for a lot lizard. I laugh it off but it has made us make the rule that I don't leave the truck at night without my husband with me.

A week ago after getting doubles endorsement , which I will post about later after everything settles down and plays out in a month or two, we went to a 2 day class to learn about doubles. Hooking and unhook in and actually handling them. Way easier than a 53' trailer and I know that now since I know how they should actually be driven but anyway......

Omaha NE was under tornado watch. 7 to be exact and the office staff and class rooms were emptied and headed for the company store which is in the basement with the walking Track and gym room and hair stylist (fancy name for female barber) and all the other stuff that is there for drivers. On the way down we passed the outdoor sitting area and there were about 15 drivers relaxing outside and watching the gathering storm. Our doubles instructor stopped and asked why they were all out here during the warnings and one driver spoke up and said "We are just dumb truckers and don't know any better than to be out in the storm."

That struck a nerve with our instructor and he replied " You maybe be just truckers but your the reason the rest of the staff have jobs here. Without you drivers we would not have jobs and because of you we can take care of our families"

That made all the drivers sit up and pay attention as he told them to get up and head downstairs with everyone else. All the took place at at the main corporate headquarters in the Omaha yard.

You see this is not the first time I have heard something like this play out since I have been at Werner. Most office staff have this same opinion. Or at least the ones I have encountered and had to deal with.

While I am a bit bias towards Werner I keep find new things that make me want to spent a very long while here. I still think JB Hunt is a great company but you seldom deal face to face with anyone from corporate due to its locations in Lowell Ar. And I would serious go back to JB Hunt if I went back to being a solo driver again. I am always welcomed back on the GP account and back on Dave's fleet.

But with Werner you actually can deal with people face to face. And that is a big thing to me.

Tim, I hope there are many other drivers who share your sentiments, and recognize the problem as one that they can make an effort at changing. At any trucking company, the drivers are usually the low man on the totem pole. That doesn't mean they should be treated disrespectfully, but with any large carrier there are so many layers of management staff to make things work properly that it just kind of ends up that way. Then what begins to take shape is that the layers of management are constantly trying to adjust schedules and logistics to "fix" what the drivers have messed up. It's certainly not always the drivers fault that things don't go as planned, but often times it is. Whether it's due to stubbornness, or lack of proper planning, or maybe even just laziness, most drivers don't even realize how much work they create for the people at the office that could be avoided if we were just taking care of our business in a professional way. I've experienced some real success at a trucking company that is filled with malcontents and whiners - I always encourage drivers that I meet to take care of their business, and then see how they are treated. Once you develop the reputation of being a driver that can "get er done" your support staff will treat you like a king.

Respect is earned in any profession, and we as a collective group (drivers) have done a very poor job of earning it. It is sad that so many drivers have had such a negative effect on our profession that we all pay the price for. But I would still encourage any driver who enjoys this profession to take the necessary steps to produce the level of respect that they think they deserve, and those drivers who don't enjoy it to please quit driving and move back into their mother's basement. The tide rises slowly, but being deliberate about causing that to happen is a burden that we as drivers must bare. I'm not sure we can ever really completely change the whole industry, but we can stand out and shine as individuals. And once you get to that point you will find that only the uninformed or completely inconsiderate people will treat you poorly, and unfortunately the world will always have it's share of those folks around.

Tim, I hope there are many other drivers who share your sentiments, and recognize the problem as one that they can make an effort at changing. At any trucking company, the drivers are usually the low man on the totem pole. That doesn't mean they should be treated disrespectfully, but with any large carrier there are so many layers of management staff to make things work properly that it just kind of ends up that way. Then what begins to take shape is that the layers of management are constantly trying to adjust schedules and logistics to "fix" what the drivers have messed up. It's certainly not always the drivers fault that things don't go as planned, but often times it is. Whether it's due to stubbornness, or lack of proper planning, or maybe even just laziness, most drivers don't even realize how much work they create for the people at the office that could be avoided if we were just taking care of our business in a professional way. I've experienced some real success at a trucking company that is filled with malcontents and whiners - I always encourage drivers that I meet to take care of their business, and then see how they are treated. Once you develop the reputation of being a driver that can "get er done" your support staff will treat you like a king.

Respect is earned in any profession, and we as a collective group (drivers) have done a very poor job of earning it. It is sad that so many drivers have had such a negative effect on our profession that we all pay the price for. But I would still encourage any driver who enjoys this profession to take the necessary steps to produce the level of respect that they think they deserve, and those drivers who don't enjoy it to please quit driving and move back into their mother's basement. The tide rises slowly, but being deliberate about causing that to happen is a burden that we as drivers must bare. I'm not sure we can ever really completely change the whole industry, but we can stand out and shine as individuals. And once you get to that point you will find that only the uninformed or completely inconsiderate people will treat you poorly, and unfortunately the world will always have it's share of those folks around.

Old School, I think a lot of what you just said applies to many industries...I currently work in the mortgage industry as a loan officer and there the same type of things here. Loan officers who gripe and complain about the processors and underwriters taking too much time with a loan file, but who cannot even get basic information from their client which someone has to go back and get, be it the processor or loan officer. That creates extra work and wastes time when it is so much easier to do this right the first time. While no one is perfect, a little effort in doing your job right the first time means a lot to support staff!

I haven't even begun in the trucking industry (so dismiss as you please), but since I work in sales I felt I had to share as I don't think the feeling of lack of respect is unique to any one industry!

Tim, I hope there are many other drivers who share your sentiments, and recognize the problem as one that they can make an effort at changing. At any trucking company, the drivers are usually the low man on the totem pole. That doesn't mean they should be treated disrespectfully, but with any large carrier there are so many layers of management staff to make things work properly that it just kind of ends up that way. Then what begins to take shape is that the layers of management are constantly trying to adjust schedules and logistics to "fix" what the drivers have messed up. It's certainly not always the drivers fault that things don't go as planned, but often times it is. Whether it's due to stubbornness, or lack of proper planning, or maybe even just laziness, most drivers don't even realize how much work they create for the people at the office that could be avoided if we were just taking care of our business in a professional way. I've experienced some real success at a trucking company that is filled with malcontents and whiners - I always encourage drivers that I meet to take care of their business, and then see how they are treated. Once you develop the reputation of being a driver that can "get er done" your support staff will treat you like a king.

Respect is earned in any profession, and we as a collective group (drivers) have done a very poor job of earning it. It is sad that so many drivers have had such a negative effect on our profession that we all pay the price for. But I would still encourage any driver who enjoys this profession to take the necessary steps to produce the level of respect that they think they deserve, and those drivers who don't enjoy it to please quit driving and move back into their mother's basement. The tide rises slowly, but being deliberate about causing that to happen is a burden that we as drivers must bare. I'm not sure we can ever really completely change the whole industry, but we can stand out and shine as individuals. And once you get to that point you will find that only the uninformed or completely inconsiderate people will treat you poorly, and unfortunately the world will always have it's share of those folks around.

Very well said!

It is only too true that we have to deal with our fair share of rude people out here but inside your company is another matter all together. I was in phoenix picking up my new truck and was polishing the chrome and was approached by a gentleman who struck up a conversation with me. Turns out he was Jerry moyes, and he started Swift trans. He told me there are 2 jobs at Swift, drivers and support staff and if I ever ran across anyone who works for him that didn't understand thaf to call him directly. He gave me his card and said to tell whoever answered that Jerry said to call. So far I have not had to use that number. I try to treat everyone the way I like to be treated and it usually works pretty good around office staff. Oh yeah he also gave me a handful of Blue Beacon tru k wash. Coupons. C