Fear Not Trainees

I don't see one reason why should drivers stay on the road for weeks at a time being rushed around like animals, living out of a sleeper like rats.

Then don't. No one is forcing you to. Others (like me) do see value in such a lifestyle. I don't have any desire to explain it to you, and I doubt I could if I tried. Go back to finance, find a job in logistics, do whatever makes you happy. But spare us the sanctimonious, idealistic lectures.

Amen CS!

Listen Mister Lou. I want to apologize on behalf of these people. They just do not get it. I know you are hitting your head right now because they are like some kind of weird animals they had their brains sucked out. You, of course are right but you cannot say common sense things, as you probably know, where there is "groupthink." It is like an American public playground. They are just bullies here. Sorry. Do not go on with them for your own sanity.

Steve L: As I said, I thought some may not like what I had to say. To trade the information with Steve I particularly don't like the self-labeled "old-school" guys who pride themselves in "hard work". While you are working "hard" the firm's owner(s) are sitting at home drinking single malt scotch, enjoying life with their family. You instead live in a 10 * 10 ft box for days if not weeks , are set up with a dispatcher who hopes not hear from you too often. Let me ask, do you ever get to see the real revenue you, with your hard work, generate? I heard that in some rare occasions some drivers might, but why not all and at all times? Oh, the usual answer is there is this “thing” called business with its complexities and intricacies and it is simply assumed you as a driver would not fully understand it, so why bother. Really? Try me. Or rather, it's “not your business” attitude, just like the governmental crooks calling the public information secret and classified? If I put my time into something I dare to say it is my business very much.

I am someone you could call old-school if you'd consider chronological age but that's a mistake, time is nothing else but human made concept. All we have is NOW. Also there is no such thing as doing anything the “right” way. Instead, there are as many right ways as there are people on this earth. Who can judge anyone? There is no such thing as hard work in business either. You could get into power-lifting in your free time and see what really hard work is, but good luck with that working 14 hours a day, living out of a sleeper. In earning the living I expect fairness coupled with effectiveness, ethical principles, were efforts are valued and measured. In reality, before you ever get to touch the shiny truck you are showered (and forced to sign) with myriad of seriously thought out, premeditated, legal documents which serve one purpose ONLY, to protect the firm, not you. Oh, you got your free will right? You don’t have to sign! No sir, thanks to crooks who like to control the common man these days all means of survival were taken away from you and I - all we have left is “employment”. There is no FREE will. It’s done on purpose. I did not research the trucking “industry” because I did not believe such a thing existed. No matter what fantasies some guys have about it – it is what it is, when you take a better look it is steering the wheel, staring on the road in front of you for up to 11 hours a day. I believed the trucking school guy who in return for my money promised me a placement for an honest job with honest pay for my honest efforts. I knew there was logistics business covering its trucking part but what I learned from my own dealing with number of trucking firms just from trying to do the job is plain insane, actually slavery. My attitude has been always fine; I know my part in work relationship. In this country, I spent 13 years working in finance field but I’d never seen such maltreatment as in trucking. If one works for food and shelter that my friend is not betterment of one’s economic situation that is plain slavery. In full honesty, the way I've been looking at the world around me for the past 50 years I thought there was no mother land and we ALL are citizens of the Earth. It is "us" making up problems out of thin air, putting up blocs where ever we can - starting with borders, ever-repeating habits which we call culture, and a bag-load of rules no one needs. And why all of this? It's the good old FEAR we all like so much. I believe and agree we ALL are responsible for our lives and that’s why we ALL have to stand up and ask questions, raise our doubts, abandon support of the system which is not working and so correct it. The trucking “industry” as I see it in this land is a cruel joke.

Listen Mister Lou. I want to apologize on behalf of these people. They just do not get it. I know you are hitting your head right now because they are like some kind of weird animals they had their brains sucked out. You, of course are right but you cannot say common sense things, as you probably know, where there is "groupthink." It is like an American public playground. They are just bullies here. Sorry. Do not go on with them for your own sanity.

BTW I understand capitalism is great, entreprenuer...free spirit, make money, best country..whoo hoo! but this is another American industry with it's workers that have their culture just like Chrysler, just like the Military it's insane and they just just...think different I'll say. I do not know their motivations because as a human your views are the only way.

The only motivation I have is being honest and optimistic, instead of taking a "woe is me" attitude about everything. People that wallow in their own misery get nowhere. I refuse to allow myself and other truckers to be called rats and slaves because we choose the difficult lifestyle OTR trucking entails. If that makes me a bully, so be it.

This Reply is to the Gentleman that goes by the name of Lou L. ;

This is what you wrote Sir: "I am a former European, yes, to this day regretting the move into the US, which I only did to actually live with the wife whom I married in Ireland."

After a long sour and negative rant you proceed to complain about the United States and whine about how tough working conditions are in the Trucking Industry.

Well, let me say this to you ; Love it or leave it - you ungrateful son of a b****!

Let me tell you something Lou - I am from Europe too - I came over to this Greatest Nation on God's Green Earth from Sweden - and NOTHING pi***s me off more than people like you - coming over here from Europe and then crying like little girls that things are too tough over here.

Hey - If you are some kind of Communist who are more worried about how much your boss makes then get your a** back to Socialist Europe were EVERYTHING is strictly controlled and you pay taxes just to be able to breathe.

Everybody is so damn concerned about how much their neighbors make in Europe that it is nearly impossible to make it big over there - the Socialist State controls everything and everyone is supposed to be the same as everyone else.

You are an arrogant little ingrate and I need to set the record straight just so that the rest of the readers on this website doesn't think all European Immigrants are the same as you in today's America.

After obtaining a Green Card from marrying an American woman, I joined the U.S. Army at 34 years of age; I was a Heavy Machine Gunner in the Airborne Infantry and then I qualified as an 18B Special Forces Weapons Sergeant.

I served in combat during the Surge in Iraq and we called the Sunni Triangle "the Triangle of Death", because we experienced fire fights and incoming rockets on a daily basis. My best friend, US Army Paratrooper Medic Sergeant Hullander, was killed in action right next to me on one of over 250 Combat Patrols in hostile enemy territory. In total; my Regiment suffered 54 men killed in action and over 200 wounded.

I served with the best Americans this country has ever known and they took me in like a brother - because that's HOW THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WORKS - it is the ONLY nation in this world that gives honest, hard working people from anywhere a second chance - with no prior judgement regarding background, race or religion.

After 8 years in the military I received an Honorable Discharge and got out as a Disabled Veteran.

Now I'm using my Post 9/11 Montgomery GI Bill (a benefit program for Veterans) to pay for Professional Truck Driving School. After I'm done getting my CDL Class A with all the endorsements I'm going to go to a Heavy Equipment Operator School, also paid for by the Veterans Administration.

You see Lou, here in America, the people love their military Veterans so much that the US Government actually helps their Veterans by paying the tuition for new schools or training so that the Veteran can start a new successful career.

Back in Europe, you can forget about all that. Over there, the people question why the government should spend any money on the military at all - I know, because I served in the Swedish Navy a long time ago, before I came to the United States.

Bottom line is this - If you are willing to work hard and you have a hungry, positive attitude and the intestinal fortitude not to quit - then THIS - The Greatest Country on God's Green Earth - the United States - is the one place that will appreciate you.

If you stay out of trouble and do the right thing (my old Team Sergeant used to have a saying: "If you gotta think twice about doing something before doing it, it is probably not a good idea") you can get hired in America.

Then, if you don't like starting from scratch in Trucking - freakin try something else - don't just sit around and cry about it like a little girl.

And you know what else? Sometimes in life its good for you to eat a little piece of humble pie and simply shut up and listen.

Maybe by riding around with a stranger in a truck you could ACTUALLY learn something about yourself as well?

Of Course, I think you should just take the first plane back to Europe and go drive a little Lorry Truck, pay through your nose to fill up your fuel tank, and then go out and drive on some narrow little roads with some crappy weather out there were all the trucks look the same.

I just had to get these words out of my system tonight - Good riddance to bad rubbish!

Its about time somebody told you Lou; Stop hating on the USA - because you sleep under the very blanket of freedom that me and my brothers in arms provided for you.

"Only in America can someone start with nothing and achieve the American Dream. That's the greatness of this country." - Rafael Cruz.

To all you Great American Truckers out there - Thank you for all that you do.

And I'd gladly stand up next to you And defend Her still today 'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land - God Bless the U.S.A.!!!

Happy New Year America!

Sincerely, Jacob I.

From one American to another, thank you for your service Jacob. Good luck to you in CDL school! I go out with my mentor tomorrow; hopefully I'll see you out on the road someday. Happy new year!

... I am pointing out something what is coquetting with fascism.

Lou, I never ever imagined I would see the phrase coquetting with fascism outside of a political tract! Grand choice of vocabulary for a non-academic forum. If companies & other entities didn't redistribute what people make, we'd all be self-sufficient farmers, working nearly seven days a week, 10-12 hours a day just to keep body and soul together. I'm not interested in debating the merits of capitalism, socialism, fascism or any other -ism on this forum. I also have a BA and a MBA from major US universities (UCLA and Thunderbird).

OK, maybe being born in the USA I have a different viewpoint. The Logistics industry (the 21st century term for trucking etc.) is one of the central industries to the world economy. I, at 63 years old, am now proud to participate in logistics. In my trucking class (Swift Academy) there are several foreigners. There are a few students that have owned their own business. One friend in class is a third generation trucker. Not a single one of them has indicated they have made the wrong decision to start trucking. Not one of my classmates feels exploited by those nasty capitalists. Yes, a few have dropped out, (as opposed to staying to the end, complaining & grumbling) but that happens anywhere.

You have had your soapbox, Lou. You've expressed your opinions, and the response you get seems to be more push-back than support. Remember, after your orientation drive, you are free to un-team & drive solos. If your company encourages teams, you are also free to move to another company. Speaking of freedom, the people who like this job are the ones who feel privileged to get paid for driving around the USA, enjoying sunrises & sunsets from different places every day. They look forward to meeting their friends in Los Angeles, Des Moines and Charlotte WV all in the time space of a few weeks. There are those who look forward to driving to Buhl, Idaho because they've never been to Buhl, Idaho. Some drivers like to work alone, or to team with a good friend. This is a 'free country", Lou, in that you are free to choose your career. If you dislike the capitalist exploitation of truckers, you are welcome to find work more suitable to your temperament.

This is what you wrote Sir: "I am a former European, yes, to this day regretting the move into the US, which I only did to actually live with the wife whom I married in Ireland."

. . .

Bottom line is this - If you are willing to work hard and you have a hungry, positive attitude and the intestinal fortitude not to quit - then THIS - The Greatest Country on God's Green Earth - the United States - is the one place that will appreciate you.

. . .

"Only in America can someone start with nothing and achieve the American Dream. That's the greatness of this country." - Rafael Cruz.

To all you Great American Truckers out there - Thank you for all that you do.

And I'd gladly stand up next to you And defend Her still today 'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land - God Bless the U.S.A.!!!

Happy New Year America!

Sincerely, Jacob I.

Thank you, Jacob.

Now watch this Undercover Boss video (LINK) about Igor Finkler.

Have you ever received a paycheck signed by a poor man?