Why Is The World So Untrucker Friendly

Jeremy you can always find the real good drivers, they will be driving with those real nice driving gloves. And easy to find the companies paying the best, well that's easy there the ones with there wallets chained down.

I deliver to mostly small businesses and 9 out of 10 are very nice and happy to see me. Even the ones who are upset don't blame me. I can definitely tell a huge difference between them and large warehouses.

I always smile, speak when spoken to, and thank them.

Our community has a huge image problem. I make every attempt to be as professional as possible - from my appearance - to the condition of my truck - and the way I present myself - even down to having my papers in order. Most shippers and receivers just want you in and out the door. I'm fine with that. Most don't even realize I am the driver of the truck at #17 - which is pretty typical - and happened today.

IMO the bad rep comes from several different points such as: The time when drivers would eat a bottle of Mini-Thins and stay up for 96 hours, or the ones who lived off coke and crystal meth for weeks on end. The heavy mob influence in the docks, the lumpers who speak some other language and rip you off left and right The seedy dock manager who puts the drivers at the head of the line for off/on load - only if they pay a 'fee' (I've had this happen I don't know how many times). Theft The attraction of people who have a questionable background The jerk who will video someone only to gain some sort of satisfaction by using their stunted command of the English language to critique another driver for having difficulty parking.

The general public sees - trucks doing what they perceive as a cruise control drag race with one truck limited to 66mph and in the right lane - one at 65.6 mph - blocking the flow of traffic for mile after mile. They see the smelly guy with the giant gut who they perceive as being just one step above homeless The public reads stories about the idiot who stayed up for 28 hours, then got behind the wheel of his Walmart tractor, drove an additional 10 hours only to doze off and kill one person and injure several others.

I stay above all of that. I'd advise you as a new(er) driver (the OP) to leave the CB off and try your best to do your job as well as you can. Just because you are solo now - doesn't mean you have stopped learning about this industry. I spend a lot of my off time reading and reviewing hazmat regulations and keeping up with industry trends. I doubt many drivers can tell you how to arrive at the correct transport index for class 7 material, or what type of packaging must be used for something like CF252.

Jumping in on old post. When I drove for Stevens I happened to pick up produce load at same spot in CA about 4 times in my 6 months w them. Due to fact I was not rude and especially not negative toward the Hispanic guys loading trucks I was always given a door to back into sometimes ahead of guys who had been there for hours. I began driving for another company and happened to have to pick up there and the guys remembered me. Boom! Into a door before many other drivers. One of my favorite memories.