Truckers Wearing Flip-flops: Why All The Hate?

I think I'll change my screen name to fritofeet just for the heck of it....I wanna get off on the right foot in this industry.

This is funny to me because here in So. Cal flip flops are an everyday item of clothing for a lot of us. However it has never even crossed my mind that I could where them to work. Just would never do it at any job. That being said if I'm not at work or doing something that has the need for a certain type of foot wear I'm bare foot or in flip flops.

Flip flops simply aren't safe getting in and out of a truck or on loading docks, but I highly recommend them in the showers because even though it may look clean, there are no guarantees and I don't want the itch and burn on my tootsies if they're not. Has anyone ever seen a flatbedder tarping a load in flip flops? Bwahaha

Now what about someone clean shaven, hair combed, smelling fresh and clean, pressed work shirt and slacks, clipboard in hand, and... flip flops?

He use to work for Averitt. The pink slip is on the clipboard.

Both of those statements cracked me up. Almost made me spit out my coffee.

Ahh. . . I think I'm starting to get it: flip-flops = lazy/sloppy. See, to me, flip-flops just mean summertime. I don't wear them because I'm too lazy to put on shoes, I wear them because it's HOT. Same reason I wear shorts.

Exactly. It's become part of the "nasty trucker" stereotype within the industry. I don't think outside of the industry there are too many people that associate flip-flops with truckers at all. But go to the truck stops on a daily basis and it seems the nastiest of the group often can be found wearing flip-flops.

I drive in my socked feet. I take my shoes off and they stay right by the drivers door if I am driving or by the passenger door if my brother is driving. No outdoor shoes get worn in my truck.

That's exactly what I did. Growing up, if you walked in our house with your shoes on you'd get knocked out cold by my ma. So I never wore my shoes in the truck. I took em off when I climbed in and set them next to the door. I drove and walked around the truck in my socks.

I used to use that tire foam stuff on the rubber flooring. Makes it shine like a new penny but it's slippery so you have to watch out for that.

What you do in your truck is your business and I really could care less unless i'm with ya and you got a bad case of stinkfoot... then it has become my business too (my sister used to have the worst case of stink foot ever! one day she took her shoes off in the car... dad had to go to a gas station washed her feet with the water for your radiator, then sprayed her feet down with air freshener and threw away her shoes... her feet still stank).

Outside of the truck is still your business too... I'm not your daddy, but I do care at that point. Would you eat off the surfaces that you walk on outside your truck... all that nasty oil and gas and what not... puke... and other bodily fluids? why would you want to expose your feet or any other body part to any of that? even if I was going to the shower I would still wear closed toe shoes into the shower then change to sandals (I don't do flip flops... causes blisters between my toes). then you get onto the topic about other safety hazards like stuff falling on your toes, slipping on the steps, etc but all that can happen with regular shoes.

I bet those poor guys that had to jump out of those burning trucks up in Jersey were glad they had on shoes...at least I assume they did. In aviation one of the concepts that was emphasized in preparation for an emergency landing was secure, in place footwear as to not hinder egress from the potential wreckage. Something to think about in trucking but I can easily see where comfort could outweigh concern.

I have to come clean. I bought a pair of kinda-flip-flops from walmart yesterday. They are those strappy-onny things. They were marked down to $7 (half off) and finding the size in them for my big feet is kinda rare. This being said, I really hate walmart. Personally I think they sell nothing but China junk that deteriorates or breaks at a rate so great that it completely erases the illusion that you are getting a bargain on something. I'm convinced their shoes are put together with water soluble glue. One walk in wet grass and you are, essentially, wearing flip flops. They've got us all fooled. At our local walmart the produce section is generally about 24 hours from needing to go to the compost pile. For food I've recently discovered Aldi. Incredible prices, clean stores and some really good products. We've been buying milk recently for .98€/gal. How bout that for a detour on topic.

How bout that for a detour on topic

This is a fun topic that lends itself well to various detours

I think they sell nothing but China junk that deteriorates or breaks at a rate so great that it completely erases the illusion that you are getting a bargain on something.

That's one major difference between people who manage money wisely versus people who spin their wheels and never get anywhere. When something is important it always pays to buy good quality stuff. Your home, your vehicles, your lawn care machines, your tools, your cookware, etc - the infrastructure that you rely upon regularly needs to be good quality stuff.

Now there's nothing wrong with hitting Walmart to pick up a $3 Frisbee and a $2 plastic bucket for a day at the beach. But trying to get by on bargain-basement stuff you use all the time is a fool's game for sure. You're not getting a bargain when you're trying to use fragile, unreliable things to do the heavy lifting.

My favorite example is vehicles. I live way out in the country so there are plenty of knuckleheads with four or five old broken down vehicles lying around that they'll tell you they got for a bargain and they plan on putting to good use. But they're delusional. They spend all of their time trying to tinker with old, cr*ppy vehicles that look terrible and run worse. In the end your time and money could have been used for one good quality vehicle that's tough and reliable.

Is it somehow seen as unprofessional?

I've never seen the term flip flop and professional used in the same sentence. Selling corn dogs on the beach, maybe, otherwise, not so much.

While were on the subject I've never seen the term Jeans ,T-shirt & professional used in the same sentence Sure in the culture we live in now it's somewhat acceptable , Steven Jobs did it but he still looked like an unkempt mutt Any man over the age of 40 needs to ditch the Tee shirt and faded jeans except for home use at that age it's time to grow up If truckers want to be thought of as professionals they need to look the part . Heck cowboys had more class they wore suits riding a horse Actually its even costs less to dress up than down No man Flip Flops at least graduate to some high end sandals for a job or just buy an orange jump suit and look the part

I bet those poor guys that had to jump out of those burning trucks up in Jersey were glad they had on shoes...at least I assume they did. In aviation one of the concepts that was emphasized in preparation for an emergency landing was secure, in place footwear as to not hinder egress from the potential wreckage. Something to think about in trucking but I can easily see where comfort could outweigh concern.

To be honest, I must admit I never once considered that. All of my preparation went into preventing accidents but didn't really think too much about escaping from one.

Man, now I'm sitting here in my living room in my socks thinking, "What if the house catches fire? Should I be wearing my shoes?"

When I was a kid I had a dream that Darth Vader was in my house chasing me. I hid, he went right on by, and I made a break for the door. I got out the back door and starting running through the yard but realized I didn't have my shoes on and my ma would kill me if I ruined my socks! So I had to go back in the house and get those shoes. Man, I dreaded that. Fortunately I woke up before I made it back to the door so I'll never know if I would've lived or not.

Totally true story.

No jeans are not mentioned in the same sentence as professional but they are known as durable work clothing. These slacks that you see some wear would not hold up for a day with what I do. You can find me as some point in the day dirty, greasy and/or sweaty. Now flip flops say childish to me. Kids wear them and adults wear shoes. Just my opinion.

Oh and cowboys wore jeans more than they did suits. You are watching too much TV or reading too much fiction. Now gamblers, they tended to dress up more.