Look In The Mirror

Brett, I really liked your latest blog post, A Look In The Mirror, and wanted to encourage everyone to go over there to the blog section and take a look at it. I hooked up a C.B. radio this last week and boy was it disappointing to hear the current state of things as compared to back in the late 70's when I was a teenager and we all had citizen band radios for fun and entertainment. The drivers were civil and helpful in those days even if they were probably perturbed with all these newcomers that Burt Reynolds brought to the airways. There is such a critical fault finding culture among the drivers of today that it is hard to understand how the industry has degraded itself to it's current level.

The desecration of honor started one step at a time and the restoration of it will start the same way. I hope a new culture of professionals will begin to come forth and show themselves to the world one at a time until we start making a turning of the tide.

Old School, I to have seen the decline of personal accountability in truck drivers. I think when I realized that things had really gone down hill, was when I couldn't get on the cb to ask for a road report without getting a pile of crap because I was a woman. I had been around cb's since I was a small child, since my dad was into cb's way back. I had to take a test on Morse Code to get my first cb license. So I've seen the hay days, and the decline. And the attitude on the cb is a slice of the attitude of truckers, period. There are very few White Knights of the asphalt left anymore. So i'm glad I got to experience it when the drivers were helpful, pleasant, and fun to be around. Now you have to watch out for drivers who pull your 5th wheel pin, drop a rag in your fuel tank, steal fuel, or the worse..hit your truck, and drive away. The cb is still a useful tool, and we used ours when in city traffic, winter weather, or any time that we needed local road info. When the trucking community decide not to police their own for illegal acts, the government took over. It may be the best for everyone, but it certainly took away some of the allure of freedom on the road for me.

The desecration of honor started one step at a time and the restoration of it will start the same way. I hope a new culture of professionals will begin to come forth and show themselves to the world one at a time until we start making a turning of the tide.

Well put old school. I am new to trucking but I am not new to this earth. As a teenager, I too had a citizens band radio, in my car, and I had a blast talking and mostly listening to truckers while on the road (which I was a lot for some reason). I refuse to let those days go away.

Thanks Old School.

Indeed the trucking industry - drivers in particular - are in a sad state. Trucking is such an amazing career for the right person, but drivers have handled themselves with such utter disgrace over the past few decades that we're now considered the lowest form of garbage in our society today. Almost nobody becomes a truck driver unless they're at their wit's end.

The average age in trucking is almost 50 years old, and yet by the nature of the job it should be a young man's game. But almost nobody ever chooses trucking as a career, especially not as a first career. They choose trucking as a last resort because they have no respect for truck driving as a career.

If a guidance counselor at a high school ever had the gall to suggest that a student become a truck driver they would lose their job immediately - that day.

What true profession in America would allow you to walk into work with ripped up smelly clothes, running around cussin and threatening people? What true professional would ever act that way in the first place?

The saddest thing about it is that we've handled ourselves so poorly that people expect it of us. Even our own trucking companies allow us to walk into their customer's place of business smelling like a sewer, wearing ripped up smelly flannel shirts, cutoff sweatpants for shorts, and flip flops. They don't seem to think we're capable of doing better.

I would love more than anything to see the pride and integrity come back to trucking. Nobody deserves more respect for the hard work and sacrifice drivers put in, and nobody plays a more critical role in our society. We take an enormous risk to drive an 80,000 pound "building on wheels" over the mountains, through the biggest cities, in all weather conditions, in all hours of the day and night. We make enormous sacrifices by leaving behind our home, family, and friends for weeks at a time.

If we would handle ourselves as true professionals we would be treated as true professionals. I'd love to see that happen, and there's absolutely no reason on Earth good enough to convince me it can't be done.

Personally, I wouldn't mind wearing a company shirt. Thing is, MY company doesn't have a company store thay sells such things as shirts and hats.

Dave

I don't know about wearing a company shirt. It wouldn't hurt at all, but that means someone would have to buy them. And as always, something special, such as company shirts, uniform shirts, etc. get expensive. You can't just hop down to the local Kmart and pick them up. They have to be made special. And being made special, means it will cost.

I read Brett's blog and I totally agree. 100%.

I too cannot believe what the trucking industry has come to. I was a little older than a teenager when the CB craze hit in the 70s, but not by much. When "Uncle Charlie" kept an eye on things, things were totally different. And not only that, the CB community policed itself. If someone cussed or blew a gasket on the air, everyone stopped talking to them. They were ignored.

I visited two truck stops over the last couple of days, and I saw things there that made me want to poke my eyes out with a stick. They will be forever etched into my mind. I shudder setting here thinking about them.

I won't go into details about what I saw. But let me just say this. They might be uncomfortable, but they make bras for a reason. And shirts should not have huge arm holes. nuf said.

If the companies won't do it, maybe the trucking industry needs to start policing itself. You hear cussing on the radio, ignore the driver that is doing it. Or make a comment about the language and if they keep it up, then ignore them. It might take a while, but eventually, something would change.

If you see a driver that looks worse than a "lot lizard" say something. In a nice way, but say something. I did say something to one of the "ladies" I saw. I was polite. She didn't like it, but the seed has been planted. Maybe she will think about it or maybe she won't. But I tried.

I have a feeling that more are fed up with what is happening than likes what is happening.

Keep it safe out there. Joe S.

I don't know about wearing a company shirt. It wouldn't hurt at all, but that means someone would have to buy them. And as always, something special, such as company shirts, uniform shirts, etc. get expensive

Buying shirts like that in quantity is cheap. Just a simple polo shirt would be perfect - they look nice and they're super comfortable.

And as a business owner myself, my first thought is "How much does a nice looking shirt cost versus how much money will I lose if I show up looking like a slob?" It pays to look and act professional when representing your company.

There is also a very interesting psychological phenomenon that shows a person's behavior will change when you change their clothing and your expectations of them. By simply requiring a company's drivers to wear a polo shirt and making it company policy of no unprofessional behavior when on a customer's premises will make the company more productive. How? Well think about how many guys and gals you've seen cussing at shipping clerks and dock workers. What happens to them? That's right - they get sent out into the parking lot to sit for a few hours while other trucks get brought in and taken care of before them. Require your drivers to look and act professionally and you're going to get faster service at the docks overall, and for a big company that translates into big dollars. Obviously I don't mean every driver at every dock is suddenly going to get in and out like they're doing NASCAR-style pit stops, but it would certainly make a difference.

There are a lot of sound business cases that can be made for requiring your employees to look and act professionally. Not only are you going to be treated better by customers, but the company will attract a better quality of driver. Unfortunately our society thinks so low of truckers that most people don't think you can expect it of us. Most companies won't even try to raise the standards for their drivers. They think we'll run for the exits if we have to wear a nice shirt and stop cussing in front of customers. And some would. And good riddance. If it's too much to ask someone to do their job with a little pride and integrity, then let them work elsewhere.

I'm coming into this career from a job i had to wear a monkey suit, not only to cover all my art work im covered with, but it really does give you a different attitude in your job, and makes you at least look like you give 2 dams about what you look like and pride on what you do. Driving shouldn't be any different, now im not saying we should be driving with shirt and tie and shinny penny loafers, But like was said in a past post a nice "CLEAN" polo or a fully intact tee-shirt. I see drivers all the time around my area and they shock me. I see some homeless guys dressed a little better on State st. The only company i have ever seen that all the drivers are dressed the same is Walmart, they all have the dark blue slacks and white button up ****s with the company's name and the drivers name..

What about getting shirts made up with TT logo and a nice big rig on the back? Heck maybe even the drivers name on it also. Silk Screen tee shirts are not much at all. If Brett and you guys are interested, since im not working right now i can make contacts to some company's and see if we could get something set up with them.

There is no better place to start a change then right here with us. IF im outta place with this i'm sorry.

Drive safe guys and talk to ya soon

Geo

I totally agree.

When you look like a professional, you start acting like a professional. When you start acting like a professional, you start feeling better and acting better. When that happens, business improves everywhere. You start getting more respect and when that happens, your company USUALLY starts looking at you to do more.

And that works in just about every job. Look like a professional, act like a professional, be a professional.

And as far as people walking out, I have to ask, Do you really need people like that representing your company.

Keep it safe out there. Joe S.

As you can see in my profile pic that I have on a short sleeve button up shirt on. Its pretty much how I dress all the time. If not a shirt like that then I wear some type of a polo shirt. In either case they are comfortable to wear and frankly look alot nicer than a normal pocket t-shirt.