Whiny Butts In Trucking

There is nothing you can do for the whiny butt trucker... PERIOD!

Yet no one is trying to make a positive impact, at least from the rank and file side of things. I asked a coworker at another job if he any hope of anything getting better and he said no. In 30+ years of driving professionally all he could say is no.  Where does that leave us?  

Maybe he has a point.  Regulations are tighter, loads are more and more urgent, there's more unruly traffic than ever before and employers don't care if you live or die out here.  Even the Teamsters at YRC Freight are losing touch with any hope that might be out there.  

People who say, however, that the company they work for is a joke haven't yet realized that the joke is on them.  You've had time to figure this out and get out while the getting was good.  For those of us who choose to stay we are going to make the most of it.  I start out by knowing what my first objective is.  That is to get from Point A to Point B in the safest, most efficient and timely manner possible.  It's not impossible to focus on the job.  But seriously that's where people have lost focus and that doing a good job, regardless of the level in the company you are, is the first priority you should have.

Complaining only exacerbates the problems you already have,  You have two choices really.  Either stay where you are or leave outright.  There is no in between.  I want to be able to encourage drivers to do the best they can but i all you can do is complain I am going to leave drivers to wallow in their own misery.  It's not personal; I don't want to mess with my mental hygiene. 

Why...

15 years as a CDL holder and I've lost some passion for the business.  I like the daily challenges.  For example, Trying to get to Portland in a 63 mph truck while in 55 mph speed zones just to beat the midnight cutoff for payroll was a challenge.  All I wanted was a higher paycheck but nonetheless I'll get paid for those miles.  Cynicism abounds as I showed in my last post. (By the way, I still don't need any cheerleaders in my corner.)  The motoring public, as many of you can testify, is getting worse.  I mean, who has the sense to tailgate at 80 mph in rush hour Dallas traffic? Apparently, many people are getting their licenses to easily.

It all comes back to my "why" which is the ultimate reasons why I am out here.

I do it for the money.

There is not another occupation other than sales that can take a zero and put him into a comfortable life if he desires to fully understand the business.  Yes, with everything some will fail and some will not have the proficiency to handle it.  Anyone who is focused can maximize their potential.

When I started I was under pressure to move back to the South from Wisconsin.  I was certain that I would not be able to find employment that paid me what I was making at the time.  After the ex-wife resisted it for a long time she finally agreed to let me drive out there.  This was after she got laid off herself and didn't feel the need to stay in Wisconsin anymore.  It worked out.

My office is mobile and I don't have to interact with management every day.

If you're like me and prefer not to have someone breathing down you back all the time the trucking is a perfect choice for you.  I can't guarantee that you won't be hounded from a distance but it's a freeing feeling when you can move your "office" from place to place.  The scenery always changes and offers up different experiences.  Not to mention you always have a workplace with a view.

It can be real fun.

As I stated before, I like challenges.  The fun for me often comes with a objective I can meet or a new challenge.  New customers, new routes and even new equipment can have challenges on their own and anything that keeps it fresh for me will fire me up.

I believe in the cause and our mission and why we're important.

If anyone needs our support it's truckers. We leave our families so your families can have the things they need.  We're not out here joyriding; every truck driver has a priority to deliver what they are hauling and much of that affects many things that we do.  All the food in the grocery store gets there by truck from the warehouse.  All the food in the warehouse get there by truck from the manufacturer.  Gas in gas stations gets there from the terminals by truck.  A recent stat that has been quoted to me is that for every McDonald's hamburger sold there was at least 100 trucks involved from the slaughter of the cow to the making of your Big Mac.  Without trucks America doesn't eat well.

So tell me... What's you "why" for doing what you do?