Today's Thoughts By Jeff 1/12/13 Belligerent, Obtuse, Trucking 101
That’s us truckers, always ready to start a fight because we are slow to understand things as they are presented to us. Belligerent and obtuse, I know, I know, three dollar words for what some would think a buck and a half industry. Unfortunately for them though, most truckers in today’s world can quote stats and regulations just about as good as the most seasoned DOT cop can. Or at least make it sound like we can. And as for operating our fully load rigs out on that highway in a safe and legal fashion, you can bet your caboose that no one is going to make us do anything but. They might try and when they do, we have in their opinion become a belligerent and obtuse trucker.
That’s the fun part about the trucking industry. We have shippers, receivers, brokers, agents, dispatchers, and a multitude of others that have an interest in that load on back of our trucks. They all seem to want us there where we are supposed to be yesterday while insisting that we as the driver do everything safe and legal. Of course when life throws in its little bitty glitches, we are supposed to, well, bend the rules just a bit and make the world right once again. You see, we are supposed to look and sound a certain way but when necessary we are supposed to act in another. And when we do not, when we stand up to the powers that be and demand to stay legal and safe, we become known as belligerent and obtuse truckers just trying to cause problems rather than go along to get along like good little truckers. And should something go wrong, well; that driver was not following company policy.
They hold the purse strings so to say. If we refuse then they can cut us off and find a driver that knows how to get the job done regardless of the situation. Always, there will be that renegade that will roll and that judge that will stand behind the company rather than the driver that demands to run safe and legal; a brash reality of the trucking industry. One that safe and legal truckers will always have to deal with I guess.
I can dream though, a world where a driver calls in and explains the legalities of our trucks being late. Where we tell the dispatchers that the roads have become to treacherous to travel and our trucks will arrive when it is safe to do so. A world where as the dispatcher, shipper or receiver will be considered the belligerent one, the obtuse one instead of the truck driver that is just doing their job as safely and legally as they possibly can. To dream per say, to dream.
Wake up you idiot, get with the real world. Great companies and drivers do exist out here. But always though, even with the best of them, as employees come and go and people have to have time to learn the industry as it is in today’s world, drivers will always have to deal with people on the other end of that phone that just do not understand the real world out here as we see it through the windshield. Always they will never be able to see beyond their desk. And always, we the trucker will be consider belligerent and obtuse for doing nothing more than our job, running the highways as safe and legal as we possibly can.
Be safe peeps. God Bless America
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That’s us truckers, always ready to start a fight because we are slow to understand things as they are presented to us. Belligerent and obtuse, I know, I know, three dollar words for what some would think a buck and a half industry. Unfortunately for them though, most truckers in today’s world can quote stats and regulations just about as good as the most seasoned DOT cop can. Or at least make it sound like we can. And as for operating our fully load rigs out on that highway in a safe and legal fashion, you can bet your caboose that no one is going to make us do anything but. They might try and when they do, we have in their opinion become a belligerent and obtuse trucker.
That’s the fun part about the trucking industry. We have shippers, receivers, brokers, agents, dispatchers, and a multitude of others that have an interest in that load on back of our trucks. They all seem to want us there where we are supposed to be yesterday while insisting that we as the driver do everything safe and legal. Of course when life throws in its little bitty glitches, we are supposed to, well, bend the rules just a bit and make the world right once again. You see, we are supposed to look and sound a certain way but when necessary we are supposed to act in another. And when we do not, when we stand up to the powers that be and demand to stay legal and safe, we become known as belligerent and obtuse truckers just trying to cause problems rather than go along to get along like good little truckers. And should something go wrong, well; that driver was not following company policy.
They hold the purse strings so to say. If we refuse then they can cut us off and find a driver that knows how to get the job done regardless of the situation. Always, there will be that renegade that will roll and that judge that will stand behind the company rather than the driver that demands to run safe and legal; a brash reality of the trucking industry. One that safe and legal truckers will always have to deal with I guess.
I can dream though, a world where a driver calls in and explains the legalities of our trucks being late. Where we tell the dispatchers that the roads have become to treacherous to travel and our trucks will arrive when it is safe to do so. A world where as the dispatcher, shipper or receiver will be considered the belligerent one, the obtuse one instead of the truck driver that is just doing their job as safely and legally as they possibly can. To dream per say, to dream.
Wake up you idiot, get with the real world. Great companies and drivers do exist out here. But always though, even with the best of them, as employees come and go and people have to have time to learn the industry as it is in today’s world, drivers will always have to deal with people on the other end of that phone that just do not understand the real world out here as we see it through the windshield. Always they will never be able to see beyond their desk. And always, we the trucker will be consider belligerent and obtuse for doing nothing more than our job, running the highways as safe and legal as we possibly can.
Be safe peeps. God Bless America
Be sure to add me as a friend if you like "Today's Thoughts"
Copy and share as much as you want (-:
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