The Ugly in TruckingUnfortunately, ugly in trucking is everywhere in the trucking industry. Shippers and receivers usually could care less about the drivers never ending rush to get in and out. They even try to get free labor out of us.Sometimes our very own company treats us as if we are robots behind the wheel. Some companieswon't even route drivers through the house as though they think we are too stupid to know they have freight going through there. Managers, dispatchers and brokers give us bad information and let the driverdo research for the correct information to make the delivery (as if we don't have enough to do) We are expected to make miracles happen. We are told and expected to run legal then told to get somewhere by thenext morning at 6am that mathematics say can't happen. (Catch 22. Someone will be unhappy either thedriver, DOT, company, shipper, receiver, broker, trooper,consumer,etc). We often work long hours manyuncompensated but if not for creative time management we wouldn't get a decent paycheck, everyone on everylevel in the industry knows this but no one puts in place a system where the shippers and receivers are forcedto have us in and out in a certain amount of time. (It's almost a must to have truck driver legal help on hand) We have easy access and availability to unhealthy meals often with limited time to find something for a good low calorie diet.healthy diet plan. So many truckers gain excess belly fat and body weight and never overcome the denialof what's happening. Ugly could easily describe the way the media portrays us when reporting about incidents or accidents.They will usually imply that accidents were our fault when there is no fault found or fault is questionable.Most of the time fault is with four wheelers and the trucker is blamed on technicality (Logbook says he's wasn't supposed to be there). Because it is more sensational for media to report truck accidents than car accidents a lot of people think truck wreck more often and are the cause of most accidents when inactually we are the safest drivers on the road (duhhh. Should only take a little common sense to figure thatout but don't wait on it being discovered by the average citizen). However there is also the ugliness that some drivers do give themselves too muchcredit for thinking they can keep their sleepy eyes open no matter how tired they are. That sometimes end in disaster. (Not as often as you think though) The ugliest thing may be the stereotypical image that the general public has of the American truck driver.Too many get caught in the hype of Hollywood movies. They think we all are hillbilly rednecks who spenddays looking for lot lizards, racing each other, trying to outrun the police and talking trash on the cb. (We couldn't make it a week out here trying to maintain what our stereotypical image would suggest)People have hardwired thoughts in their head of what we are about and it's sad. Ugly is everywhere in the trucking industry! Having said that ugly is everywhere in your life right know. Do you internalize it and let it ruin your mood. Let it affect your outlook on life.The glass can still be half full if that's they way you want it, let someone else drink out of the one that's half empty. Never let the ugly deter you from the journey (Unless its to hell!) Life is full of challenges and unfairnessI choose to navigate through and make the best of it. Use what you can as lessons and motivators to move forward and don't look back (Unless it's part of your method of moving forward.) In spite of ugly in life reflect beauty and strength and rise above obstacles that other may place in your path no matter if you decided to become a truck driver or flip BK burgers. Think positive and you caneventually have it your way. The Crazy Trucker told you that! The Ugly In Trucking Top
|
