Who is driving those other trucks?

by Jimmy
(Kingman,Az)

Do you ever wonder who is in those other trucks that you see running down the interstate, or when walking to the restaurant? Is it a husband/wife team with 20 years experience and this is their 842nd time down this road? Or is it a new guy on his first solo run west of the Mississippi? Is the inside of his truck neat and tidy or a pig pen? We don't really know, do we?

I was at the Petro in Bordentown,N.J. parked for the night around 1998. I was just taking a stroll around the lot, still daylight, and struck up a converstion with an 'Aussie'. He was asking me about the trucking biz here in the states. I was eager to help him with all my wisdom. He stated he was recruited in Australia to come here and commit for two years to his co. This was a co. in Arkansas and I was familiar with it.

Well, I got to wondering about his orientation, as I am always eager to hear about how other co.s operate. I figured since he came from another country, his situation in orientation would take much longer to complete. I asked him how long it took? Now he was an experienced driver, just not in this country. I was shocked, he had arrived in I believe Fayetteville,Ar at 8am and got a physical, got his Ar driver license, went thru orientation, took a road test, and left the yard with a load, solo, by 6pm. THE SAME DAY! I think maybe there's a need for drivers here in the U.S.

I remember also reading about Hogan transport out of St.Louis. They had recruited 30 people from Barbados.

Another couple from New Zealand was overheard on the c/b just recently. They come here every year and run for 9 months then return home for 3 months.

What's my point you say? Nothing, just wondering......Jimmy