Positive Changes Truck Drivers Can Make to Improve the Trucking Industry

by Don
(Morrill, Ne)

I have been driving a truck since Aug of 1985. I have seen the public's opinion of the trucker change. My own opinion has changed with the public. I have seen the professionalism steadily decline.

My father was a driver & always worn clean shirts & trousers. They were all ironed & trousers were creased. I don't crease my jeans but they are clean & my shirts are clean, fit properly & my boots are polished.

Now you see people who dress sloppy & sometimes hardly dressed. The thing that has really effected my attitude towards the drivers now is the total lack of courtesy.

I pull a bull rack & I have a fast truck. Freight haulers see me coming & they will whip over into the hammer lane just to slow me down even if they are yet 100 yds from the truck they have very slowly coming up to. They will do this also to 4 wheelers as I have had them do it to me when in my pick up & have watched as they nearly take the nose off the 4 wheeler.

I was a freight hauler for several years & I also had a 65 mile an hr truck. If someone tried to pass me who had a 66 or 67 mile an hr truck I would always drop 1 or 2 mph off my speed. They got passed me quickly & didn't hold up traffic. Now you have to follow these slow trucks for miles as they slowly creep past.

If you want society to change their opinion of the truck driver, then truckers need to start showing some courtesy. I hear & watch truckers every day & they don't even have any respect for each other, so, how can you expect society to respect you?

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May 03, 2010
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Attitude of drivers over the road - Psychology of trucking
by: Hervy

Don, I know exactly what you mean. I see the same thing with trucks pulling out and holding up the left lane.

I don't necessarily feel that I should have to slow down for a truck to get around because if he can't get around in a reasonable amount of time he shouldn't get in the left lane until there's nothing behind him but I get your point.

What's even worse though, is when you ride behind the trucker in the right lane for miles and he won't speed up unless you get in the left lane to pass. (They are usually on the phone)

Also I don't know if you notice but how about when a driver is exiting but instead of getting on the ramp to exit they will ride on the highway until the last minute and then get over on the exit ramp and sometimes won't even use the turn signal just so you won't know they are going to exit.

All of these things go beyond the trucker and four wheelers have the same driving habits. It's the result of a more serious problem with the mindset of people today in general. Me Me attitude. They feel they are more important and deserve special treatment.

The attitude and mindset motivates them to do these types of things. There is no other way to explain it.

Having said that, it would seem that professional truckers would be just a little bit better off not letting that mindset creep into their driving habits since defensive driving goes further than common sense but is actually taught as part of obtaining CDLs but I guess the negativity is too overwhelming as so here we are.

Truck drivers acting just like four wheelers but expecting to be seen and treated like professionals.

Drivers, it's time for a change.

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