Attitudes

Do truck drivers have attitudes? Does McDonald’s have hamburgers?
You bet! It may seem that every truck driver you meet has some gripe about something.
Which brings me to the question, “How can you tell if a truck driver is happy?” Answer, “If he’s complaining about something”. I think I’ve heard gripes about shippers to receivers to brokers to dispatchers to payroll and of course let’s not forget the cops and DOT that are out to get you, highway construction and I guess the number one gripe is 4 wheelers.

But what a shock when I saw painted on the back of a cab in big bold lettering at the Flying J in Jackson MS. ‘SUCCESS IS THE ULTIMATE REVENGE’ I had to meet this driver, who by the way is a young Owner Operator leased to a flat bed carrier. He told me that he had worked for a starter company for 5 years until he saved enough to dive into the business for himself. I have no doubt he’ll do well. By the way a starter company is one who will put anyone with wet ink still on his graduation certificate and a brand new CDL behind the wheel and turn them lose on the highway. You know the companies I’m talking about

My first impression when I spotted the proclamation was here was someone who was told he couldn’t make it, or wouldn’t get anywhere, and isn’t it sad that there are those who believe this put down and continue to live it for the rest of their lives. You might ask if becoming an O/O is being a success? To some, maybe not, but I remember Tommy Hopkins, a very popular and effective sales trainer telling a class I was in that “Success is the continuous pursuit of worthwhile goals”. You see, success isn’t the top rung on the ladder. There is no top rung. Success is a constant climb to do better, to be better, success is a never ending quest. Isn’t it funny that the truly successful people are always looking for a new ladder, a new challenge and are always looking up, always being positive, never looking down at their shoe laces, never saying, “It can’t be done”. What do the Marines say, “If the job is difficult we’ll do it right away, it it’s impossible it may take a little longer”.

Personally I think I’m a very positive person. I love driving a truck, I love the challenge of meeting appointments and looking after my equipment. I like to think I take pride in what I do, how I appear and how I treat the people I come in contact with. After all, I am the company I work for. I am a certified geezer, and have only been in trucking 40 years. Before that I was in other professions and have owned a business outside of trucking. Retirement is not in my dictionary. My youngest daughter says I’ll retire when they pry my cold stiff fingers off the steering wheal. Am I a success story? To some I’m just a truck driver, one of “those people”. But you see, I’m where I want to be, I’m doing what I want to do at this time. Who knows what other challenge might excite me, I’m only 73 and thank God he’s given me another day to live and be productive.

Enjoy the day

Flat Tire