Steering wheel holders...truck drivers
- Thread starter Inkeper
- Start date
A trucker got into this business because he always wanted to and loves trucks and the road.
A steering wheel holder got into it because he ran out of options.
A trucker knows his equipment like the back of his hand and can tell by feel and by listening how it's doing.
A steering wheel holder knows where the steering wheel is and has no idea what kind of shape the truck is in.
A trucker leaves plenty of distance between his truck and the traffic in front of him at all times.
A steering wheel holder runs up on the cars in front of him to "teach them a lesson" or "Intimidate".
A trucker dresses and acts like he's at work, when he's at work.
A steering wheel holder schleps around in sweats, flipflops, ripped up shirts and other inappropriate clothing.
A trucker is courteous and respectful at customer locations.
A steering wheel holder acts like a slob and is disrespectful and obnoxious.
A trucker uses a restroom or is otherwise discreet and sanitary with his bodily functions.
A steering wheel holder pees in a bottle and craps in a Wal Mart bag and chucks it out the window.
A trucker knows what's going on around his truck at all times while driving and working.
A steering wheel holder jams in his earbuds and stares straight ahead with no real idea what's happening around him/her/it.
These are just a few of the things that set us apart from "them".
A steering wheel holder got into it because he ran out of options.
A trucker knows his equipment like the back of his hand and can tell by feel and by listening how it's doing.
A steering wheel holder knows where the steering wheel is and has no idea what kind of shape the truck is in.
A trucker leaves plenty of distance between his truck and the traffic in front of him at all times.
A steering wheel holder runs up on the cars in front of him to "teach them a lesson" or "Intimidate".
A trucker dresses and acts like he's at work, when he's at work.
A steering wheel holder schleps around in sweats, flipflops, ripped up shirts and other inappropriate clothing.
A trucker is courteous and respectful at customer locations.
A steering wheel holder acts like a slob and is disrespectful and obnoxious.
A trucker uses a restroom or is otherwise discreet and sanitary with his bodily functions.
A steering wheel holder pees in a bottle and craps in a Wal Mart bag and chucks it out the window.
A trucker knows what's going on around his truck at all times while driving and working.
A steering wheel holder jams in his earbuds and stares straight ahead with no real idea what's happening around him/her/it.
These are just a few of the things that set us apart from "them".
Southern Fried
Well-Known Member
"Back when", we had another distinction..... Transport Drivers. These were the 18 wheeler operators who could (and did) haul anything anywhere and keep everything running with a screwdriver, vicegrips, a roll of duct tape and a pair of bootlaces. These were the Road Knights, America's Last Cowboys and people you told your daughter to ask for help on the highways.
Truck drivers were the guys who drove dump trucks, garbage trucks, local P&D straight trucks from 1 to 5 ton.
You usually started out as a Truck Driver and worked your way up to Transport Driver. Kind of like an apprenticeship.
These days, Truck Driver is a somewhat catch all phrase that means little..... like college graduate.
Steering Wheel Holder is the guy/gal who will call out road service to change a friggin fuse. They don't know how to do anything beyond sit behind that wheel and don't care. Age or gender have nothing to do with it. Common phrase.... "I'm just doing this until I can get a real job". Common "mating call"... "I have a degree". Common Habitat..... flocking around some air-head reporter with a microphone doing an "In Depth Report on The State of Trucking".
Truck drivers were the guys who drove dump trucks, garbage trucks, local P&D straight trucks from 1 to 5 ton.
You usually started out as a Truck Driver and worked your way up to Transport Driver. Kind of like an apprenticeship.
These days, Truck Driver is a somewhat catch all phrase that means little..... like college graduate.
Steering Wheel Holder is the guy/gal who will call out road service to change a friggin fuse. They don't know how to do anything beyond sit behind that wheel and don't care. Age or gender have nothing to do with it. Common phrase.... "I'm just doing this until I can get a real job". Common "mating call"... "I have a degree". Common Habitat..... flocking around some air-head reporter with a microphone doing an "In Depth Report on The State of Trucking".
Duck
Sarcastic remark goes here
A trucker gets into the correct lane when approaching a lane closure, as soon as he learns which lane he needs to be in.
A steering wheel holder stays in the one that's closing until he can't go any further, then forces his way into a trucker's space cushion like this one did to me Friday night.
A steering wheel holder stays in the one that's closing until he can't go any further, then forces his way into a trucker's space cushion like this one did to me Friday night.
THBatMan8
Well-Known Member
I have seen people who got into the industry because they had no other choice, and turned out to be good drivers.
There is one big difference between a driver and a steering wheel holder. A steering wheel holder does nothing more than hold a wheel, and is completely oblivious to what they are doing. They don't give a flying toss about their job or the industry. They have no pride in what they are doing. They are too shellfish to think of anyone else, and think they rule the highway and everyone else doesn't belong on it.
A real driver cares about what they do.
There is one big difference between a driver and a steering wheel holder. A steering wheel holder does nothing more than hold a wheel, and is completely oblivious to what they are doing. They don't give a flying toss about their job or the industry. They have no pride in what they are doing. They are too shellfish to think of anyone else, and think they rule the highway and everyone else doesn't belong on it.
A real driver cares about what they do.
A trucker is interested in learning the job and perfecting his or her performance.
A steering wheel holder does nothing except blame the dispatcher, the customer, the roads or the equipment for any and all failures.
An example is use of load locks/straps inside a van or reefer. Trucker will make sure the customer's property is protected from damage by whatever means are available. He or she will use straps and load locks to prevent freight damage and will drive in such a manner as to keep the freight as steady as possible.
A steering wheel holder will just shut the doors on an unsecured odd pallet, jack-rabbit the brakes and throttle, Andretti the corners and just generally not give a crap.
A trucker will help new drivers learn how to improve and pass on their experience in order to maintain the integrity of the industry.
A steering wheel holder will simply look down his or her nose at another driver based solely on the name of that driver's company, his or her origin, his or her lack of previous family connection to the industry or how he or she acquired the CDL.
A trucker is a teacher and mentor.
A steering wheel holder is an elitist jerk.
A steering wheel holder does nothing except blame the dispatcher, the customer, the roads or the equipment for any and all failures.
An example is use of load locks/straps inside a van or reefer. Trucker will make sure the customer's property is protected from damage by whatever means are available. He or she will use straps and load locks to prevent freight damage and will drive in such a manner as to keep the freight as steady as possible.
A steering wheel holder will just shut the doors on an unsecured odd pallet, jack-rabbit the brakes and throttle, Andretti the corners and just generally not give a crap.
A trucker will help new drivers learn how to improve and pass on their experience in order to maintain the integrity of the industry.
A steering wheel holder will simply look down his or her nose at another driver based solely on the name of that driver's company, his or her origin, his or her lack of previous family connection to the industry or how he or she acquired the CDL.
A trucker is a teacher and mentor.
A steering wheel holder is an elitist jerk.
Duck
Sarcastic remark goes here
Here's a story about a REAL steering wheel holder.
Richard, the guy I'm hitching a ride home with told me about the last guy he was asked to give a ride to.
The guy he was taking home had been fired because he got a DUI in the truck. He was a young guy, early 20's. They started heading to Ohio & the fired guy took off all of his clothes (all of them) & got in the bunk, on Richard's blankets. He made him put his clothes back on. A little while later the guy pulled out a 6 pack of beer from his bags & started drinking. Richard pulled over & made him throw it in the ditch just to get it out of the truck. The rest of the way to Ohio, the guy was talking to himself. Asking himself questions then answering them. Richard ran out of hours in Indiana but the drunk obviously wasn't allowed to drive so he switched to "off duty driving" & continued on to Canton, OH to drop him off.
Richard, the guy I'm hitching a ride home with told me about the last guy he was asked to give a ride to.
The guy he was taking home had been fired because he got a DUI in the truck. He was a young guy, early 20's. They started heading to Ohio & the fired guy took off all of his clothes (all of them) & got in the bunk, on Richard's blankets. He made him put his clothes back on. A little while later the guy pulled out a 6 pack of beer from his bags & started drinking. Richard pulled over & made him throw it in the ditch just to get it out of the truck. The rest of the way to Ohio, the guy was talking to himself. Asking himself questions then answering them. Richard ran out of hours in Indiana but the drunk obviously wasn't allowed to drive so he switched to "off duty driving" & continued on to Canton, OH to drop him off.
GreenTJ4JC
Member
Times 2!!
Rigjockey
In Gord we trust!
Same as it ever was, Same as it ever was! With a difference. When I got into this thing, There where drivers that would help out a new guy. I think me being just a kid at 22yrs old, Some guys remembered me being them 20 yrs ago. Still you had some that would stand around just to laugh at you.
Some took pride and made sure everything was perfect. Others turned the key, Hit the pin, Cranked the legs and took off.
This is the only thing i ever wanted to do. I was taught by a heavy hauler that was, Is anal about every single little freaking little detail. OCD will make a semi normal person crazy.
Now on to the difference between then and now. Now there is just many more who don't give a crap, Wont lend a hand, Wont show a new guy something.
Hey trucker! A new guy would think more of you if you helped them out, Instead of standing around watching. This is you chance to show what you know. If you stand there laughing then you really know nothing and are just lucky enough to have that not happen to you.
If you help a brother (sister) trucker out then you know something and then the driver you helped knows something and they will show someone else something.
Less steering wheel holders and more tuckers, Lets not forget before the schools and CDL mills this TRADE was passed down through the years.
Some took pride and made sure everything was perfect. Others turned the key, Hit the pin, Cranked the legs and took off.
This is the only thing i ever wanted to do. I was taught by a heavy hauler that was, Is anal about every single little freaking little detail. OCD will make a semi normal person crazy.
Now on to the difference between then and now. Now there is just many more who don't give a crap, Wont lend a hand, Wont show a new guy something.
Hey trucker! A new guy would think more of you if you helped them out, Instead of standing around watching. This is you chance to show what you know. If you stand there laughing then you really know nothing and are just lucky enough to have that not happen to you.
If you help a brother (sister) trucker out then you know something and then the driver you helped knows something and they will show someone else something.
Less steering wheel holders and more tuckers, Lets not forget before the schools and CDL mills this TRADE was passed down through the years.
GroceryHauler
Well-Known Member
I still crack up at the notion that you have to love trucking in order to do a professional job as a driver. I didn't get into trucking because of a lifetime of fascination with trucks or any of that crap. I didn't get into it because I didn't have any options. I simply saw the income potential (watching my brother double my income), found I could use the Illinois Veteran's Grant to pay for school and made the leap from my state of Illinois job to driving a truck for a living. Do I love it? No. Do I like it? Most of the time. Does it make me less professional because my life doesn't revolve around chrome, big radios and making my job my life? Nope.
Duck
Sarcastic remark goes here
They won't get very far unless they hook up the air hoses, ... at least the red one.
Rigjockey
In Gord we trust!
Aint nobody got time for that! lol
I agree with this 100%, and I'm somebody that got into it for the love if the job. Saying somebody can't be professional because they didn't get into it for the right reasons is ridiculous, but I guess blackw900 can't see that from all the way up there on his high horse.
Duck
Sarcastic remark goes here
You can't tell the difference between a Kenworth & a horse, ... and you claim to be a truck driver?
He might drive a KW but he also manages to ride a high horse at the same time.
Duck
Sarcastic remark goes here
Well that takes talent, wouldn't you say?
Don't twll him he's talented, you will only make his enormous ego a little bit bigger.
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