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Saturday, April 12, 2008

The Respect That Truckers "Deserve"

It's another day and another time for me to rip the trucking world a new asshole.  Well, I guess that's what I'm doing.  I don't think I am, but that's how everyone is going to take it, so who the hell am I to argue?

"Respect" is a word that is increasingly bandied about by truckers.  Mostly when they bitch about not getting any of it.  I guess everyone's a Rodney Dangerfield these days.  It's really getting irritating because nobody seems to understand what it actually means, or why they should or shouldn't be getting it.

My question to you, my select group of truckers who don't get no respect, is this: what are you doing to earn respect?  Do you think you deserve respect just because you're a trucker or even just because you're alive?  La-de-fucking-da, guys.  I'm a trucker too, and I'm also alive.  But I don't whine about not getting respect.  I don't demand that everyone kisses my ass simply because I haul consumer commodities. 

I get respect because I give respect.  I don't go screaming at the poor clerks in the shipping or receiving office because the loaders/unloaders aren't working according to my schedule.  I take the time to understand that the world is larger than my and my piddling little needs.  I don't regard customers as enemies.  I do my damnedest not to inconvenience or endanger people.  I bathe regularly.  I don't get mouthy on the CB.

You want respect?  Then tell me this: what are you doing to help make the lives of the people you interact with today a little easier?

3 comments:

Scott said...

Hi,
Keep up the good work. I like reading your blog. Truckers are pretty stereotyped, but you give them a better image. I agree with your article on earning respect. I bathe regularly was a nice touch.

Cheers,
Scott

XieroSix said...

Nicely said. And I agree with all points made. Especially the ones about giving respect to get it.

Terry said...

I myself have always treated the customers, and receivers with great respect. I have made many new friendships this way, and the customers now go out of their way to service my needs. I deliver many stops in a two day period and often have someone stay late or come in early to help keep me on my schedule. This is typically not done for my co-workers. It pays to be nice!!

That always amazes me when a Trucker will get angry with a shipper, and then expect to be treated with respect. Some of our drivers have been banned from deliverig certain routes due to this behavior!