a cut above part 2

[jrcarroll]

A Code of Ethics Checklist
.I drive to protect the motoring public and myself.
.I do my best to present a neat, clean appearance.
.I maintain and operate my vehicle in a safe, professional manner at all times.
.I comply with all safety rules, regulations, and laws.
.I treat shipper/receiver personnel with courtesy and respect.
Despite what they do, I act professionally.
.I am courteous to all other drivers.
.I set a good example for less experienced large vehicle drivers.
.I am always professional when dealing with four-wheel vehicle drivers.
.I practice driving defensively every day, and I avoid:
• Speeding
• Deliberately tailgating other vehicles
• Driving aggressively
• “Getting back” at other drivers
.I work to improve highway safety by reporting:
• Crashes to traffic safety agencies
• Unsafe drivers
• Unsafe road conditions
• Situations that could cause a crash
.I do my best to deliver my load safely and on time.
.I take pride in my profession and encourage other drivers to do the same.
.I do my best to inform the motoring public about how to share the road safely with trucks.

Source: South Carolina Trucking Association

 

[theoldprof]

I always treated the dock people with respect. When I would run across the shipper or receiver guy who was a complete jerk, I would think to myself that he has a lousy life and he takes it out at work. Like for instance he probably found out his thirteen year old daughter and his wife, and his girl friend are all pregnant.

 

[DougTravels]

Just remember it's tough to keep 2 hands on the wheel while patting ourselves on the back. Nice list but a little long for me. Be pleasant, professional and presentable and like they used to tell the guys on Hill Street Blues "be safe out there".

As far as being a cut above, I don't know or really care. If it makes some feel better to talk about how they are better than someone else go for it. It just seems a little pompous to me.

I'm trying to get this straight so, When it comes to drivers, Expeditors are the best, in that class the TT OO must be the best. followed by The Str8 OO then the sprinters and vans. Then come drivers for owners, Non Expedite TT OO. Then come the TT drivers who drive for an owner. wrecker drivers, bus drivers, cabbies then bicycle messengers.

Well I for one would ride a bicycle for an owner as long as it provides for my family. Then again who could I look down upon?

 

[Moot]

i'm trying to get this straight so, when it comes to drivers, expeditors are the best, in that class the tt oo must be the best. Followed by the str8 oo then the sprinters and vans. Then come drivers for owners,

ban the van!

 

[TeamCaffee]

I think the list is great and should be used as a motto for all of us. We need to lead by example.

 

[broker]

I guess there are those that feel better about themselves when they think they are the best at something and there are those that don't care if they are the best.
Both are just fine.
It is not patting ourselves on the back when we express our feelings and for certain I am not saying I'm a better "person" than others.
I do think I'm doing better as a truck DRIVER than the average T/T driver (non Expediter)
This fact is backed up by my observations over the last 35 years.
I have no idea how any driver acts with shippers, recievers, dispatch, etc.

I'll do a little study on our next run and report back on all the dangerous driving skills I come across and see if I can back up my observations.
As of date however, not one Expedtite driver (Van, Straight or T/T) has shown anything less than safe driving habits.

This should be interesting.
BIG JOHN

 

[OntarioVanMan]

I guess there are those that feel better about themselves when they think they are the best at something and there are those that don't care if they are the best.
Both are just fine.
It is not patting ourselves on the back when we express our feelings and for certain I am not saying I'm a better "person" than others.
I do think I'm doing better as a truck DRIVER than the average T/T driver (non Expediter)
This fact is backed up by my observations over the last 35 years.
I have no idea how any driver acts with shippers, recievers, dispatch, etc.

I'll do a little study on our next run and report back on all the dangerous driving skills I come across and see if I can back up my observations.
As of date however, not one Expedtite driver (Van, Straight or T/T) has shown anything less than safe driving habits.

This should be interesting.
BIG JOHN

Not going to be a fair study....over a few hundred miles you'll see 5,000 trucks and maybe 3 expediters. The proportions are all wrong.

 

[broker]

No, I will give total numbers and break it down by states.
Like this, I was passed by 0 Expediters while going the speed limit in Ill., Ind., and Ohio (all big Expediter markets) but was passed by 100 T/T drivers (speeding).
Now if I was reporting from the states of New Mexico and Arizona, you are correct, it would not be fair.
BIG JOHN

 

[highway star]

The study will accurately reflect one persons experience during one trip. That's about it.

Since I started driving in '76, I think the big change out here is that there are more of us. There's always been the "10 percenters". That vocal and visible minority that give the group a bad name. That big truck tailgating the 4 wheeler at a high rate of speed, because the 4 wheeler isn't exceeding the speed limit as much as the truck wants to, is going past a line of trucks driving in a reasonable manner. All some people will see is the speeder and think, "those truckers are all a bunch of a-holes."

I try to be as professional as I can. I don't think I can do anything to change the minority, I just try not to be one of them.

 

[Dreamer]

I guess I'm a 'glass half full' guy, but I see a lot more professionals out here than not.

Sure, as Highway Star said, that 10% will get your attention.... they're tailgating, CB rambo's, etc.... but usually when I see that stuff, you'll hear 4 other drivers going 'hey, give that 4 wheeler a break, you're makin us all look bad'

I think a lot more drivers are taking pride in their profession, it's just the bad ones are much more apparerent.

Just like this board..... as Ken pointed out... we have now had over 10,000 people join... and by hit counts thousands of people visit this site daily...

But.. how many post? If a stranger to expediting visited this board.... and they judged all expediters by what they read here.. or say... the Soapbox... what kind of image would they come away with?


"Well, you know Expediters... they're just a bunch of......."



Dale

 

[broker]

hiway star,
I wish it was that the "minority" was the law breaking drivers.
Unfortunationally the minority are the safe drivers. That goes for 4 wheelers as well.
I spent time in Law Enforcement (now somemore will dislike me) and it is a fact.
On any given day I could set up on our local interstate and speeders out numbered non by a huge number.

Next time you go into a major city and set your truck at the speed limit.
You know what I'm getting at, you think you are the only one going the posted speed.
BIG JOHN

 

[pelicn]

"Well, you know Expediters... they're just a bunch of......."

Dale

Great people with lots of various opinions

 

[broker]

I feel the sameway.
Great people. that are making a tremendous self sacrifice, giving opinions.
BIG JOHN

 

[highway star]

I know what you mean about feeling like the Lone Ranger doing the speed limit in the city. Out on the open road, going 10 or even 15 over the limit is, more often than not, not a dangerous thing. The interstate system was designed for high speeds. The 10 percenters I was talking about are the ones that throw in the tailgating with it. Often, with threats on the CB of running people off the road. As an example, a truck could do 80 from St. Louis to Chicago and not be a threat. 55 for trucks on that stretch of road is just stupid.

I agree Dale, there are a lot of true pros out here. But, when the family piles in the mini-van for their trip to Six Flags this summer, it's that Peterbuilt with the big fangs on the bug screen that tailgated them for 4 or 5 miles that they'll remember.

Oh, no problem with being a former cop, John. I came this close(Star holds his thumb and fore finger very close together)to choosing law enforcement when I was a senior in high school.

 

[jrcarroll]

Just remember it's tough to keep 2 hands on the wheel while patting ourselves on the back. Nice list but a little long for me. Be pleasant, professional and presentable and like they used to tell the guys on Hill Street Blues "be safe out there".

As far as being a cut above, I don't know or really care. If it makes some feel better to talk about how they are better than someone else go for it. It just seems a little pompous to me.

I'm trying to get this straight so, When it comes to drivers, Expeditors are the best, in that class the TT OO must be the best. followed by The Str8 OO then the sprinters and vans. Then come drivers for owners, Non Expedite TT OO. Then come the TT drivers who drive for an owner. wrecker drivers, bus drivers, cabbies then bicycle messengers.

Well I for one would ride a bicycle for an owner as long as it provides for my family. Then again who could I look down upon?

If the list is read with open mind. Each of us who drive for a living should abide by these statements. All others, truck drivers, tt drivers, van drivers, 4 wheelers and general public are the ones to be careful of. It only takes a second forsomething to happen and if not careful you could endup right in the middle of the mess.

 

[broker]

A statement was made about numbers not being fair. Something like there would be 5,000 T/T trucks to every 5 Expediters.
Well, we ran down hiway 59/77 in Texas the other day (about 300 miles) and I'm sure we saw a couple hundred trucks and maybe 3 times as many cars.
Guess what, we passed a total of 8 T/t trucks stopped by the Patrol and not one car.
Now with three times as many cars than T/T's, don't you think it should have been the other way around?
By the way, on the trip, 9 semi's tailgated us but not one car did.
Almost forgot. I had to get on the CB to a T/T driver who kept going off on the shoulder. Asked him if he was OK. He said ya, just trying to get the @#$ lap top up.
As I went by I looked in and saw one of those lap top stands they are selling now. I think those should be banned from being in a position that the driver can get at.

Can they come up with anymore driver distractions?
BIG JOHN

 

[x06col]

Anuther distraction might be more drivers keep'in book. I spose they (could) be distracted while writ'in book. Dunno? whatca tink?

There will always be renegades out there. A story from the good old days of the 50s. There was a fella in my home town in Iowa by the name of B.C. Frye, he had a long nosed Diamond T with a 4X4 two stick. He extended the frame and hood, dropped in a V-16 CAT. He ran coast to coast for years, but his first trip across the PA Turnpike with his new kitty he wuz banned from ANY roads in PA. His trips after that were a bit detoured to two lanes.

Anybody remember the Monfort Lane?? Didn't last long did it?

 

[Moot]

Anybody remember the Monfort Lane?? Didn't last long did it?

I remember the Monfort Lane. I still hear an occasional reference to it. It was rumored that Monfort had a string of lawyers along I-80 that could bail out a driver or O/O on a moments notice.

I guess Monfort's private fleet went the way of most private fleets, with WalMart being the exception. I think their private fleet was dissolved prior to being bought out by IBP or whom ever.

I also remember two-stick transmissions. Drove several Macks with duplexes and triplexes.

 

[bluejaybee]

Sure, as Highway Star said, that 10% will get your attention.... they're tailgating, CB rambo's, etc.... but usually when I see that stuff, you'll hear 4 other drivers going 'hey, give that 4 wheeler a break, you're makin us all look bad'

Boy, where have I been? I have never heard a TT driver sat give a 4 wheeler a break or a brake. I tell them all the time, "I hope there is a truck behind your family right now and is being told by one of your trucker buddies to run them over". If they come back with a remark, it is usually something stupid like, "My family is at home right now, or, I ain't got no family".

Just yesterday in Cincinnati during rush hour, the talk on the CB was that nobody on vacation should be allowed to go south, nobody from Michigan should be allowed, people over 55 should not be allowed to drive anymore, and 2 lanes should be for truckers only. Now I know that this is only time passing jibber to get through the 1 1/2 hour 12 mile slow (stop) down. But, NO, I have never heard a trucker say "Give a 4 wheeler a break".

 

[greg334]

Can they come up with anymore driver distractions?

Yea it's called a cell phone. NO matter what people think, some can handle the multi-tasking needed to talk, chew gum and drive while others can focus on anything.

AND speaking of distractions, there should be a ban on anyone under 18 in the cab of any truck - period.

After my near death experience with the kid grabbing the wheel because he lost his balance while going into the sleeper, I experience another near miss with a driver who turned to hand her brat a drink and forgot to set the brakes in the fuel isle - almost crushed to death. I wasn't the only one to 'lecture' the driver about priorities.