It's a Team's Life
Hey this is FUN!
While attending a meeting this past week we had the opportunity to talk to people who are involved in the trucking industry but not as truck drivers. Most of these people were in management and the trucks they managed were LTL or short haul. Some attendees had seen our truck the year before at this meeting and were disappointed we had not brought the truck as they wanted to see the
It is fun to answer the questions asked of us as they are interested in how we make a living. Our trucking business is much different than their jobs, even though their jobs are in trucking as they deal with the driven that is home every night or gets home a few times a week. What we do I think appeals to their adventurous side of going somewhere different every day.
Men and women look at what we do differently as the men can visualize themselves driving our truck much easier than they can see themselves driving a tractor-trailer or see their wives driving a tractor trailer. The straight truck solves two dilemmas for them, first, the straight truck is a truck and they will be truck drivers, second, we have most of the comforts of home and they can see their wives being comfortable. The women first look at our sleeper and they are intrigued and can see how it just might be possible to have a quality of life as a truck driver, then they sit in the seat of the Cascadia and realize from the driver seat it is not nearly as intimidating as it was standing outside the truck.
Usually the women ask me a lot of questions about living in the truck and the men ask Bob about maintaining the truck. Both have a lot of questions about driving the truck and as they sit in the front seat they can picture the visibility they would have to see everything around them and to look further down the road. If possible, we let them adjust the mirrors and the seat to fit them and then change to fit their spouse so they can see how adjustable the truck is.
For those that are serious, all of their questions lead to a continuing conversation after we leave an event. The questions become serious about the reality of making a living and enjoying life as truck drivers. The more they ask the better they usually do as they are looking at the reality of stepping away from their jobs and jumping off of a cliff into a new world. Many have to listen to friends, colleagues, as well as family, tell them they are crazy as we all have that made this move to trucking later is life. It is not long though before the new driver is being asked about what they do and the process starts all over again.
Friends of ours that started down the path to becoming truck drivers many years ago spent the first few years taking the time to visit every sports stadium possible in the country. Once they became accustomed to the fact they would be back again the site seeing frenzy died down and now they are much more leisurely about what they see. A few times we have met them out on the road, rented a car, and all of us went site seeing. Amazing how small the United States becomes once we get behind the wheel and traverse back and forth across the country.
What we constantly hear from others as well as ourselves is that if we have to work for a living this is one fun way to do it! We do have stress in our daily lives but it is a different stress than we had before sitting behind a desk, counter, or under a truck. We are able to see family and friends much more often than we were able to before. And as the old saying goes “We have the time to stop and smell the roses”.
Bob & Linda Caffee
TeamCaffee
Saint Louis MO
Expediters since January 2005
Expediting isn't just trucking, it's a lifestyle;
Expediting isn't just a lifestyle, it's an adventure;
Expediting isn't just an adventure, it's a job;
Expediting isn't just a job, it's a business.