It's a Team's Life

Relax, getting uptight won’t change anything.

When waiting to pull out of our parking spot the other morning I watched as one driver struggled to position himself to back into a parking spot.  I was waiting to pull out and two drivers were waiting to drive past the backing truck.  All three trucks that were waiting sat quietly while the driver maneuvered into his spot.  This can happen every time we pull into a truck stop.

Common courtesy before backing is to turn on our 4-ways or emergency flashers to let other drivers and walkers know that we will be backing up.  This not only lets others around us know what we are doing but it also lets them know we have more blind spots such as right behind the truck and they need to be cautious around us.

Fueling lines can sometimes be horrendous and it can take some time to get to the fuel pumps.  Most drivers are courteous and after fueling pull forward to go in and pay while the next truck starts their fueling.  I always look at this as an intricate slow dance as I watch the trucks maneuver into the correct fueling lanes while others move around them to get to a different lane.  Sometimes there can be as many as twenty fueling lanes and a line to get into each one.

Fueling islands can be dangerous for walkers and this is an area we really need to pay attention to not only as drivers but when walking.  After fueling and walking into pay walk several feet in front of the trucks. Shorter people become invisible in front of a large truck grill.  When walking walk several feet in front of the trucks and make eye contact with the driver to see if they are ready to pull forward.

Many of the truck stops have kiosks where we use our fuel card to print out coupons.  The kiosk is also where new drivers sign up for their fuel cards.  Sometimes the line at a kiosk can be several people long and there is frustration as all you might want to do is print a coupon to go get our relaxing shower to end the day. 

On laundry day it is not uncommon to have to wait for a washer or dryer to become available.  Drivers stand around with their dirty clothes bag, wait and watch as the washer or dryer counts down the minutes till they are done.  Often this time is spent in some interesting conversations as drivers get to know each other.

We also find ourselves watching the clock so that we can legally move the truck.  When we are in a hurry to make a delivery appointment or to try and beat the traffic our clocks are always ticking and we have to pull over for the mandatory 1/2-hour break.  Usually the 1/2 break is not that big of deal when on a long run and it is nice to get out of the truck and stretch our legs, the break is frustrating though when watching the clock to get to a shipper or receiver before they close or knowing that in traffic will be at its worst in 1/2 hour.

Traffic could be a whole blog on the different situations we deal with daily.  In the past year, we were trapped in two very bad traffic jams.  One was for eleven hours as a HAZMAT spill was cleaned up on the interstate and the next was thirty hours stuck on the ice in Arkansas.  Daily we have traffic jams, road construction, drivers merging at odd rates of speed, and each day looking for a new address for a customer.

Before running mainly government freight we spent most of our time finding new customer addresses and once the address was found then seeing what entrance the truck is supposed to use. Many times the address is to the front of the building and the truck entrance is in the back of the building off of another street.

We get into slow traffic and watch as some cars try to dart their way through the pack and I have to admit I giggle a little as I see them stuck and my lane is all of the sudden moving and I go past the darting car.   In the summer there are miles and miles of construction in many of the states we travel through.   Each time we see the sign construction ahead we wonder how much that will slow us up. 

There are some drivers out there that do not have a lot of patience and I wonder how long they will last.  Road rage that is displayed is not common in truck drivers.  We sit behind the wheel and wait patiently till the driver backs into his parking spot, as the traffic slowly inches through a city, or through a storm, or waiting for a washer or dryer to become available. 

Patience is a virtue in trucking and we either learn patience or spend a large part of our day stressed out over something we cannot control.

Bob & Linda Caffee

TeamCaffee

Saint Louis MO

Expediters since January 2005

[email protected]

 

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.