Truckin Lingo

Although many of the phrases and words I use did not originate within the trucking profession they have become widely used for one reason or another. Truck drivers are under appreciated and very mis-understood. Please let me make some very important distinctions. First, if the truck says Swift, J B Hunt, Schneider, Covenant or Werner on the door the odds are they are not a driver. They are what we like to call a seat warmer or a steering wheel holder. Many times they are also called a loose nut behind the wheel. The large fleets have a problem keeping all the trucks filled so they will use any warm body with a CDL to fill the void. Many times these "drivers" only have 90 days of experience and were trained by someone who had 6 months experience. Scary isn't it? I sat next to a guy in Salt Lake City Utah that was training a driver getting ready to climb the mountain heading east out of SLC and he had been driving for 9 months. He had not even driven through all four seasons by himself and he was training someone! Real drivers are the kind of guys or gals who will stop and help you change a tire, they will move over so you can merge onto the hiway and they will not make vulgar statements on the CB if you happen to be listening. They are a dying breed, much like the cowboy. In some ways I feel like the cowboy drivin the herd to the cow town. It is a profession you have to love and you love to hate. More to come on the subject. And now for what will become my trademark sign off, Toodle-oo.