Gone are the days of the professional driver. Sure, there are still a few out there. You know who you are. You are the true professional drivers who were around back when trucking was trucking. When your fellow drivers would stop to help you out if something was wrong. The days when it was truly a brotherhood.

But, alas, those days are gone. Now it has all become a hurray for me and screw you type of world. Professionalism went out the window along with the respect that truckers used to have. It seems as though now, all people want to do is gripe, complain, and cuss you for being in their way. No “thank you for all you do”, just a loud and obnoxious “get out of my way”.

The true Professional Drivers wear the appropriate clothing, are clean and well groomed, are friendly and polite, helpful, respectful of others around them, take responsibility when something goes wrong that was their fault, spoke on the cb radio about accidents, weather, and bears in the area, listened to some great trucking music, and stopped at the truck stops to call home and chat with other drivers. Above all ease, they were safe.

These new flip flop wearing, saggy pants or pajamas wearing, cb Rambo talking, disrespectful, dirty, nasty, (and I use the term loosely) drivers of new have really messed up the industry. Between throwing piss bottles all over the place, leaving trash everywhere, and the disrespectful attitudes, trucking is now looked upon as a dirty and nasty thing to be. These new drivers did not learn from the true professionals. They only learn, what little they do learn, from instructors that don’t give a damn. Just rush them through and be done with it. It is a shame what has happened to the industry and just how quickly it did happen.

We need people who will not only teach them how to drive, but how to dress as a professional, how to be respectful, where to throw trash, etc. These new sschool drivers are going down the road checking their facebooks, putting their foot in the window or on the dash, and generally being a big safety risk. How will you be able to stop if you round a curve and suddenly all traffic is stopped? How many people will you kill before you learn your lesson? Just because it has not happened to you yet, does not mean it won’t happen. It is just when it will happen.

The truck stops, which used to be clean, are now piled with trash. It is not that difficult to walk over to a trash receptacle and put your trash in it. There is no need to sweep out your nasty trailer all over the ground behind where you park either. If you change a part in the parking lot, get rid of the old part by placing it next to the trash can. These small easy to do things will begin cleaning things up and maybe someone else will learn and follow suit. I know it is not just the truckers that do this. I have seen four wheelers and one tons do the same things. But all it takes is someone willing to do the right thing, even when others are not, to begin changing things for the better.

Most of this is just a rant, but with a few suggestions attached. Give some extra space to drivers when passing them. Clean up after yourself. Be considerate to others both on the road and in the truck stops. Dress like you have a job that you are proud to do (no pjs, no flip flops, no saggy pants, and get cleaned up). This will go a long way with helping to change public opinion. Drive like you have sense (no feet on the dash, no cell phone use, and pay attention to your surroundings).

Life will be much easier without all of the hassle. Try changing one thing daily until it becomes a habit. Then change another. People with look at you in a new light. Some will still be nasty towards you, but be the bigger person and let it roll off. Just be nice to them. That makes them madder but also gets them to thinking.

I would love to hear from all of you old school professionals. What things do you miss?