Every year it seems that the general public's driving skills deteriorate. Of course, that includes truckers, as well. There are so many gadgets that people can't seem to leave be while they're driving, that I am surprised there are not more fatalities. Whether texting, reading, or the old standby's of putting on make-up, etc, recklessness abounds. Their concern is for themselves, and their getting to their destination only, not what effect their poor driving has on others. This, of course, is human nature at it's baldest. The highway is human nature exposed. In a vehicle, for the most part, you are anonymous. When you feel that kind of freedom, your fallen nature can shine, should you CHOOSE to let it. You read that right. Should you CHOOSE. Each of us makes a choice in how we act.

When I'm driving my rig, my options are such that I have to be careful. My size and weight can cause considerable damage if I drive recklessly, with total disregard of those I share the road with. Think on this, gentle reader. In perfectly dry conditions, fully loaded, it takes my 75' long, 80,000lb rig approximately 330 ft to stop from about 65mph. Think on THAT before you cut me off. To my fellow truckers, I'd say Think on that before you tailgate someone else's family. The worse the road conditions, the longer the stopping distance. It's even longer if I'm lite or empty. Not enough people consider this anymore. The safest following distance for a semi is 7 seconds. A little more in rain or snow. Do I always maintain that? No. I need to remind myself, like anyone else, from time to time. Mostly, I do maintain it. I get quite pissed when another truck runs up my backside like a proctologist before pulling out to pass me. The guy that does that is either an asshole, or has a problem with depth perception. Either way, he should get off the road before he/she kills someone.

Yes, I said she. Ladies have proven they can be the equal of any man at aggressiveness and assholia. There are women drivers in this industry who are damn good at what they do. Better than some men I could name. Of course, there are the 'poor little me' types out there, always trying to use their being a woman to get an advantage. Others that cuss and swear like some of the men, then get upset when you call them on it. I once called a woman who was swearing up a storm on the cb a slut. Man, did she cuss a blue streak at me! When she took a breath, I calmly told her "If you want to be treated like a lady, then act and talk like one. You want to be treated like a cheap Lot Lizard, keep talking like the ignorant fools around you." Back then, most agreed with me. Not so much these days. These days, many feel entitled to talk and act anyway they want, and still be taken seriously. Hmmm. How about, NO! People judge you on how you carry yourself. It's not always accurate, but usually so. Someone can fake gentility only so long. There are still many people out there whose bs detector still works just fine.

The best rule to live by? Work on being a decent, trustworthy and honest person all the time. Yes, you DO have to work at it. Being an asshole comes easy to anyone. Being decent takes hard work. Especially these days.

I drive for a living. I enjoy it, and it suits me. I've been doing it for 25 years now, though some days it seems both longer and less. One of the blessings/curses of trucking is the time you spend alone. You can't escape from yourself, or your thoughts. This may be the biggest reason so many try and leave the industry. You have to have a high capacity of self-containment to do this job. You have to be able to handle the time alone, with nothing but your thoughts for entertainment. Oh sure, you have a cb radio in the truck, but, take my word for it, there are a lot of, to be polite, weird people driving trucks who talk about some off the wall and sometimes vile things. Also, on the cb, you'll find many who can't speak more than one or two sentences without swearing. 

You will also encounter racists of every color. Whites that use words like nigger, spick, kike, mick, wop, etc. Blacks that hate whites, Hispanics that hate non-hispanic, the whole panoply of human failings are on display. You will run across nice people, and people who should have no responsibility beyond turning on a light. You will run into honest people, and liars and scammers who'll rob you blind if you're not careful. That's just your fellow truckers. We haven't even gotten to shippers, receivers, the DOT, and the company you work for. Oh, and the general public? They don't like you, for the most part. Your size intimidates them, gets in their way and their view. Also, they my have run across one of the miscreants I mentioned above, and, in true fallen human fashion, which we all do to one extent or another, they decided ALL truckers are scum.

Now, if you can deal with all of that, and have the capability to think, not only on your feet, but around corners as well, and be on time, as well as take care of your equipment, you can find that this job can be rewarding. The pay isn't too bad, depending on who you work for, yet, that isn't what I'm speaking of. The reward I speak of is one of knowing that what you do IS important, and has meaning. You will be one of the few who keep commerce moving. If every truck, union and non-union, Owner Operator or company driver shut down, this Nation grinds to a halt. The railroads can't do it all. They are confined to the rails, where we need only ground hard enough to support the weight of the truck. If a road goes someplace, odds are, a truck can get there. So, in that respect, it's rewarding.  

That's all for now. Many thoughts are bouncing, but it's best to start slowly.