Overdrive

Voices 6 | Overdrive | November 2018 In 1993, when I started driving, some of what I learned as routine profes- sionalism in trucking came from my uncle. What he practiced remained no different than it had been for decades. Drivers still flashed their lights to let other drivers know when it was safe to return to the travel lane. Drivers still flashed a thank-you after. Drivers turned on their flashers to let other drivers know they were backing up. And though in '93 companies were beginning to install Qualcomm com- munications and other units in trucks, making it easier to get help on the side of the road, other truckers still attempted to raise on the radio those pulled over to see if they needed help. Instead of lingering in the passing lane, truckers moved over for faster trucks, even if it meant slowing down and moving back behind a rig they already had begun to pass. Drivers would go out of their way to help others park, especially in tight spots. While most of these things continued throughout my first 12 years over the road, after taking a 10-year hiatus and returning to OTR in 2015, I could not believe the change. On a recent trip from Missouri to California and back, I kept track of the signals I got and received. Over six states and back, I flashed my lights off and on for more than 500 trucks. Out of those, I received just three proper off-and-on thank-yous and more than 100 bright-light flashes. The balance, nearly 400 truckers, simply did not acknowledge I was even there. Some came in so close that I was forced to brake. While I occasionally still see a trucker helping another back into a parking spot, it is so very rare that it's almost a shock to see. Some of these changes are un- derstandable, given the progress of technology to help drivers with many of these tasks. But there really is no excuse for the lack of professionalism I see today. I am sure that my uncle would be turning over in his grave if he knew how we treat one another. I'd say that eight out of 10 four-wheelers passing me are flying down the road with their phones in their hands. I have conducted this observation in almost every state, and the measure is pretty consistent. It's no wonder that truck drivers are under a greater amount of stress. Should this excuse a lack of pro- fessionalism? It pains me and many others that the professionalism once so proudly held in trucking seems to have given up the ghost. If truckers do not appreciate other truckers, how can we expect Joe Public to appre- ciate what we do to make their lives easier? Or to ever learn by our exam- ple to operate safely themselves? Professionalism does not have to die. Take pride in what you do, help one another, and maybe the pro- fessional label can be proudly worn again. Pride, professionalism can be revived " I love my job of driving truck, but if you listen to F-bomb-filled language on the radio, see driving habits of today's so-called professional driver along with the trash they leave behind everywhere they park … we deserve no respect! … Why should Joe Public respect us when we don't respect ourselves, even driving down the highway? " — "Nono," via OverdriveOnline.com It used to be common for truckers to offer assistance via CB when spotting another driver on the shoulder. This is excerpted from an Overdrive Extra blog post by Clifford "Chappy" Petersen, who runs leased to Christenson Transportation of Springfield, Missouri, after a career span- ning three decades over-the- road as a company driver and leased owner-operator. He's driven 3 million accident-free miles, the most recent in his 2018 Kenworth T680. BY CLIFFORD PETERSEN

• Cover
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