Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/748284
Voices 8 | Overdrive | November 2016 The "unprofessional behaviors" mentioned in the quote are what former trucker and restaurant man- ager Charles Brady claims to have witnessed day-in, day-out at the truck stop where he works today as a main- tenance man. In an October letter to Overdrive, Brady laid out a diatribe that nonetheless holds some truths many readers can verify. Brady argues that there's a strong current of unprofessional selfishness rearing its head in a lack of basic courtesy on offer from drivers at his truck stop, which he doesn't name and which he's quick to note does not necessarily share his views. "Our goal is to treat you like a member of our family visiting our home for a holiday meal," he says. "Whether you are simply refueling and going, taking a 10-hour break or a 34-hour reset, we provide goods and services to make your stay relax- ing, safe and comfortable." Just doing that covers a lot, not to mention cleaning "four restrooms every hour and as many as 200 showers a day," Brady says. "We empty 100 trash cans inside and outside four times a day." Too often, he says, however, the unprofessionals throw a wrench into things and make all of that much harder and sour the experience for all involved. Brady ticked off a litany of 20 and more things, such as drivers holding up the fuel island, inexplicable messes in the bathroom, littering in the park- ing lot – he picked up 75 beer cans in one day, he says. His general point: "Everything that is a hindrance" to the driver who tosses something out "now becomes a hindrance for me — dumped pallets, huge pieces of card- board, anti-slip mats, old food, mud flaps. … I am asking for the entire team of Professional Drivers' help." While shaming individuals or a group into making something better can be counterproductive, if you see an opportunity to make a difference with someone who's clearly showing disrespect for a shared space, Brady suggests taking that opportunity in a constructive way. Earning respect as a professional Please stop acting like the entire universe revolves around only you. All of these unpro- fessional behaviors most of us learned by nursery school age. I have heard it time and time again — you want to be treated as a true professional, well, guess what, you have to act like a true professional, or you will always simply be an amateur! — Former OTR driver Charles Brady of Spanish Lake, Missouri " Sadly, you can look at how a driver dresses and how clean he/ she keeps the truck and pretty much guess how he/she behaves. It's a small percentage of driv- ers who are selfish and causing problems for all of us. Be a good example, and also call them out on bad behavior. Peer pressure often works. " — Kathy99, Via OverdriveOnline.com " It is a problem everywhere. Which is why it is getting harder to find decent places to park and why more places only provide outhouses, if any facilities at all. It is also one reason why more places are banning trucks. … Remember, respect goes both ways. We all need to show it and police ourselves to get it. " — Pnwdriver, Via OverdriveOnline.com