Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/778830
VOICES 8 | Overdrive | February 2017 Definitions of attitude: 1: the arrangement of the parts of a body or fi gure; posture. 2: a position assumed for a specifi c purpose. 3: a ballet position similar to the arabesque in which the raised leg is bent at the knee. 4a: a mental position with regard to a fact or state. b: a feeling or emo- tion toward a fact or state. 5: the position of an aircraft or spacecraft determined by the relationship between its axes and a reference datum (such as the horizon or a particular star). 6: an organismic state of readiness to respond in a characteristic way to a stimulus (as an object, concept or situation). 7a: a negative or hostile state of mind. b: a cool, cocky, defi ant or arrogant manner. I'm going to end the defi ning there and note that I've learned attitude is a ballet position. Of course, I also had to look up organismic, because in my head I'm a 9-year-old boy, and it sounded interesting. Now for the serious stuff . There are no doubt hundreds, thousands, maybe even millions of "professional" truck drivers. There are a lot more men and women out here who take the job seriously enough to train for it properly, dress properly, carry themselves properly and show enough respect for them- selves and others to be considered professionals than the press or general public care to acknowledge. That being said, there are still a lot out here who really believe a CDL gives them the right to act like jerks. That fantasy is being fed every day by the Chicken Littles who scream there are 11 truck drivers available on the entire planet and 70 million jobs that need fi lling. Stop it. Both of you, just stop it. I had a long conversation with a friend I would consider a trucking ex- pert. This individual, who will remain anonymous at her request, started trucking in 1978. In addition to being a recruiter for a 300-truck fl eet, she still spends three to six months a year driving. She's hauled everything, she's been everywhere, she's worked on both sides of the desk, and she has a message for people seeking jobs in the industry: If you want to be treated like a profes- sional, act like one. "All these drivers who want to be considered professionals should stop shooting themselves in the foot by doing things that aren't professional," she says. Case in point: They don't show up for orientation, after having airplane or bus tickets bought, hotels booked and a spot in class reserved for them. More often than not, they've gotten a better off er. Instead of calling to tell the recruiter they got a better off er, they just don't show. That's just silly. The driver is denying himself the opportunity to bargain into a better position. True professionals know this, and they at least make the eff ort to place a phone call or send an e-mail saying so. It bears to be mentioned here that some of the larger fl eets are noting "no-shows" on DAC reports. When you've never driven a paid mile and you have a "no-show" on your DAC, it's a huge red fl ag that you're not act- ing in a professional manner. When you've driven thousands of miles and have years of experience and pull a no-show, it's just stupid. The last quote from my friend is probably the simplest: "Finish what you started." Good stuff . Easy stuff . Do it. Wendy Parker chronicles her journey on the road with her owner-operator husband, George, in the George and Wendy Show blog on OverdriveOnline.com. Scan the QR to read more from her on your phone or tablet. New CDL school graduates, though inundated with offers, should avoid having a cavalier attitude toward recruiters. What it takes to get professional treatment — Anonymous Tennessee state trooper, after checking a carrier's DOT number, to a driver he'd just put through a Level 3 inspec- tion – and clear evidence that understanding of the CSA Safety Measurement System isn't total among law enforcement. The driver knew what those marks meant – alerts that the carrier's category scores were higher than FMCSA's intervention thresholds – but didn't exactly offer to help the officer. He was on his way shortly. A CSA PSA What's it mean when a bunch of exclamation marks pop up on my computer?