What do you think of Truck Drivers? (Houston, Lubbock: motels, movies)

[ladihawkae]

Hello, I am doing research on America's Professional Drivers. I would like to know what you think of the truck driver, what you think they do and the impact a trucker has on your life, whereever you live.
Do you know of any places where truckers are welcome?

[texdav]

I can remember whn truck drivers were in fact professional but those days are long gone. Now days they are often the worse drivers on the roadway IMO.

[TexasHorseLady]

Truck drivers are people just like anyone else, why?

Like texdav, I can remember when they were the "knights of the road", their driving to be emulated, and could be counted on to render assistance whenever needed.

Lately, not so much, but every profession has its bad apples and I see plenty of very well driven trucks.

As for your last question, I don't know of anywhere where truck drivers aren't welcome specifically because of what they do for a living.

Trying to figure out what you're trying to get at here.

[ladihawkae]

i'm working on a paper and my question is to get a feel for the perception of drivers from the general public.
my question regarding truck friendly places is more for places that allow truck parking.

[Poltracker]

There are good and bad ones. I've seen some truck drivers that are very good and have gone to extremes to avoid accidents up to losing their own rig. Car drivers just don't understand that a truck can't just stop if you cut them off and this happens way too much with the truck driver getting blamed when it wasn't his fault i.e. accident on 610 in Houston several years ago when an SUV cut the truck carrying fuel off resulting in the loss of the SUV, the the tractor and trailer (big fire). Luckily no one died. The cops were all set to give the truck friver a ticket and the SUV driver had already filed a lawsuit but other car drivers spoke up and pointed the blame at the SUV.
I've also noticed lately that the trucks are driving slower due to fuel and safety costs.
Big problem is truck drivers and busses coming over the boarder, many of those are just not safe to begin with.

[iamanewcomer]

In Greece & generally in the EU,truck drives are considered low class,vulgar,rude,"road fascists " unrespectful to traffic signs & code,who may occasionally endanger car drivers & particularly motor/bi-cyclists.

That is the general perception,however it contains a lot of exaggeration ,hard feelings &...size envy...

[TexasHorseLady]

Oh, as far as parking goes (I would consider that that trucks were welcome, rather than truckers), I've seen quite a few places. But we've got two truck stops within 5 miles of our place, plus there are places along the road where they can park. And I've seen a few motels where there's room for one or two big rigs (not more than that - just not the space).

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by texdav

I can remember whn truck drivers were in fact professional but those days are long gone. Now days they are often the worse drivers on the roadway IMO.

TexasHorseLady Truck drivers are people just like anyone else, why? Like texdav, I can remember when they were the "knights of the road", their driving to be emulated, and could be counted on to render assistance whenever needed. Lately, not so much, but every profession has its bad apples and I see plenty of very well driven trucks.

I am not sure where all this is going, but I tend to generally agree along the lines of what Texdav and THL say. That is, there was a day and age when truckers were the true professional drivers and "White Knights of the Road."

As an aside here, I will forever remember, even though only 5 years old at the time, when our car broke down, late at night, along a very lonely stretch of U.S. Highway 82... somewhere between Guthrie and Benjamin. Several truck drivers pulled over to help, and one of them loaded us into the cab and took us to Guthrie (where the folks were meeting my grandparents as the half-way point for the usual summer visit with them. They lived in Lubbock).

Anyway, that just seems to not be so true anymore. And it is truly sad. More and more, as one article I once read put it, the profession seems to have become one ever more consisting of self-considered swaggering outlaws and thugs. I don't know that I necessarily agree with that sentiment...but I can see the basis for it.

Perhaps it started back in the mid-70's with the CB craze which itself was in response to one of those outrageous federal mandates (an oxymoron, right?) that all states set a limit of 55 MPH. Something rammed thru by a bunch of yankee politicians who had no idea of reality of the roads and commerce in the South and West and many parts of the Midwest.

For very understandable reasons, the speed limits were violated out of sheer concrete necessity. With truckers at the forefront and "Breaker One-Nine...need a Smokey report..."

Hollywood got into this, and the movie Smokey and the Bandit came out (hey, mindless as it was, I enjoyed the hell out of it! LOL). So did some popular songs such as "Convoy" and "White Knight" become very popular on the radio.

And then many other copycats of the same general theme and genre (movies and songs) came out which sorta changed the whole image of truckers from professional and courteous drivers and the epitome of truly good ol' boys, into a breed of some sort of glorified borderline outlaws.

Naturally, in turn, this attracted many of the wrong type into the profession because they wanted to be considered a "Bandit" type. And thus, it so happened. But not in a way which was admirable. All too many, unfortunately, didn't grasp the difference in fiction and fact and what the high standards of what the ethics of the profession demanded.

Ok, have rambled enough. But in closing I hasten to add I have nothing but the highest respect for the trucking industry and truckers. I cannot emphasize that enough. Just that there is a larger than average number amongst them nowdays, which negatively taints both.

[TexasNick]

During long road trips out of state, we used to call them up on our CB "breaker breaker" and ask for tips and advice on various routes to our destination. One truck gave us a secret delivery route to Yellowstone that even GPS can't beat. But, who the heck uses a CB anymore?!

[destin04]

Before everyone starts judging truck drivers for not being the "White Knights of the Road" that they used to be...let me give you another side of the story. My husband has been with a very well known local and long-distance freight company for his entire working career...well over 30 years. As with all companies in the United States things aren't what they used to be. Back in the day he would have stopped to help a motorist...or do just about anything you asked him to do. In today's world the drivers are told they are to get from point A to point B in the shortest time possible or they risk losing their jobs. Gone are the days of helping a broken down car on the side of the road. The name of the game is to get the freight moved...the quickest, cheapest, and without damage. Don't pass go...don't collect 200.00. If your company can't promise that...then move over because someone else will. The customer doesn't care if your driver needs to help someone out.....they just don't care. The name of the game is "get it done". Don't blame the driver...blame the company and customers.