Arrogance

By Sandy Long

Truckers have always gotten a chuckle out of the antics and questions of newbees. Some of us because we remember similar situations we got into when starting out, or wishing we had someone to ask a question of back then. There is an adverse upswing in this on social media to where the chuckle becomes brutal at times and downright mean.

It is human nature for some folk to have to feel superior to others. Unfortunately, this trait has taken over for them. They become internet Rambos, slamming everyone and any one they think less perfect/knowledgeable than themselves. The anonymity of the internet protects them behind false profiles, blocking features, and little or no supervision from websites of behavior or content. They have nothing to lose, satisfying their arrogant needs through harming others.

It used to be that to become a trucker one could learn by the seat of one’s pants. Many drivers started out with a truck owner throwing them the keys and saying ‘get the load there.’ It used to work fairly well back in the day, fifty years ago, when there was much less traffic, simpler equipment, less just in time freight, and less regulations and enforcement. While those things have escalated greatly, the mindset for many companies and old hand truckers is that it has not changed, ‘you can teach a monkey to drive a truck’ as the old saying went.

CDL schools teach little beyond how to obtain a CDL, the rest is up to the training company to teach. Some do a fair job, some are stuck in the old day’s ‘here’s the key, get the load there’ attitude. The student often times is thrown out solo before they are ready, with no one to ask questions. The internet changed that by providing forums to ask questions and hear solid information, in a perfect world. Sadly, many newbees, who get flamed for asking a question, quit asking their questions, or get false information, and then run amuck.

There is not a driver out there that was born knowing how to drive a truck. Instead of laughing at a newbee, their questions or antics, perhaps it would be better to help them and let them know you are not laughing at them, but in time will be laughing with them somewhere down the road. There is no shame in admitting to one’s own questions when starting out, or mistakes made. There is also, no shame in asking a question.

Overwhelming arrogance, used to belittle someone else, is not an attractive trait. While the arrogant person might get a thrill out of flaming someone less knowledgeable, for most others, they are actually showing their arrogant dirty trailer tails instead. Check yourself truck driver. Are you an arrogant person who thinks questions asked are stupid or silly, or who flames someone for not knowing? If you are, then while you might be a legend in your own mind. However, there are others who are getting the ugly laugh on you, or waiting for you to mess up so they can get in the last best laugh. Remember, pride goes before a fall.

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