365 days later..a newbie speaks out

[RLENT]

I gotta go with Phil on this one - yes it is a relatively easy business to learn, however in spite of that, some clearly fail to learn it. Probably for a whole host of reasons.

As but one example, I had a guy who was just starting out that I was trying to help out (a case of the blind leading the blind if ever there was one.) He had all kinds of questions about certain things.

But when he was laying over what do ya think he was doing ? ..... watching "TV" .... and hanging out in the truckstops - not cracking open his manuals that the carrier provided, that detailed the policies and procedures related to the job. Many of the answers to the questions he was asking me were contained in the materials he already had .... but just hadn't bothered to read them - at least until I got after him to do so.

When pressed he admitted that he should be reading this stuff but "didn't learn well by reading" .....

I suggested he might want to suck it up and bite the bullet, however painful, and just get thru the stuff. He agreed that doing so would probably be a good idea.

 

[Paul56]

The failures failed because they did not learn the business. It's the same as driving a four-wheeler. It is not hard to learn how to drive a car safely and well. Sadly, there are not a lot of people out there driving cars safely and well. While it is easy to learn, and the how-to information is placed right in front of them, it does not follow that people actually learn.

Learning takes time. It is not possible to be both learning and surpassing revenue numbers of those with the steep learning curve behind them.

As well, I'd like to point out that one does not simple learn the business or how to operate a vehicle safely and it is over with... as if to say the learning comes to an end.

Operating a business and vehicle both require ongoing decision making and judgment calls. As well, the learning never stops... the operating environment is constantly shifting.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ATeam
That fact is demonstrated over and over again by those newbies who enter with no experienced and are soon putting up numbers that rival or exceed those of their more senior counterparts.

Can you support this theory with citation?

Do you mean a citation as in a quote from a book or a link to an online encyclopedia? No, I cannot. But I can substantiate the statement with the names of newbies I have personally met who did indeed enter the business and put up numbers that rival or exceed their more senior counterparts. Most any recruiter from any carrier can provide names of newbie drivers that have done the same. It happens. Kindly note that I said "over and over again" and not "a majority of the time" or "in most cases"

Thank you for not putting words in my mouth and for giving me the opportunity to answer your questions about what I actually meant. The forum would be a better place if that kind of respect were accorded by and to all members.

Providing names of the newbies is not a substantiation. Where is the verifiable evidence there? There is none.

I believe statements like this that cannot be substantiated provide an overly rosy picture of the trucking industry and expediting to newbies reading it.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Ok... let's get nitpicky here.

Yes, this business is easy to learn. You have company babysitters, in most cases. You drive to point A, pick up, steer to point B, then ask the qc babysitter where you should go for layover. Easy as suckling from a teet.

It's HARD to SUCCEED at this business. Like Greg said, it takes discipline. It also takes a lot of LUCK!!! Learning the business is a helluva lot different than KNOWING the business.

Expediting... so easy a caveman can do it. So hard, a trucker usually can't.

Hawk I like your post the best...It condenses what the others had to type long winded speeches to say!!

For me after 6 years I don't need alot of money BUT if I were to start thinking I only need a 1,000 a week I'd be lucky to make that...I work as if I were hungry I am constantly planning things like my next PM "which state that dealers have a cheaper labour rate or tax rate"
" so do I buy my oil in Ohio or Indiana? These little finese items take time to learn, it all goes directly to the bottomline. Everything you do goes to the bottomline. Theres a time to pay the tolls and time not too...You have to be thinking all the time.

I see alot of you still don't have AIRTABS on.....WHY not? They work!!!...you've been told they work by myself, Terry and Linda...even Danny (Packmule) oh and Turtle too.
www.airtab.com - The smart way to cut the cost of your highway fuel costs

If Greg can push the fairtax with every post, I'll push Airtabs!!

 

[greg334]

Yes, OVM

Fair Tax = Air Tabs .... worthy causes

 

[Kyreax]

Well, that helps me, thanks.

So...how does "White Glove" help boost income?

Why aren't there any time/temperature critical deliveries on the West Coast? I know there's less factories out here, but what about Silicon Valley? Computer makers are all out here. The temps are hot, no need for T-Val stuff?

I need more enlightenment on the nature of this business...I guess I'm still not understanding some of the basics.

And a DOD clearance helps? For what?