Fuel for Thought

Ptolemaic Truckers

Claudius Ptolemy was an astronomer, mathematician, and geographer who lived during the 2nd century. He is known for convincing everyone at the time that the Earth was the center of the Universe and the Sun and all planets revolved around our little blue planet. His geocentric (Earth-centered) theory was so well received and believed that it stood for centuries as fact. It wasn’t until the 16th century that Nicolaus Copernicus posited the correct theory of the heliocentric model which correctly placed the Sun as the center in which the other planets revolved. Later the term Ptolemaic was coined to refer to anyone who thinks the world revolves around them.

Lately, we seem to have more and more Ptolemaic truck drivers. If you are a truck driver or owner operator, you should be providing a service to your customer based on their needs, not yours. Instead of trying to force your will on the customer, try fulfilling the needs of the customer. They approached you with a transportation need they have in the hopes that you would be able to solve their transportation issues(s). Your Ptolemaic needs do not factor into the equation. Either you can help them or you cannot. Dictating your needs to the paying customer rarely ends well for either party. You may be able to reach an amicable agreement to serve both parties, but what I have been seeing and hearing lately is not any type of negotiation, it is a one sided insult to the customer.

This is not the best economy and as people continue to struggle, tensions will rise, anger will boil and your fears can take over leading one to lash out unprovoked. You may be struggling, but your customer might very well be working on razor thin margins as well. Find common ground for both you and your customer, if possible, sometimes you just have to graciously decline their offer and agree to find common ground at a future date that satisfies both parties. It may or may not ever work out but you can almost guarantee that if your Ptolemaic attitude shows itself, you will not get another chance to gain the customer in the future.

The world does not revolve around any one person, lose the attitude and gain a customer. You provide a service, if you cannot provide the service the customer needs, there is no reason to feel slighted or insulted. That customer, or maybe just that load, may not be for you. It is just business, it is not a personal attack on you or your business model. 

We, owner operators, are running a business. We expect to reach certain revenue goals. In an economy like we are experiencing right now, all businesses must carefully evaluate their expenditures to ensure a profit can be made. Sometimes that means cutting costs where possible without cutting the quality of the service we provide. You may need to adjust your revenue goal(s) temporarily to make it to the next boom economy.

Ptolemy’s geocentric theory stood for centuries, don’t let your own Ptolemaic approach take too long to resolve itself, it might just put you out of business. 

Check your ego at the door. The ego can be the great success inhibitor. It can kill opportunities, and it can kill success. 

- Dwayne Johnson

See you down the road,

Greg