Fuel for Thought

When No One Is Watching

What do you do when you don’t think anyone is watching? For professional drivers, aside from driver facing cameras, usually you are not watched as closely as employees at a store, manufacturing plant, warehouse, etc. It is mostly up to you to decide what you do or how you do it.

A person’s true character can be seen when they think nobody's watching. The mark of a true professional is doing the right thing. Always. Even when you think no one is looking. Even when it is more difficult than cutting corners.

I rolled into a weigh station in Texas with a hazmat load. I was waved on through, but decided while I was slowed down anyway, to pull over in the parking area past the scale and check my load, tires and a general walk around inspection of my truck. As I came around the curbside of the truck and about to open the doors to check the load, I noticed that an officer had pulled up near the front driver’s side of my cab. He rolled down his passenger window and I walked over and asked if there was anything I could do for him. He wanted to know why I stopped, when he had not directed me to do so. I told him why I pulled over and he said while I was here he would do an inspection. It was one of the easiest and nicest inspections I have received in quite some time. I don’t usually have any issues with inspections anyway, but once he “caught” me doing what I should be doing, it seemed the inspection, although it was thorough, was not scrutinized as some others can be. After his inspection, we talked about some of the trucks features, told a few stories from the road and then I told him to be safe out here and he said for me to do the same.

While I didn’t know anyone was watching when I pulled over to check out my load and truck mid-trip, someone was watching. I was able give the officer another positive image of the professional drivers out here, as opposed the all the violators he sees daily and I was able to add good points to my CSA score for a clean roadside inspection.

You never know who might be watching you, or who you might inspire with your actions. Doing the right thing needs no audience, but you may have one and not even know it.

See you down the road,

Greg

Show class, have pride, and display character. If you do, winning takes care of itself.

- Paul Bryant