Where Have All The Professional Truckers Gone?

Good Morning Everyone, Just a short note this fine day. After reading comments on the posts I made, I NOW HAVE HOPE BEYOND BELIEF.

That's right, I was totally looking at that stupid bucket of water, from the wrong point of view.

I was seeing that bucket of water as half empty, only enough water for 4 or 5 gulps before I would die of thirst.

INSTEAD,

Now I see that same bucket of water as half full, with the potential, if used correctly, to quench my thirst, to water a small garden, and thus, bring forth food a plenty. Final note: Hope Springs Eternal Keep on, Keeping On

Good Day to One and All, I have started 2 threads on this forum and both were centered on my concerns about the way the new breed of truckers are acting out there. My opinion was one of concern for the antisocial attitudes I perceived on the road. I now fear I have been a little quick to judge. I had it pointed out to me yesterday by a very strange source, my 23 year old daughter.

I am 50 years old and I have been a Professional Trucker all my adult life, except for a 7 year hitch in the US Navy. But there is something I did not take into mind while forming my opinion of today's OTR Driver.

I have been a local driver my whole career, 25 years. I'm now single, daughter grown, and nothing holding me down. I have a brother that needed someone to drive his truck and trailer to pick up and deliver some machinery throughout California and Arizona. After a few trips from San Diego to Phoenix, I got the idea that seeing this country as a OTR driver might be fun and interesting. So this is what I plan to do. My last day driving for my brother will be December 11. I will start working for my first OTR trucking company beginning December 21.

Now back to what I started to say in the beginning. The mistake I made was comparing local drivers to OTR drivers. I thought drivers are drivers. It seemed to me that OTR drivers were antisocial and unfriendly. This is not the case at all, I WAS WRONG.

I was comparing the way we local drivers treat each other. We are much more friendly and engaging towards each other. This is because, as it has been pointed out to me, I KNOW MANY of the drivers that I see on the road everyday. Many of these drivers I went to high school with. Many of these drivers I know from my daughter's soccer games, school open-house night, etc., etc.

I feel like a real dumb-ass for trying to compare the 2. As the saying goes, "from the mouths of babes".

Please except my apologies to anyone I offended,

Good Day and Good Night, Jerry