Single Most Important Trait Of A Successful Truck Driver.....

Pat thought wrong:

We are going to get a lot of different answers and there is no wrong answer if you agree with me... LOL

Well, I guess we all are thinking "patience", describing it in our own ways, and that it is important.

Now Pat, if you ask for everyone's opinions and when they give them you turn around and say, "No, you're all wrong. You're all just confirming what I said" it kinda takes the fun out of it.

(Waving my hand frantically like Arnold Horshack) Ooh Ooh Mr. Kotter!!!! I know the answer, it's patience.

I didn't know this was a multiple choice question with only one answer.

Pat- How about changing thread title to "Critical traits of a truck driver". Or something more inclusive,

You guys and gals apparently did not read the second paragraph...

If you think about it, all of these other traits come with and from patience. Common sense comes with patience, humility and respect stem from having the patience to keep your cool. Adaptability comes from being patient enough to not get yourself in a deeper hole. You put down the shovel and assess the situation instead of trying to dig your way out.

As for crazy, that comes from being certifiable.

Temper temper. You sound impatient dealing with the answers hahhahah sorry I had to lol

I do think patience is the most important trait of being a successful truck driver. It extends to most every aspect of the job; patience through the first year's learning curve, patience with shippers/receivers, patience with traffic/weather situations, patience with unskilled drivers, and most of all patience with yourself. Many truck drivers are Type-A personalities (me included), so patience becomes a learned and practiced trait, not one that comes naturally.

A sense of humor is also helpful in dealing with everything that causes your patience to be tested and pushed to the limit. Laugh it off, like water off a ducks back.

Now Pat, if you ask for everyone's opinions and when they give them you turn around and say, "No, you're all wrong. You're all just confirming what I said" it kinda takes the fun out of it.

Who cares about fun, it's about being right ... and Pat's right.

Pat, I concur. It's patience.

There are many traits a driver should have to be a successful, safe, and responsible driver, but I'd trace them all back to patience.

Patience:

Allows you time to do a proper equipment inspection.

Helps you reduce stress from traffic.

Encourages you to keep proper following distance by not wanting to speed / tailgate. Also helps manage your space around the rig.

Prevents you from freaking out at shippers / receivers from waiting on loads.

Helps you to slow down in inclement weather by not being in a rush.

Basically, encourages general safety and stress management. Two of the biggest downfalls in trucking is not being safe and having poor health.

If it's not patience, tenacity would be a close runner-up.

Patience is import. But with every activity that is schedule based, foresight or planning is more important. You can patiently sit in traffic, or wait out a storm, but end up late to deliver frequently. You won't do well if you can't make appointments.

Planning to transit an area when traffic won't be a problem, or routing yourself around a storm that is predicted is better than sucking it up and just getting trough the trouble patiently.

Foresight is the single most important characteristic a driver needs to perfect to thrive. A good plan will require you to draw on your patience less often because you'll be getting it done instead of having to up with the unexpected.