Thinking Of Packrat...

Thanks guys. I wasn't sure how you were all going to react to me. I want people to know I am not saying I am perfect. We all have a past of which we are not proud. We live and learn from our mistakes which is our mantra here. And I strive to be a better person in all I do. Sometimes i get disappointed in myself when i fail. All of you have been here to pick me up and cheer me on. I appreciate and respect you for that.

There are quite a few people on here that I have met in person and talk to regularly. Some no longer post, yet our friendships remain, and for that I will be forever grateful to this forum.

I saw PackRat as a friend with whom I spoke quite often. I and others tried to point out that his arguing with dispatch at various companies could become his kryptonite. We stopped speaking when I realized certain things didn't add up. Oh well, people can be anyone they want online. I could tell people i am a 25 year old playboy bunny. Who would know unless they met me or had my real name? I admit i felt betrayed by a friend on a personal level after worrying and praying for his recovery. We havent spoken in years.

When i woke this morning, i received a text from him 0633 CT. I can only assume it was about Big Scott's comment. I tried to call, and he didn't answer. Then i posted out frustratiion and being an emotional woman.

I wish him all the best in everything he does. I hope he finds a company where he is happy. Unfortunately, you can find his own words on this site where he said he should never have left Crete the first time. He planned to stay forever. Then again he said the same about Versatile. Now he can't say even one good thing about them.

One thing we often do here is a sort of "intervention" instead of enabling someone.

I hope Packrat gets the wake up call he needs to improve his career.

Again, i wish him only the best and am not mentioning any of this again.

As Davy stated, we are all at risk in this freight recession and continued oversaturation of drivers. Do not mess up, and always GOAL. Do not get tickets. Do not argue with disrespect. Complaining and raising a concern are two different things. Raise concerns in a professional manner, not an unprofessional one.

Do not leave a job without one lined up. Pay attention to wages. Some companies are lowering pay or removing bonuses. Many companies will not rehire a driver who left.

Gone are the days of getting a job 2 hours after leaving one. I know drivers who are taking 2 to 4 months to find work due to a blemished record.

Stay safe all.

Davy while I agree completely that the way someone conducts themselves behind the wheel matters, their past choices also paint a picture of who they really are whether good or bad. I admire you being open about your past struggles with drugs and how you overcame that in addition to your speeding tendencies. You've helped many people in similar situations see there's a light at the end of the tunnel and it isnt the train. Your choices for the most part only impacted you and your close family.

Kearsey mentioned that a few members believe Packrats stories weren't adding up. Why wait til now to bring it up? For Big Scott to come in guns blazing when he's been absent from the forum for a month, no big deal we all got stuff going on, just doesn't sit right. Especially when you know Big Scott's criminal history that the 7 felonies were towards a child and now he's a RSO he's not really one to judge another's character. If I'm understanding his convictions correctly, he used his position of trust to victimize children. You're a P.O.S. Scott. If this results in being removed from the forum so be it. You're not someone I wish to be associated with.

I'm NOT going to publicly share his name, but I'm willing to provide proof to any long time members that get my email from Brett. Otherwise look him up yourself using his FB page he linked and the public records for his state of residence.

Davy while I agree completely that the way someone conducts themselves behind the wheel matters, their past choices also paint a picture of who they really are whether good or bad. I admire you being open about your past struggles with drugs and how you overcame that in addition to your speeding tendencies. You've helped many people in similar situations see there's a light at the end of the tunnel and it isnt the train. Your choices for the most part only impacted you and your close family.

Kearsey mentioned that a few members believe Packrats stories weren't adding up. Why wait til now to bring it up? For Big Scott to come in guns blazing when he's been absent from the forum for a month, no big deal we all got stuff going on, just doesn't sit right. Especially when you know Big Scott's criminal history that the 7 felonies were towards a child and now he's a RSO he's not really one to judge another's character. If I'm understanding his convictions correctly, he used his position of trust to victimize children. You're a P.O.S. Scott. If this results in being removed from the forum so be it. You're not someone I wish to be associated with.

I'm NOT going to publicly share his name, but I'm willing to provide proof to any long time members that get my email from Brett. Otherwise look him up yourself using his FB page he linked and the public records for his state of residence.

Disregard that last part about Facebook. He's since changed his social media presence link to CFI website. Interesting.....

I wasn’t gonna say more to avoid blowing this thread up more than it already has but considering it’s a full on dumpster fire at this point…

I completely agree with Kearsey on this one. No one on this forum is perfect and that 100% includes me. I have been somewhat transparent about my faults but not all of them because I don’t want all of my mistakes to be public. I don’t have a criminal record but I have been fired twice in my relatively short trucking career and in both instances I deserved it.

That said, there’s something to be said for intentionally misleading an entire forum into thinking you’re someone you’re not and using your platform to criticize (often harshly) others on that forum who don’t live up to your alleged lofty standards of honesty and professionalism. If these accusations of Packrat are indeed true, it’s a stain on the forum and the person I feel the most bad for right now is Brett as this website is his life’s work.

Yes this forum is about trucking, but if the credibility of the moderators and other respected members can’t be counted on then why would anyone want to listen to what they have to say?

Kearsey mentioned that a few members believe Packrats stories weren't adding up. Why wait til now to bring it up?

I've had my doubts. Several members here come off as thinking they are above criticism, they like to believe their way of doing things is the only correct way of doing something. They often respond unnecessarily harshl to anyone who they view as not living upto their standards.

I do not come here for drama or to argue so what would be the point of bringing it up?

I feel obligated to comment on this thread because I consider both Kearsey and Packrat friends. In addition, I have been privy to the disclosed information about Packrat for quite some time. Moreover, I have some undisclosed information about other members of this forum. And, finally, I have my own commentary about this “dumpster fire,” as Pianoman puts it.

First, understand Big Scott’s comments in context. Packrat revealed that he had been fired. Many people chimed in with their support for Packrat. I can understand Big Scott’s frustration with this outpouring of support. You don’t even need to know Packrat’s “secrets” to realize that he has had many trucking jobs primarily because of his attitude. Just review Packrat's comment history on this forum. Packrat even recognizes that he has been a difficult driver for his dispatchers. While Big Scott’s comment was obnoxious, it was more in line with what a real friend would say to Packrat: his attitude is the biggest obstacle to his success in this career. Did Big Scott need to reveal the other things about Packrat? No. But, this particular thread was based on Packrat’s claim of having heart surgery, which credible evidence indicates is not true. Thus, I can understand Big Scott’s frustration.

But then everyone had to condemn Big Scott, even though he told the truth. And then when Kearsey confirmed what Big Scott said, another seismic shift in condemnation. I haven’t spoken with Packrat for a while, but I knew about his hazy relationship with reality when I did speak with him almost every day. Did I condemn him for it? No! As Kearsey said, he makes up these stories for attention. I considered it more sad than dishonest. It’s not like he’s writing bad checks or molesting children. Speaking of molesting children and Big Scott, I don’t have first hand knowledge of that, but Big Scott has been a substantial contributor to this forum, just like Packrat.

Thus, my commentary on this dumpster fire. Yeah, a person’s overall integrity factors into their credibility. But, as I pointed out above, if you have at least a modicum of critical thinking, you can assess someone’s credibility based on their own words. The fact that someone may lie about their age (to make themselves 10 years older), doesn’t undermine any good advice they may give. And this leads to my final comment on this dumpster fire. People make up stories for attention because naïve people believe them. You don’t need to challenge everything people say, but when things start to seem suspicious maybe it’s time to put on your critical thinking hat. In other words, who deserved the condemnation in Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein?” The monster or Dr. Frankenstein?

Pianoman said:

I completely agree with Kearsey on this one. No one on this forum is perfect and that 100% includes me. I have been somewhat transparent about my faults but not all of them because I don’t want all of my mistakes to be public. I don’t have a criminal record but I have been fired twice in my relatively short trucking career and in both instances I deserved it.

Admitting your faults & accepting responsibility will get you far in your career and life in general. We all screw up.. yeah i got a million safe miles.. but last month i missed an appt by 58 minutes. The first time in 8 years i was late for a delivery. I was so mad at myself and i apologized both to my fleet manager and to the owners of the truck i am driving. Because of my history, they all sort of shrugged it off. But i beat myself up over it. It just inspired me to do better. I didn't make excuses. I slept through the alarm, so i bought a screamie meamie at the next truck stop. I won't oversleep again.

You're a P.O.S. Scott. If this results in being removed from the forum so be it. You're not someone I wish to be associated with.

He must have admitted to the crime, did his time and has been squeaky clean since by reporting to the agency that tracks the RSO people, otherwise he more than likely would not have been hired by CFI. Most companies will not hire guys that have been convicted of being domestic abusers or registered sex offenders, especially of children. He must have shown that he has straightened up his act and is flying straight.

I see no need for him to be removed from the forum.

Laura

Pianoman’s description of this whole mess as a dumpster fire is an excellent analogy. A dumpster fire is serious, but not the end of the world.

People are people, so to speak. I never get too shocked anymore by unexpected revelations about people I know or know of. Surprised, yes. Shocked, no. At my ripe old age I’ve seen about all the imperfections people can manifest and I have perfected some of those imperfections myself.

My life has been severely affected by people who had hidden lives and were textbook sociopaths. So when I can identify these people and see their sociopathic traits, I avoid them like the plague on a social level. They are toxic people. But that doesn’t mean that they are totally worthless because they may have knowledge and experience that I can benefit from in my life. For instance, serious character flaws have just been brought to light about several members here. But I can’t deny that I have learned things from those individuals about my current profession as a driver. Sometimes one can find something valuable in a garbage pile.

My point is this: I’m here because I decided to learn to drive a potentially deadly vehicle late in life. I need to learn everything I can about how to be the best I can be even if that knowledge comes from a garbage pile. I’m here to hone my professional skills. If I can identify some people who are worthy of friendship, great. If not, I still can benefit from their knowledge and experience. Let’s not lose sight of the fact that this is a trucking website. It’s not a Dr. Phil website. All the drama that has been exposed by this thread is interesting but does not divert my attention from my goal to learn driving skills from others who comment here.

And I have to say that I noticed Kearsey temporarily changed her avatar due to this thread and a comment she made. I hope the symbolism and humor connected with this are apparent to others. I find it to be very clever and creative. Good job, million miler!

I’m now waiting to see what Brett has to say about all of this dumpster fire. My guess is that he is waiting until the fire dies down somewhat until he evaluates it all and puts things in perspective.

Oh what the heck, I suppose I'll chime in too seeing I was the OP of this thread.

In some ways I feel a little responsible for bringing Packrat's alleged medical condition to the forum's attention when it wasn't a widely known detail. Sure, it was mentioned in a post or two prior to mine, but it went largely unnoticed and unmentioned.

At the time, Packrat was a daily contributor to the forum, and I felt he deserved the collective prayers and well wishes of our community. I mean after all, it wasn't just a simple surgery, it was supposed to be a freaking heart transplant! That's huge.

Our community didn't disappoint. They came out in droves to support our friend, as they should. I was happy to see that many felt the same as I did. We had a family member in hard times, and we were concerned. Yes, I believe we are a family here, as screwed up as we all are.

Sure, I too became aware of the ruse a couple years ago. It became clear that not only were things not adding up, they were just outright false. It doesn't take a rocket surgeon to figure out that A + B doesn't equal 3.

Still, in the grand scheme of things that didn't really matter to me. If it doesn't affect me on a personal level, why should I really care? Who among us doesn't have friends or family that are a little quirky? I know I do. That doesn't make them any less a member of my circle. That's how I felt about Pack rat, and why I didn't publicly out him. What would that serve? I'll admit that when he came back to boast of his 5-year post-surgery anniversary, I was like WTF. But as Chief Brody points out, it's mostly just sad that someone feels the need to do such things. I still call him my friend, as I would any of the yahoos I associate with until they personally betray me.

On the issue of him bouncing from company to company, yeah I wouldn't exactly call him a role model for a driver I'd want to hire, but that's never been what he's known for here. He is however known for his matter of fact, unapologetic and often harsh criticism of faults. He makes no bones about that, and you always know what to expect from him. There still remains a level of respect in that.