Random Acts Of Kindness

Tonight I was dropping a trailer at a delivery after dark. I don’t like backing in the dark because it’s a higher level of difficulty. I was having some trouble with the set up when another driver stopped and asked me if I would like some help. I said I would greatly appreciate it, so he not only helped me but took the time to teach me some techniques he uses when backing. Turns out this wonderful man is from Canada with 30 years of driving. He gave me almost a hour of his time and I learned a lot. We were both burning clock or I would have enjoyed learning more about him.

So my aim with this thread is to ask what acts of kindness you have either received from other drivers or given to other drivers. There’s a lot of really good people driving trucks.

Last year in Milwaukee I helped a driver who's dolly was stuck in the snow and couldn't get it out. Took us like 20 minutes of wrestling it and him trying to back up closer to it before we finally got it on his lead trailer.

Mean while, I had left my truck idling since I didnt known it would take so long and I got a phone call the next day about idling in the yard lol.

I ran across a very new driver that had scaled a load and was overweight on his drives. I noticied him because he was driving in a big circle in the truck stop. I had just stopped to grab something but saw him and after about 3 rounds he stopped close to me. We were in Canada at a Flying J off the QEW. I walked over and asked if he was lost. He showed me his weight ticket and said he had spent the last hour driving around the lot to burn fuel so he would not be overweight going into the states.

First and foremost I was stunned. This guy got a cdl and some sort of training and did not know how to slide his tandems on a box trailer. I held class there in the lot and gave him a quick course in it. He was very happy.

There are people among us from all different backgrounds and all different levels of training. Never assume just because someone is driving a truck they know what they are doing!!!

PJ, probably shouldn’t laugh at that story, but it’s pretty funny. Kudos to you for helping the guy out.

Thanks Bruce, I feel the same way, it’s funny to an extent, but very sad also. I’m always willing to help someone out if I can. This proffession used to have much more of that, and I find that very unfortunate

Helped a fellow driver not too long ago myself, I noticed she was having a lot of troubles backing and I just watched her back under a trailer that I knew was too high. I walked over and talked with her a bit, helped her pull out from under the trailer without high hooking it and explained where she should stop backing under it to check height. I also gave her a few more tips and was sad to find out her trainer refused to get out of the truck and train during her training period. In fact the guy just sat in the passenger seat and made her do blind side backs so he could guide her in from that position. I don't know how she passed her cdl exams, but that isn't really important. Hopefully I got her going in the right direction so save her career without overloading her on too much new information her trainer failed to give her.

When I started to TNT with Rainy, she had problems with points on her rewards card. The cashier was very understanding but couldn't override the system. Dude behind us on line stepped & gave us 2 free showers with his shower power.

Another time at the Little America in Flagstaff. The cashier gave us a free shower & only charged us for one cause we didn't have points.

I ended up doing the same for someone that asked me at a Loves.

I also had numerous times where other drivers got out & helped me back. I try to do the same when I see someone struggling. But word to the wise, ask politely first! Learned that the hard way.