Documentary: "Big Rig"

Hello All, I just watched a documentary on YouTube, called "Big Rig": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJ45iaQgJjk What are your thoughts on this documentary? I wasn't too fond of it, I felt it shows a biased view of the American Truck Driver. It seems they were looking for the stereotypical truck driver. This documentary filmed all owner operators, at extreme fuel prices, the height of the recession, and all rednecks with southern accents. I'd just like to know everyone elses opinion.

Best, Jason E.

... and all rednecks with southern accents. I'd just like to know everyone elses opinion.

Best, Jason E.

What's wrong with rednecks and a southern accent?

... and all rednecks with southern accents. I'd just like to know everyone elses opinion.

Best, Jason E.

What's wrong with rednecks and a southern accent?

It plays to the negative stereotype of truckers that so many truckers hate. Redneck, southern accent, trailer trash, domestic issues, etc. They say in the video how much they can't stand the way their treated and the way the public treats them, how they want respect. So, this film goes ahead and chooses a couple truckers with multiple marriage issues and the husband cheated on the wife. Could they not find a better example of your average, hard working, trucker? Everyone in this video somehow played to the stereotype. Black guys excluded.

-J

I was expecting to hear from truck drivers from all different backgrounds, not solely from truck drivers that fit the publics perception.

I was expecting to hear from truck drivers from all different backgrounds, not solely from truck drivers that fit the publics perception.

Jason,

You have no idea about who I am, where I come from and what it took for me to get here. I asked that to see what your response would be, and, you took the bait.

The folks on this site, including me, do not give a damn about some closed minded stupid documentary that tries to label drivers as "redneck", "southern", "white trash", or any other label.

You posted with a bias and wanted a respone that would dispute it. So, I have to ask you a question. Are you a truck driver?

Jason, unfortunately most documentaries document just exactly what the person documenting wants to show. They are biased by nature.

I can tell you that I have seen almost every kind of human being there is out here. This is the most diverse culture of people you could ever hope to put together all in one sub culture called "truck drivers". I've met so many people who have retired from other professions and are now truck drivers that it is a crazy mixed bag of people. Some of them highly intelligent, some of them very well spoken, some of them with no formal education, and some of them with a doctorate in some form of study. You just can't lump America's truck drivers into one stereotypical persona. They are as diverse as the many parts of this great country that they move around in.

I watched that show a long time ago and found it to be nothing but depressing... that's just me, I've heard others say they like it. There you go, that shows you how diverse we are.

Wasnt big rig the one where it was the company and they had a contest or something and they had that old grumpy guy?

I watched that back in 2012 just before I started driving. I didn't think much of it.

You can watch all the documentarys about trucking, you can talk to every driver, but that won't fully explain what its all about.. If you want to know what trucking is like, become one.

We all can sit here and paint a picture, but without actually seeing what its like, that picture will be black n white.

Thank you for the replies! It confirms my thinking that this documentary doesn't document s***, except what's convenient.

I was expecting to hear from truck drivers from all different backgrounds, not solely from truck drivers that fit the publics perception.

Jason,

You have no idea about who I am, where I come from and what it took for me to get here. I asked that to see what your response would be, and, you took the bait.

The folks on this site, including me, do not give a damn about some closed minded stupid documentary that tries to label drivers as "redneck", "southern", "white trash", or any other label.

You posted with a bias and wanted a respone that would dispute it. So, I have to ask you a question. Are you a truck driver?

I'm not sure what you're getting at, or what your problem is.