Documentary: "Big Rig"

Trucking Truth does a lot to dispel the myths around truck driving. I had no idea or concept of the diversity in the profession until reading about different people's experiences and backgrounds. This sight seems to give a much better cross section of the profession than that "documentary." The trouble with some "documentaries" is that they have a built in bias to appeal to the expectations of the masses and entertain versus inform: they offer a skewed version of the truth. Whether you have a high school diploma or a doctorate, if you drive a truck safely and successfully then you have my respect. I don't even care if you were an angel or have a less than stellar past, if you drive a truck safely and responsibly, you have my respect. Trucking all boils down to raw ability, not background or level of education making it truly an egalitarian profession. For the most part, everyone is given the same shot at success or lack thereof.

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.

I actually liked it and I didn't see it stereotyping. Yes a couple of the truckers had southern accents but one driver was Polish. Just a side note not all people with southern accents are rednecks and not all rednecks are southern. One school of thought is that the term redneck comes from the sunburned necks of those who worked in the fields. Another thought is that it comes from the miners from Appalachia. They wore red bandanas around their necks to signify solidarity when they struck for safer work conditions.

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 honestly don't believe Jason E. was out to Rag on anyone BUT the media.

I think his point was, that he was let down by the Documentary in that they only spoke with, what the public considers to be the Stereotypical truck drivers (trashy rednecks w/marital issues and the like.)

And, They didn't give the trucker industry its deserved respect, by only showing disgruntled individuals on the video.

Simply put, Bad news/reviews/information in any form, always sells better and gets more attention, than good.

For example. when I started looking into trucking, all I could find was negativity wherever I looked. I was getting so aggravated my head was spinning!

So one day I thought ah ha, I'll try googling stuff like positive trucking forums , positive trucking reviews. And let me tell ya, the list is short!!! When viola, Trucking Truth popped up.

JMHO...

I agree with Old School. I was able to sit through some of it way back when and to me it was depressing. Definitely not intended to be a recruitment film for trucking companies.