Short Letters from a Truck Driver

Dear blue Ford Explorer on I-40,

I'm writing today to thank you. Last week, you were merging onto the expressway with a line of vehicles, forcing me to change lanes into the "passing lane" so I could let everyone in. Instead of racing passed me on my right side, you blocked all of the traffic behind you, flashed your lights to indicate it was safe for me to move over, then passed on my left (and correct) side. This may not be a big deal to you, but it sure was to me. Often times in this situation, I end up getting stuck in the left lane with cars passing on my right side (my blind side). It's nice to see that there are motorists willing to not only share the road with large slow trucks, but even help us out while we are on our journey. When I flashed my "marker lights" at you, I hope you realize that I was saying thank you. Take care!

TruckerMike

Dear customer that I delivered to last week,

I'm writing to you today to talk about some poor service that I received from you a couple days ago. Upon my arrival to your facility, I was first greeted with a cluttered area around the docks. This made it extremely difficult and dangerous to back my truck up so I could deliver your product. Further, once I had my truck backed in, you told me they would start unloading me in about 10 minutes. However, two hours later, I was still sitting there without being unloaded. I came inside and asked again if I was going to be unloaded soon, and you told me it would take 30 more minutes. Finally, a couple hours after that, you started to unload me. I have reason to believe that you knew all along it would take a while, but just strung me along to keep me quiet. Next time, can you just be honest with me? After driving for eight hours, it would have been nice to grab a nap while I sat and waited. I would much prefer that you just tell me it'll be a while than to be told time and time again that I will be unloaded "shortly." Thank you for your understanding.

TruckerMike

Dear Star driver from the truck stop yesterday,

I'm writing to you today to thank you. Yesterday, my trainer and I were having trouble with our truck. If the truck turned off, it wouldn't start again. Unfortunately, while sitting in a parking spot, our truck turned off. Last time we got a "pull start" from a towing company, it cost $300. So, we decided to hop on the CB for some assistance. When we asked for help, we only received rude responses. Finally, you got on the CB asking our location. You took the time to unhook from your trailer, drive around the lot to find us, use your own chains to hook up to our truck, and give us a pull start. This saved us a lot of time, money, and frustration. Furthermore, you wouldn't accept any money for the time you spent helping us, and had a smile on your face the entire time. I just wanted to say thank you for proving there is still some brotherhood left in this industry. Thanks again and stay safe brother. It was a pleasure meeting you.

TruckerMike

Dear owner operator on I-80 a couple weeks ago,

I'm writing to you today to inform you of your total disregard for the safety of everyone on the road. While I was in the passing lane trying to get around another truck, you came up behind me, obviously speeding, and stayed right at the rear of my trailer until I could move over. To make matters worse, I saw you do the same thing to a Honda Civic. You must have been doing 80 mph+ once you finally got around him. This is extremely dangerous, uncalled for, and helps to destroy the image of truck drivers as a whole. Please quit putting everybody's life in danger because you're in a bit of a hurry. We don't deserve it.

TruckerMike

Dear truck stop in Ohio,

The other day, my trainer and I went to your truck stop so we could fuel and grab a shower. Even though your shower rooms were old and rundown, they were clean. So I thank you for that. However, is there any reason your shower heads give very little water output with even less water pressure? Please understand that truck drivers pay attention to these things. My trainer and I made a note in our truck stop guide to never go back to your location. After driving for hours upon hours at a time without a shower for a couple days, then spending about $200 on fuel at your truck stop, all we ask for is a decent place to go where we can feel clean. Would the price of a decent shower head be too much to ask? I hope you improve your facility so that I can take your truck stop off of my blacklist.

TruckerMike

Dear customer in Indiana from yesterday,

I just wanted to write and thank you for keeping your parking lot and facility in such great shape. Not only did you have a wide open and cluster free lot for me to get set up, but you had clearly painted lines to help guide me into your dock. If that wasn't enough, you sent somebody out to "spot" me while I was backing up. Upon checking in, you had a "trucker only" restroom along with a lounge and amenities like water, vending machines, etc. I truly appreciated being treated like one of your own while I was there and wish more customers would follow. It's nice to receive a little respect every now and then. Keep up the great work and I look forward to serving you in the future!

TruckerMike

Dear friends and family,

I just wanted to say thank you for being so supportive of my career choice. It really helps while I'm out on the road knowing I have the support that I do. I feel extremely fortunate to have you all in my life, even if I am hundreds of miles away. This really would be the perfect job for me if I was able to see you more often. I can't wait to get back home and see you all again. I miss you!!

TruckerMike

Dear blog readers,

Thank you so much for all of your support and for following me along in my new journey. It really helps me "get out of the truck" when I'm able to share my experiences with all of you. The emails I've received have been outstanding, and I'm glad so many of you feel like you can contact me with comments, questions, and overall support. If there is a subject you'd like to see covered, please write and let me know! It might take me a couple days to get back to you, but I make it a point to respond to every single email when I have some down time. I appreciate your patience when I can't respond right away. Thanks again, and I look forward to writing many more posts into the foreseeable future.

And as always, until next time, drive safely.

TruckerMike

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