Saturday, September 10, 2016

Top 10 Things About OTR Trucking That Make Me Grumpy

I understand that Top 10 lists are very popular. They may possibly be overdone, but if Letterman can get away with it, so can I.  Here are the 10 things I hate most about over the road trucking.

  1. Tailgaiters. These people in my opinion are the biggest potential killers on the road. Why they think their day is going to get better by following scant feet behind another vehicle boggles my mind.
  2. Automatic toilets that flush while you’re still on them. I understand that a lot of people these days are too ignorant or lazy to flush after themselves, but I also know there is a need to conserve water. Flushing three times before your even finished can’t be helping the water supply.
  3. People who think speed limits, signal lights and dimmer switches are meant for everyone else but consider themselves above those sorts of things.
  4. The shortage of truck parking in many parts of North America. Its all well and good to pass all these hours of service regulations but if I can’t find a safe place to park when my logbook says I have to, what good are they?
  5. Restaurants, especially in truck stops, who think we should all have the appetite and capacity of Paul Bunyan. Very few make it easy to eat healthy on the road. And why do some of them think that beef is the only meat on the planet?
  6. Dispatchers who tell lies. I’d rather be told something I don’t like and know its the truth, than be told something I want to hear and find out later it was a lie. The good thing I discovered is that dispatchers only lie when they move their lips.
  7. The US government paranoia on security. First we needed a FAST card which we were assured would make the border secure.  $80.  Then we needed a TWIC card to assure security in the ports. Same information and data as the FAST card. $132. Now as of June 1st we’ll need a passport. Same information as the two cards already in our possession. Another 100 and some bucks and a huge hassle to acquire. When will it be enough? None of these measures are any guarantee of anything. Just a money grab.
  8. People (mostly truck drivers but tow truck drivers too) who think it’s OK to talk gutter talk and obscenities on the public airwaves of the CB radio.  Would they talk that way if a young child was sitting on the seat beside them? Probably some of them would, as they seem to have no scruples whatsoever.
  9. Driver’s who ignore the fact that I’m running out of driving lane in front of me and my signal light has been on for a mile already.  I don’t know if they’re born inconsiderate or just don’t see anything that’s not directly in front of them.
  10. Drivers who have no regard for lines in a parking lot, and park wherever and however they please.  Whatever happened to plain old garden variety consideration for others?

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