Mediocrity Reaps No Rewards

 I have observed a lot of truck drivers during my trucking career.  With both empathy and agony, I have listened to their tales of woe at the truck stops, lunch counters, and driver lounges all across this great country.  Can I speak plainly with you?  Most truck drivers are unhappy.  They feel maligned, mistreated, and just plain dis-respected.  For most of them, the rewards received are simply not worth the sacrifices and risks required to execute the job.  I have never fallen into that camp, and I am convinced there’s a reason why.

Let me also make it clear that when I was a rookie driver I listened to other drivers complaints and would often feel myself being lured into their unfortunate outlook on this career.  It seemed everything they said resonated with me in some form or fashion.  After all, who really wants to be away from their families for weeks at a time?  Is it really a nomadic dream life to sleep in a truck each night?  I knew the frustrations of just trying to find some place to park at ten o’clock at night, and yes, I found those things very frustrating myself.

I still remember this time I was tarping a load of steel at about midnight.  I noticed the driver next to me who had just picked up his load before me.  As he was tarping, he was dragging his feet and his shoulders hung low as though he were completely dejected.  I still remember him raising his voice to speak to me.  “This job sucks the life out of you,” he declared.  He said it with authority, as if I should certainly know and agree with his assessment.  The absurdity of his statement struck me hard.  I was quite happy to be there at midnight.  The coolness of the evening was refreshing to me while laboring at my chosen profession.  As I was stretching my tarps tight, I was excitedly running calculations in my head as to how I was going to use the split sleeper berth provision to enable me to get my load delivered early.  That way I would be available for a really nice load early on Friday.  I knew once all that came together I was going to put an additional 400 dollars on my paycheck that week.

Your outlook has a profound effect on your outcome.  The driver who is convinced “this job sucks the life out of you” will be plagued with poor results.  His paychecks will always seem insufficient, his efforts will invariably be extremely laborious, and his satisfaction with his job will be nonexistent.  I have always felt it very important that people should find satisfaction and fulfillment in their occupation.  It doesn’t matter to me if you are a simple laborer pushing a wheelbarrow through a muddy construction site.  If you are determined to be the best at commandeering a wheelbarrow, you will find yourself quite happy with your results.  There is simply no way to have a fulfilling career when you are miserable at it.  Your miserableness blinds you to the possibilities that lie waiting for you to capitalize on them.

Goals have a way of encouraging you to reach higher levels of performance and satisfaction.  I am very much a goal oriented person.  The truck driving career appealed to me because it followed a model that I had repeatedly taught to my employees during the years that I was a business operator.  That model is sometimes referred to as “performance based pay.”  Basically the employee gets to determine how much money he makes by producing effective results.  As a person reaches the initial goals they have set for themselves, they begin to see how much more potential they actually have.  I remember when I started to earn around a thousand dollars a week as a truck driver.  That seemed like pretty decent money for what I was doing.  Then it also opened my eyes to how much money I was leaving on the table through my own inefficiencies.

I had reached my goals, but there was still more that was almost begging to  be accomplished.  I could see it now.  There was no reason it had to stay beyond my reach.  It took me a few years, but soon enough I had almost doubled that income that I was content with before.  By reaching my goals, I could see the potential that was still out there.  I wasn’t bound by my own self declared delusions of how miserable this career was.  I was free to pursue excellence and prove I was capable of obtaining it.  There’s nothing so liberating as freeing yourself from “group think.”  

Truckers really limit their own satisfaction and income potential by commiserating with each other all the time.  When is the last time you heard a fellow driver tell you how he’s set a goal to increase his income this year by ten thousand dollars?  More than likely you heard something like, “I am looking for another company.  This one just doesn’t have the miles I need to make a living.  They treat me like I’m just a number, and they could care less whether I’m making it or not.”  Most truck drivers hamstring themselves with their own low aspirations.  They are mediocre performers who don’t recognize their own potential.  I can assure you that their employer has ample opportunity for them to succeed.  Very seldom is it actually the company’s fault when a driver is a low performer.  Does that bother you when I say that?  I am convinced that is a hard truth we all need to learn.  Mediocrity reaps no rewards.  Almost every truck driver I know has switched companies multiple times, only to switch again when they find they are still disillusioned.

You won’t catch me telling you how bad my company is.  They gave me  opportunity and I gave them results.  This is the formula for success at trucking.  The driver has to produce.  The burden is upon the driver, and it is a great opportunity for him to prove his mettle.  Drivers who settle for less get less.  Never settle on mediocrity.  Motivate yourself to excel.  I promise you, success at trucking is within your grasp.  Courage reaches out and takes hold of success.

What I Have Learned From This Pandemic

You don't need an army or even a weapon to bring a nation to it's knees.

People can be controlled by fear.

Fear is as serious a debilitating contagion as any virus.

You can be esteemed an expert, yet change your ideas on your expertise almost daily.  No one will notice.  You'll still be considered an expert.

During a disaster you can declare someone an "expert," parade them on national media, and fear will drive people to follow their suggestions in a cult like fashion.

When being questioned on live T.V. before an anxious nation, it's quite acceptable for an "expert" to answer most of the questions with something like, "We just don't know."

Vanity and fear do strange things to people.  A surgical face mask is neither a fashion statement or a reliable means of preventing a viral infection.  And when you wear it riding low so it's merely covering your chin, it's even less effective at either one of those objectives.


The millions of Chinese people you see on television wearing masks is not proof that masks help stop the transmission of the Corona virus.  They've been wearing masks in China for a couple of decades now.  The air pollution is so bad over there that they do that to protect their lungs.

I've discovered that every day I touch my face an average of 10,387 times.  It's miraculous that I'm still alive.

It's strange that "non essential workers" were forced to stay at home.  Among the groups of people who have still not returned to work are our members of the House of Representatives.  We've known for years how non essential they are to our well being, but somehow that awareness has finally caught up with them.

Trucking Will Survive This Pandemic

I know some of you are wondering if you should try to get into trucking at this point in time. Others may be concerned about their jobs. What's taking place in the country is crazy in my opinion. But, I want you to know that trucking will survive this madness.

The wrecking ball that has been unleashed on our economic system is destroying lives, families, legacies, and businesses. It's very sad to witness the incalculable destruction. Trucking will take some hits. We're going to see some smaller companies close up. We will also probably be surprised by a couple of the big companies suffering, and reducing their operations, or being absorbed into another large company. Cash reserves are going to prove that old adage about "cash being king."

Those things are normal adjustments during trying times. We will see them happen in the next few months. That does not indicate that trucking is a poor career choice at this juncture. Trucking jobs are available now, and still will be as the dust settles and things fall into realignment.

We are already witnessing supply chains being busted up, and that just compounds the negative effects on various suppliers. Closing restaurants is a great example of this. Food delivery is suffering and so are the vendors in that supply chain. They were specifically geared to supply restaurants, and their packaging is having to be completely re-tooled for grocery store distribution. What a mess!

There's a lot of volatility in the supply chains now. Prices are going to fluctuate wildly. If things stay on lockdown there will be too much truck capacity in comparison to demand and that's going to put tremendous downward pressure on freight rates. That always results in people selling trucks, and that results in the valuations of trucking assets decreasing. None of that is good for the industry.

The truth is that we are in a violent storm. We are also a necessity in times like these. This is not a time to be fearful. It's a time to show your resolve. It's a time to be a Top Tier Driver.

If you need or want a trucking job, I encourage you to be brave and jump into the fray. You will be rewarded.

If you're already employed as a driver I encourage you to be a top performer. Lead by example. Don't cower at what others fear. Lean into your profession with vigor and determination. Be effective. Be proficient. Be productive. Those are the drivers who stand the test of time. They also will survive this unforeseen test of our system of capitalism. Free markets demand efficiencies, and there's no better time to prove you're worth keeping on the payroll.

Keep trucking my brothers and sisters. Your time to shine has come upon you. Face it with determination and boldness. You will slay this dragon!

The Boogey Man Virus

Being on a dedicated account, I oftentimes go to repeat customers. Some of them I go to enough that they know me by name. Everybody has new procedures and protocols in place now to accommodate this whole "social distancing" experiment.


One of my customers had a sign up telling us to un-tarp and un-strap after driving into the building, and then lay our paperwork on the bed of the trailer. They would then unload it, sign the bills, and leave it on the trailer. It said, "Do not get out of your cab until the fork lift driver signals you with three short beeps on his horn." Then we were allowed to get out and grab our paperwork!


At the Hydro plant in Cressona, PA I headed for the guard shack just like I've done for the past five and a half years, and I find the door is locked. The guard comes to the glass door and shouts through the glass for me to stand back eight feet and he will bring my bills out and set them on the table just outside the door. Then I have to wait until I hear him lock the door back before I can advance to the table and sign my bills! He then waits for me to leave before gathering them up.


I'm about sick of this "Boogey Man" altering our everyday behavior. Before the guard closed the door behind him, as he returned to his protective lair, he looked back at me saying, "Geesh Dale, whoever thought it would get to this? I feel like I'm playing a part in a science fiction movie." He is right - that's kind of how it feels. I feel like I'm re-living an episode of "The Invasion Of The Body Snatchers."


I seriously question this whole approach to battling a virus. It seems most healthy people can deal with it successfully. If more of us could be exposed, then more of us would develop anti-bodies. That seems to me the fastest way to eliminate the threat. Why can't we concentrate on protecting our senior citizens and other highly vulnerable people while the vast numbers of healthy people develop a natural resistance to this? Avoiding a virus doesn't eliminate it. Developing an active defense mechanism kills it.


What do I know about fighting the "Boogey Man?" Nothing! I'm just a dumb truck driver who still has some modicum of common sense.


Once we have a significant part of our population with effective anti-bodies we could harvest their blood plasma and give it to the vulnerable folks. OMG, that's just too simple isn't it!


I'm not scared of the "Boogey Man," but these nut jobs in D.C. are literally frightening.

I'm Hearing Voices!

I ran through the night last night and around 0400 I parked my rig at the Harrisonburg Travel Center in Harrisonburg, VA. After sleeping for about six hours I got out of the truck to check my load and take a walk. As I was putting my foot down to the bottom step on my tractor I clearly heard a nearby and cheerful female voice say, "Good morning!"

I looked to my right - nobody in sight. My truck's open door is blocking my view in the other direction. I climb on down and close the door expecting to see the source of this voice, and there's nobody. I'm puzzling over this now and not sure I want to move out into the open. Where did this voice come from, and why haven't they revealed themselves to me? I know I heard someone greet me - where are they?

I pause for a moment, tuck my shirt into my pants, and turn around facing the side of the reefer trailer attached to the truck that parked "nose in" next to me. I'm still bewildered as to where this voice is coming from, when I hear it again saying, "Don't let me startle you." At this point I just blurt out with, "You might as well give up on that. I'm always startled when invisible people start a conversation with me." I figured that would bring them out of hiding!

Then the phantom lady says, "I'm down here. I didn't want you to be surprised if you spotted me." So, I look down, and there she is. She's laying on the ground underneath the reefer! She's an owner/operator laying underneath her trailer repairing a leaking air line! I gave her a hand and was relieved to know that I wasn't "hearing voices."

It was funny to me. Just last week one of my son in laws asked me when I was going to retire. I told him, "When I start talking nonsense and soiling my pants, I believe I will go home and be as much trouble as I can to my kids!" Then all of a sudden I'm hearing voices in the truck stop parking lot. I thought, okay my time may be getting near. I'm happy and relieved to know I may have a few more years left in me to keep chasing that white line.

Keep trucking my friends, and just ignore those voices if you're hearing them.

How To Make More Money In Trucking

This is a favorite topic of mine. I have done very well in this career, and I like to help others see their way to success. One thing that stands out to me as I observe new drivers is their unwillingness to commit themselves to making themselves into a driver who is worth more money. They always seem to think the path to more money is switching companies or becoming a lease/operator or owner/operator.

Very seldom (more like never) do I see people trying to figure out how to be more effective in their job, or how to maximize the use of their time. It's always this idea that says I have to be looking elsewhere, and therefore they seldom ever obtain their goal which keeps them very disgruntled in their career. They are always considering their options, but never seem to see the one option that is helpful.

To make more money in trucking you simply focus on producing better results.

You can do that at any company. It takes time, commitment, and resolve. All of that is difficult to face head on because it makes us focus on the real issue. It's not nearly as easy as switching companies, and it requires us to accept the blame for our own shortcomings. Most of us prefer the path of least resistance, and the easiness of laying blame outside of our own responsibilities. Thus trucking has it's own culture of complaining malcontents - it's a non stop whine-fest of people who can't seem to make enough money.

For some strange reason people get their CDL and their head explodes with the idea that they are suddenly valuable. There is no such thing as instant value in trucking. Nobody becomes a valuable asset overnight or even during their first year or two. Experience breeds expertise, and value is built on the foundation of consistent execution of that expertise.

I'm pulling a quote from a conversation in the Trucking Truth forum to illustrate this. Listen as a relatively new driver says...

"The only reason I’d even consider owner operator is because I’m locked into a low mileage rate. I’d love to get .67 a mile. I’m not sure if the hassle is worth it though. I may have to switch companies though if I want a raise. I’m considering my options right now."

I have no idea what "low mileage rate" this driver thinks they are locked into. But, I started my career at 27 CPM, and managed to turn that into almost $50,000 my rookie year. I never once focused on my CPM rate. I never once "considered my options." I committed myself to executing my duties in a way that nobody else was even attempting. I focused on being the most productive driver that company had ever seen. All my thoughts and efforts were to improve my results - that is key to success at trucking. Everybody focuses on changing their circumstances and it's completely ineffective. The only way you become valuable in this business is to be valuable.

You can be a job hopper. You can be an owner/operator. You can be anything that you aren't right now, but it will never result in increasing your value like honestly and consistently evaluating and improving your results. Set goals for yourself and don't stop until you've reached them. Then set higher goals. Be realistic, be honest with yourself, examine each week's results and see if you can see what it is that would help you be more productive. That's the key to profit in trucking. You've got to fine tune your own strategies for productivity. We get paid based on our productivity. That's the key takeaway here.


Be hyper productive. Be successful. Be happy and content. Quit looking outside yourself for more money. You can measure out your own pay in this career. I made a killing starting at 27 CPM, while my companions complained and quit the company or even gave up on trucking altogether. Value is something we build ourselves. It doesn't come from the name on our truck doors, nor does it come from who actually owns the truck. Value in trucking comes from what the driver can actually accomplish with the truck.

Trust

I had a conversation recently with my dispatcher where he kept repeatedly using the word “trust.” It was a clear reference to the relationship we have with each other. The conversation started out with him apologizing to me for not getting in touch with me that morning concerning my back haul load. I told him it was no big deal to me, I already knew where I was supposed to pick up the load, so I just started driving that way, and since I was still about 300 miles away, I figured he would get with me whenever he had the time. I know he gets swamped on most days with problems his drivers are having, and I never concern myself if I can't get him on the phone. I just leave him a message and go on about taking care of my business. I know he will get back to me when he can. We have worked together enough to trust each other to be taking care of his share of the responsibilities we are working on. When a dispatcher has a driver that he can trust completely, it makes his job much less stressful. When a driver has a dispatcher that he trusts fully, it makes his job so much more productive.

Trust is an integral part of the trucking business. Think about it. There are investors who are trusting these publicly traded trucking companies to take care of their business by keeping their operating ratios at a reasonable level, and producing an acceptable level of profit in a very challenging business environment. There are literally millions of consumers who are trusting those same companies to make sure that what they want to purchase at the supermarkets or in the shopping malls across the country are readily available on the shelves.

It's funny, but most people never really think about how their favorite can of baked beans ever makes it to the grocery store shelf. Some farmer planted those beans, harvested them in his fields, and then loaded them onto an eighteen wheeler to sell them (in bulk) in the market place. Someone else purchased them, had them put into another eighteen wheeler and shipped to a food manufacturer such as “Van Camps.” There they cooked them, processed them, and packed them into the cans that were delivered by an eighteen wheeler. Oh yeah, and some flat-bed driver delivered some nice shiny coils of metal to that can manufacturing plant so that they could produce those food grade storage cans. I haven't even mentioned the distribution warehouse where the beans sat for a while after arriving there on an eighteen wheeler! Of course they left that warehouse on a big truck also. All of this takes place so that you can go to the store and purchase your favorite can of beans! There was a lot of trust taking place between many parties of people just to make sure that you and your kids could enjoy that seemingly insignificant little can of beans.

The whole trucking business gets all clogged up when people can't seem to get done what they are simply expected to do. There are drivers who cause problems for their dispatchers. My dispatcher refers to them as “needy” drivers. They can't seem to get anything done without him having to give them advice or encouragement several times per day. Successful drivers create a bond of trust with their support team.

A successful driver has his own motivation and drive. He gives it his all each and every day out here.We are people of action. Truck drivers are decisive, they are focused, they thrive on getting things accomplished. If we have three and a half days to get from Denver, CO over to Portland, Oregon, and then down to Los Angeles, CA in the dead of winter, the last thing on our mind is how much time we are going to have to enjoy ourselves doing something leisurely. We are going to bust our tail just to "git 'er done." We are not going to be wishing we could unionize ourselves and demand less stringent job requirements.

We love getting things accomplished, and if that requires sacrifices such as driving all night for three nights in the snow, we gladly take that bull by the horns and conquer it. We don't give excuses. We don't back down. "I can't," or "this is too hard" is not part of our conversation. We are doers. We leave the dreamers far behind us with each new sunrise. We don't back down, we don't give up, we are our own driving force, full of motivation and willingness. We are never satisfied until we've gotten the present task before us accomplished. At that point we are already eager for the next challenge. If we've worked seventy hours, we're wishing we could just get in another 15 to cap off a really nice week. We push all the limits, we are eager to get more done this week than we did the last. We are goal oriented. We create trust with our support staff by consistently getting things accomplished. That's how we roll!