I came into the industry at the end of the great times . I started in 1989 and never looked back . the industry sucks now . nobody cares about anybody but themselves. IT WILL NEVER EVER BE LIKE IT WAS EVER AGAIN
Matt Taylor 10-4 driver 10-4 it will never be what it was hell 80%won't know what 10-4 mean hahahahahha! I am just trying to make it down the last big hill I want another 18 yrs I got 28 now but idk we'll c . these heart beats that run the north east suck and it's harder and harder every nite to come in . my company hires dispatchers and safety from within so I may try that best of luck to u driver hammer down on that lawn mower hell put a set of stacks and big mud flaps on it
who wants the clocks to turn back 20-30yrs when trucking was still trucking when we all took pride in this industry. was proud to be called a over the road truck driver. now... shit I'm sadly ashamed at this industry. the government said we was UN skilled labor that's when it went downhill. these trucking schools put anything with a heartbeat through and pencil whipped them into a truck and turned them loose. I'm done.. it's dangerous on a daily basis just to drive in my lane down the highway without worrying about some super four wheeler steering wheel holder playing Billy big rigger side swiping me. they win they officially turned this industry into a fucking joke.
I started my trucking company in 1989 got out of it in 2011 you are so right it does suck and no one gives a fuck about it or anything anymore the whole world is fucking crazy starting with our shit ass government !
my dad was a flat bead long hauler truck and trailer in the 60s truck drivers were known as the knight of the roads because they would help anybody . they were tough they were kind they were generous . now my dad says most truck drivers are wanna be cowboys . a real cowboy rides for the brand a wanna be cowboy rides for himself
Yes he was spot on. I have been chasing the highway now 37 years. It was never a ME industry until the last few years Yesterday in Moody Alabama at the loves. I hate sitting in truck stops because that's were the real garbage can be seen. This POS rolled his window down and just chunked his damn dinner trash out the window.AS HE DROVE past a trash can. I earned my right to call the trash exactly what they are. TRASH. The what was the 1 percenters are now the 90%.. Just like anything in life.If we as good representers of an industy don't kick the trash out.It will take over as it is doing.
I understand that completely. I just hope there are enough drivers out there that want to see a positive future and bring up the younger drivers, to remind them in a sense where we came from.
Steve, Great video snip. I can't wait to see the finished product. What the gentlemen said is so true. My father drove for 38 years and always talked about how things have changed...and not for the better. It's a shame when you can't even count on your brother to watch your back. BOL and thanks again.
I agree there needs to be a lot more parking especially in the northeast. And thanks for the comment about my channel. But i don't forget where i came from brother, you where there at nearly the start of my channel, You have been a awesome and loyal friend. Speaking of how you been my brother?
Can't believe that some people do not know what DOT means..Delivery On Time! Duh! Thanks to all the truckers out there.Without you, we would not have any of our rations, we take for granted everyday. Thanks to all the smart/safe truckers ..Roll ON!! !8 Wheeler, Roll on! Great vids Trucker Steve.
Alot of comments on here blame the government, when the ICC was created in about 1937,another group was formed mainly by the railroads because "they were scared of losing freight to trucks, they claimed to be safety minded BUT THEIR MAIN purpose is to piss off the trucking industry anyway they can. Their budget 2years ago was over 2million dollars and they wanted more money to "promote" safety, Go check into it people, its the truth
Well I ran the whole 25 years with hubby, but he did it just for the money..It effected him so much differently than me,,,he's not a trucker by blood like I was.I got tired of it some times, but couldn't get it out of my blood & now know I never will..thats why I spend so much time in Utube...Love to watch the big rigs..& I can tell every one on here that this ole trucker is right, if they will stay long enough to listen to what he says in this video, its the truth..
I have only been driving OTR for a couple of years, and I have to say that these more experienced drivers speak a lot of truth. I personally feel that it is a combination of many things that changed the profession as a whole. Something that amazes me is the lack of common sense and courtesy that many drivers have out on the road and at customers. Is it so hard to slow up for a few seconds to let a slightly faster truck pass you so you don't hold up traffic? I never see others do this.
@stormspotter67 I have used a lot of different cameras over the years I believe this one was shot with a canon hv20 around the time they first came out. I use a variety of different gear (expensive hobby,slowly becoming a profession) I edit using AE and Sony Vegas but I can use just about any program expect for Maya still to expensive for me!
When the Poles came into Ireland, 98 onwards, wages dropped. It was around 800 euro a week, a man could support a wife, children and a handy mortgage. The Poles did it for 400euro and slept in the dab of the truck....the Irish man lost his footing....then the recession...nowadays a lot working full time and STILL qualify for social welfare payment, because wages are so low...very sad
great vid many good points i've been on the road for a few years and crossed canada 5-6 times every trouble i had there was a trucker to help me with my piece of shit 1972 van. When i broke down they helped me get my car going, when i crashed in the mountains they blocked the road for me untill my vehicule could be taken off the road. It ain't what it use to be in every field it seems but there are still some kick ass people out there willing to help in any situation ;)
Curious as to how you came to this conclusion? It has and always will be looked at as a business. Neither of their points had anything to do with the social aspect of trucking.
Great Video Steve I can't wait for the documentary to come out. IMO though I'd say that the respect is lost at least here in Canada because of all the paper drivers on the roads. I've hauled for a few years and now work for a tow company in the heavy division and almost EVERY heavy wreck we attend to it's a paper driver that's caused it. That's where the respect is lost paper drivers not knowing how to drive cause they bought their 1 or CDL. Gives us all a bad name.
@Tophairybutt I can not deny that your point for the most part is correct. However there are many who are awake here don't believe your media sources and group a entire nation of over 300 million people into one category. He was however talking about the economy and fuel long before the bush/blair situation!
We all see and hear about the situation in the trucking industry,I myself have been in this profession for over29 years and have seen a dramatic change both in the way we treat each other and the way the public see's and portrays us.But I must say that there is one organization that is gaining clout with our elected officials and that is OOIDA which is short for Owner\Operator&Independent-Driver Association,if you are already a member great if not you need to be! we still can make a difference!!
there is no fuel shortage, we are getting screwed by oil tycoons who want to suck this country dry, make us all go hungry and drive our working wages down as low as they can go. great video man.
hey bobkats, to answer your question, no most drivers do NOT stop to help one another, even their own company trucks. trucking aint what it used to be cant even get drivers to talk on the radio,they never want to talk on it til someone else does then the whinning starts.
As far as people not helping eachother, we can thank our overly litigious society and all the ambulance chasing lawyers out there for making everything a liability. You can't even help someone now without risking being sued, heck you can't even invite someone into your home without risk of them suing you if they trip stepping through the door. Great "justice" system.Of course I'm sure there are a lot of jerks, just saying I'm sure there are those who want to help too but don't want to be sued.
@thejedi543 Its not easy. My brother is a OTR driver for Prime, yes you will drive a LOT but the shippers and recievers are typically a pain in the ass, as are DOT regulations and shit. But if you really feel you have a passion for it then give it a shot, I plan to get into it in the next couple years myself.
they man was wise , these new drivers have no respect for those that came before them. I came into the industry in 1980 it's all I know,my father was a driver made a great living my order brother and I both became driver's I guess it's in are blood . But it has steadily gone down hill longer hour's less pay less respect the police used to understand we where professionals out there to make a living, not anymore . I blame a lot of It on deregulation but since the advent of driving school's driver's come into the industry with no respect for the guys that have been there and could teach them how to be professional and not just what the book says
yeah the older gent told it all straight. I did see recently Trump had a bunch of truckers and trucking company CEOs over for a visit, and from what I could tell everyone did seem clear on at least some of what needed fixing and how to go about doing that. Cant say I'm really a Trump fan, but I never saw obama sit down with a driver who had 20 years otr and try to hash out what they could get fixed.
The second man is my pawpaw! I just found this video and I am so fortunate because he passed away and I don't have much left of him! Thank u for this video! I love you pawpaw fred!
My grandpa sitting right next to me just watched this, said the same thing. Drivers don't care for one another anymore and companies they work for don't want drivers to interfere when they see problems occur. I told him how a trucker got stuck in a ditch in a rest stop Flying J. and all people did was take out their camera and video taped the guy being stuck. I showed him a few on youtube. He could not talk for a few minutes as he was getting choked up about it. Then he said, This would of never happened when he was trucking. He said there would of been 40 truckers all around helping him to get out. He also says that trucking is the backbone of this country, and as each day goes by we lose more and more respect for the people who make this country run. He also says he believe truckers need to get a Union or they will suffer more in the years to come. I told him that truckers these days now gets 0.33cents per mile. He got choked up holding back tears with a shocking look on his 91 year old face, and said its a shame. And then he kept repeating , they need a Union, they need a Union before its all too late. I learn a lot from my grandpa, I'm fourth generation trucker and hope to be at least 50% as good as he was.
Same here. i learned from an old timer, so i learned on those values. The other day just in my personal car, I saw a bull hauler broke down. 8 bull haulers stopped to help, this was in middle of no where idaho. Thanks to Christopher fiffie of big rig videos, hes bringing light of real truckers and hopefully bringing things back..
RecordTrance well said Sir...my deceased dad was a continental truck driver in the 60s and 70s from Ireland. Cross on the ferry (no boarding lip between land and ferry boat, just back it straight on.....) no cb, no radio, no bunk, no mobile) 4 kids and a wife in Ireland. Crossing the border in northern Ireland, bombs going off, carrying meat to the American army base in Germany. When he walked in the bar, the respect he had from local truck drivers, I remember looking up and thinking "thats MY dad) great men, long hours and very little sleep, window open and chilblains on his ears to keep wake, its in the blood isnt it? Drive safe Sir...
Another thing. Riding with a friend of mine that is a trucker, the old school truck stops have some of the best food around, I try to remember them when driving a four wheeler through near these places. A shame to see them slowly going away or getting torn down for TA's and Pilots and their fast food junk.
It's sad. I loved to truck,I loved it the very first time I drove one. The company trainer could not believe that I had never driven before so It was in my blood from the start. I drove for twenty years before I gave it up. It was just to much to deal with anymore. Drivers are paid the same amount I started out at, everything has gone up, used to be that showers were free but now they charge you $5 for one. We get zero respect from anyone, shipper's receivers and companies treat us like trash and drivers wouldn't pee on you if you were on fire. Years ago when I lived in NC I hauled furniture for W&L Motor Lines and later 4 Truckers. In those days I could hook up with a few drivers and have a blast all the way out to CA but now. No one talks anymore and if they do it's nothing you want to listen to. Drivers are constantly angry at the world these days and I think it is because of everything they have to deal with. Back in the old days everyone was happy but now, it's like everyone is miserable because of the job they have to do. It's a shame. There is not a day that goes by that I don't miss trucking, I love it but I just cant deal with all the BS. I mean, I miss is so much that I cant watch certain moves (Smokey and the Bandit) or listen to certain songs (Big wheels in the moonlight by Dan Seals does it every time) because they make me cry. I know that sound silly and childish but I just love it that much. My first trainer 20 years ago told me that if you love it you will love it for life and it's all you will ever want to do. Yeah, he was right.
you can still get free showers plus you earn points to buy shit I've bought TVs xm radio so you must of been a sleep for some time I keep my cb off so not to hear all of the B.S only on in bad weather
The King's Servant Very well said man this just reminds me all of the problems were having in America today like liberals whining and destroying stuff because Trump won and Clinton lost.
I like driving and seeing the country everyday but things that piss me off are the non driving 4wheelers and most shippers and cons take too long to get you back to driving..
Been a banker for 27 years. Started researching trucking industry seven years ago and got my CDL one year ago. All these guys just said is 100% correct. I turn my CB off becasue so many truckers seem to have turned on each other. I hoped I would find trucker fellowship and friendship but so far, all I have found is just the opposite.
I drove otr from 1969 to 1990 until a neurological disorder sidelined me. My nephew and his wife drive now, and from what they tell me things have gone to hell in a hand-basket for the industry. Probably the only reason I still miss my days & nights out on the road is the fact that it was fun back then. The freedom and independace we felt then has been taken away from drivers today by technology. I gave many drivers a ride when they were brokedown by the side of the road, and had some stop to help me one cold night in the fall on NYS state rte 17 as sat on top of a hill watting for my brother a mechanic to bring me a new turbo. One guy even gave me coffee. It certainly was a whole different world back then, and I loved every minute.
+John M. If you think Reagan was a communist, you ARE delusional. I can't even think of a more patriotic American. But liberalism is a mental illness so I'll just consider that into your comment.
+Pat Russell ......... It was a figure of speech! But Reagan was, is responsible for deregulation of trucking, and screwing it up. who helped him ?? republican voters! Patriot your ass he avoided the draft for ww2.
+John M. I know where you're coming from with Reagan and deregulation. In 1978 I had just bought my own truck and leased on with Bass Transportation out of Flemington, NJ. My usual run took me from NJ up to Nashua, New Hampshire, then over to Rochester, NY and back to Jersey. I usually made three and a half trips a week. When deregulation hit I started losing about $20.00 a trip. And each week it dropped down another $15.00 to $20.00 a trip At the end of the first month I was making about $65.00 a trip less than I was when I signed on. That was all I could take, and thanks to Reagan I was forced to sell my truck and go back to driving for somebody else. Reagan ruined a lot of truckers livelihoods with his BS deregulation.
My father was over the road in the 1950's 1960's & 1970's & 80's he ALWAYS wore a clean uniform. I remember him and other drivers pulled over at the side of the road SHAVING at the side of a creek!! They ALWAYS looked CLEAN and respectable you could go to ANY truck stop and ALL of the drivers were in uniform. ( they were ALL ww2 vets) What do you see on the road today.................................
You could always tell what a trucker hauled by how he dressed. Some of us like me still dress properly and have all sorts of respect for the industry but so many people don't anymore. Oil/gas haulers wore button down shirts, oil stained jeans, black or dark brown cowboy boots, and had a cap that had the name of a gas company on it. Freight haulers wore button down shirts or clean white t-shirts, brown or blue jeans, polished cowboy boots, and a cap with the name of the company they pulled for on it. Bullhaulers wore, button down shirts, starched blue jeans, a well broke in pair of cowboys boots, well used cowboy hat, and they always had a faint smell of manure on them but they were always the most helpful, and most polite ones in the whole industry, flatbed haulers wore, button down, or clean white t-shirts, blue or black jeans, lace-up boots, and a cap with the name of their company on it. You rarely see this dress code being used anymore but I have been a bullhauler since the 80's and I still follow this code.
Now most drivers now don't want to touch freight, wear sandals, talk on their cell phones, think vaping & driving with jakes on makes you a super trucker.
I'm not a trucker yet but what we need to do is unionize TUCKING INDUSTRY FOR ALL AND NOT GET DIVIDED BASED ON ARE DIFFERENCES , unfortunately the white majority cant understand that where all the same , You even vote against your best interest to keep others from succeeding in this country and around the world, Its never to late to change but the 1% really knows how to divide us as a whole while they take all the chips Im going into trucking to get away from the angry devils in the office it sounds to me from reading the comments that the anger is everywhere , I think because salaries as a whole have been stagnant for 30yrs and the 1% Including The Donald Could care less because they got theirs and where just surfs ..So lets be honest ... The US is not what is was and will not change until we do
This is still by far one of my most favoite videos on youtube. It hits home..its honest...and its very powerful. See what you've done...got me watching everyones old videos again..lol
The reason why drivers won't stop to help a break down is because the equipment is so complicated today they know they can't really help and they are responsible for the load on they trucks getting to the location so they can get paid.
I just started trucking a year ago. Local driver for new England. I know I got it easy with GPS , cell phone, air conditioning, heater and power steering so I carry a lot of respect for the guys that got it done in some of the harshest conditions. It seems like nowadays every minute of the day we're racing to make it on time to get our work done and there is no time to even have a conversation more than three minutes. So now if you're broke down on the shoulder, instead of someone pulling over to check on you, you get a blast of wind from trucks whizzing by without even moving over a lane.
Im 29 and drive truck. I wish i was born in the 50's. Its like being raised on the farm where all your neighbours are all part of the family, helping each other out, the mentality, caring. Than you move to the city and people are so different.
Jim Finigan exactly. I have been driving company for only 2 months, but I decided to buy an old 2007 automatic frieghtliner Colombia cashed. I would rather make around a dollar a mile instead of 35 cents a mile. You have to pay your dues, and after a year, u can easily get a $20/hr local gig, plus OT. OR u can get hired at some local places out of school. Me. I chosen the owner operator route , because i want more money starting out, and i can go take a vacation whenever I want. Besides after a year, I'm going to landstar so i can be paid by the load. And its all because of a cheap old equipment I have lol
Its all because of the steering older. Rookies drivers trained by some drivers having 2 years of experience and the "old school" ways is mostly gone because of those. We could have it back. But we wont have it back by reading this random comment. Truckers will have to work for it
Ive been trucking for twelve years. I was lucky because I came in when the industry was still dominated by old school veterans and my first rig was solely mechanical; I really liked it. But many of these over bearing regulations and jack boot, fascist enforcement goons (mostly kids, especially at the border crossing) came overnight, or so it seemed. I like this job now only marginally more than I like being homeless; and considering that I'm never home anyway....
Lanae - Your pawpaw Fred, was a really nice man. We reached out to many drivers who turned us down to film them. The second we asked him he got real excited about being able to talk trucking and share his knowledge. Many of the other drivers on the CB told him "know one wants to talk to you old timer" He just blew them off and offered to talk with us. We talked at great length about trucking, and life. Until the 90 minute tape ran out actually. (wished I still had the full tape) In that 90 minutes we shared, he taught me so much, he had a huge impact on my life. I will always be grateful for your paw paw Fred. He was a great man.
0TruckMafk ☢TM™"... The BigMean CommentSection BadAss Unfortunately, we have allowed this industry to go to shit. I started driving about 30 years ago. Back then we were professionals. Now, it seems that most of your drivers out there are McDonald's rejects. And these guys in the video are right on the money. It IS our own fault. We didn't raise hell when this decline started and we failed to stand together, choosing instead to stab each other in the back.
Trucker Steve talking about “Old Timer” These young punks out here now ain’t got a clue what it’s like to be a trucker. That man has probably been more miles around a steering wheel hunting a blinker switch than this kids ever thought about driving forward.
low pay is making everyone run around like mad dogs... no one has time for no one and a lot of people are in this business because they heard there was good money in it but once they committed they find out its not what it is told... then you get stuck doing a job you don't like... heck you argue with the dot because you don't have time for dot 😅
zanav77 Many young people going through CDL school and talk about making 70-80,000 a year and I just shake my head. So many false lies put out by companies to suck the newbies in. It is really sad and do not see much changing until rock bottom hits. So much greed and survival by big companies and small.
You guys must really have some shitty jobs yeah you can make 80k with a 2 or 3 years of experience and a good driving record I've been making at least 85k a year for the past few years as an o/opp. And I seen a comp any drivers paycheck and he was averaging. 71 cpm. With all his bonus pay and crap. So that's 85k a year right there I'm sure he was earning top pay cuz been there a few years but even a new guy would start at probably 75k it's called BarrNunn look it up.
bill2526 bill2526 what he stated is very true HATE TO INFORM YOU most truckers nowadays can't even test out on a manual shift type of truck IF IT ain't auto IT ain't SHIT Used to have RESPECT for truck drivers but NOW FUCK OFF steering wheel holders
AliennGenetiics same with the military, back in the day I drove jeeps/ deuce& a half ton trucks & 5 ton cargo trucks all stick shift, But now military vehicles are automatic transmission!
I know this will be very difficult, next to impossible, but truckers need to go to the worst offending high regulation states and tell them to back off or we don't truck in your state. Send them a letter on which regulations is causing harm, and then give them a deadline to meet with truckers and then have a final deadline that we will stop trucking through their state.
What we really need is another trucker's strike. The thing is there are so many people who don't want to be out here and that kind is unfortunatly taking over our industry. We need to reunite and make trucking great again. A truckers strike will get it through the dang government officials and teach them that these rules and regulations aren't helping anyone.
I know there is very few drivers that do this but I've only been driving for 2 years and I get out and help old and new drivers back up or clear something, I give showers out to guys that are out of them and I at least ask trucks on the shoulder if they are okay on the cb. I'm only one guy but we can change this, be courteous to each other.
When I was a kid, my dad was a State Trooper in Colorado. Believe it or not, many of his closest friends were the truckers he dealt with frequently at the port and on the road. In those days truckers bought their permits from troopers directly. I remember going to some of their houses for dinner occasionally and they lived in the same neighborhoods with doctors and lawyers. Yeah... Much has changed...
its sad but true those guys that were. speaking on this video are worth our respect are worth us listening. to. the older guy reminds me of my pops. and dad when they drove its basically like this. those who have it in em respect those legends like these gear jammers. and learn from them i know i do. thank you to all the legends of the highway more than just a job its a life
I got a CB in my pickup, on the highway I typically ask lone truckers on the side if they are ok or need help. Usually not much I can do to help, but its the right thing to do.....help your fellow man if possible.
shit I agree it's not what it used to be. A friend of mine said "these days, "everybody is an uptight jerk now." Even women aren't as much fun as they used to be in the workplace.....all bitches now it seems.....
i drove cause i liked it, and got to see parts of the USA for free, where it might have cost me a lot otherwise, or i'd never see it at all. then i messed up and can only see it through ya'll's eyes. btw, anyone who gets angry at another driver, is a person to avoid, and its a waste of energy to get angry. in a big rig, getting angry, means you're not paying attention, and you could injure or kill someone, so avoid the anger issues, wait till you get home and punch a wall or punching bag.
i remember as a kid climbing up on the ole cabover. Kw. and an ole jimmy white grabbing that big white steering wheel pretending to be a truck like my dad and i got to be just that my hero weren't normal childhood. hero s mine where those hands that climbed in a truck for months at a time help each other as if they were family a brother hood.
In my opinion the reason for the decline of trucking is, you use to learn beside a driver with 10 or more years experience now you have people training that have a year or less OTR. And they were trained same way few older drivers train. Those that do are forced to rrod a student through in a month or two
I am a retired Carnie and I have the greatest of respect for Truckers. Many times we experienced minor difficulties while hauling our heavy shows and equipment down the road. It was ALWAYS Truckers who came to our aid and if they were pressed for time and couldn't stop for long, they ALWAYS radioed for help. I will never forget you!
An unrelated industry, but I work with the railroad and from reading these comments, it's the same thing. The Feds, same thing, you breathe wrong and you are treated second rate and pretty much just fired when middle management in the railroad is involved. Absolutely no respect at all for those that keep goods moving across the nation, whether it be road or rail. Training, same thing, sit with someone with a few years more experience, train for a bit of time and throw you out there on your own. As for unions, we have union protection, but they seem to be bought out, do little when you need them and take our dues and run and have big gatherings among-st the union leadership in Las Vegas once a year.
He's 100 percent right ,trucking was great in the 70s and even part of the 80s I liked being respected ,now I don't mention to people I meet that I drive truck I avoid the subject
The old man sure nailed it when he mentioned the lack of voting truckers & absolutely no representation on Capitol Hill. I know a guy who had been trucking for over thirty years, and he recently got out of it because he was disgusted of the BS politics and the increasing loss of revenue. The one thing that he mentioned what upset him the most was, that he witnessed over the years, the slow extinction of the comradery. He said the hell with it and sold both his trucks.
Wasn't there an old Stallone movie about a bunch of truckers blockading D.C.? You guys ought to do that. How many big rigs would it take to make the Beltway look like a mall parking lot on Black Friday?
These two guys in this short video represent millions of men and women in America. Most drivers can at some level relate with how they feel. The older fella was incredible, sharp, and full of knowledge about how he sees this country and where it is going. I really enjoy talking with my elders, My ol' man once told me you got two ears and one mouth that means you should listen twice as much as you talk... ***So i sit here listening.***
Chris Brown and Shaka when the walls fell... no one expects morons like you to understand what trucking is, but if you don't like trucking or truckers, stay the fk off the videos, and for fks sake, if you ARE driving trucks...???...go get a damned burger joint job somewhere, the industry don't need idiots like you around. You see, truckers, real truckers are akin to soldiers, we believe in America, and we do (or in my case, did) this job to help America keep moving day to day, just as soldiers do the job they do, to keep America safe and free. Soldiers sure as hell don't do their jobs for the pay, because, like truckers, the soldiers don't get the pay they deserve. Top 5 underpaid and underappreciated jobs in this country are (and not in any particular order) military, truckers, teachers, cops (yeah, I said that), and waiters/waitresses...make it 6 with firemen/women. Also, fyi, the military and truckers both do their jobs with long periods away from their families.
UncleFestersWorld right, invoke patriotism. That's what the company you are working for peanuts, is looking for. Good luck with the retirement package your company offers you. But don't look forward to a retirement you think you are going to have. Look forward driving till you die of a heart attack behind the wheel on an off ramp.
