Well you have not made a living at it yet and being with Swift chances are pretty good you won't. You are not a professional , you are merely a licensed truck driver. talk to me in 30 years
Some people tend to believe that being a "professional" equates to
only to possessing "Experience" ... While it is true that the definition of a "professional" is a person "Engaged in a profession or engaging in as a profession or means of livelihood"... with that being stated....it does not specify any length of time that a person must be engaged in a Profession to be considered a "professional" ....
Another definition of professional means possessing a "Characteristic of or befitting a profession or one engaged in a profession".... This seems to expand the meaning beyond just working in a "profession".... it indicates that a person must also be of a person of character.......
There are many many examples that we all see on the Nations highways.... So called "professional" drivers preforming their jobs, and behaving in very unprofessional means...and most of them are the "experienced" drivers.........and that goes beyond the driving aspect....Has anyone ever stopped at a Truckstop and seen how many of these "Professionals" dress...?? or how they haven't bathed in who knows how long???... or the language used...and I just don't mean just excessive profanity....I refer to the use of language as if they haven't had any education past the 2nd grade.... ... I know that not all Drivers are like that...but all to many are... enough to sully the reputation of those that are not....
So to say that someone is not a professional just because of a lack of experience is not necessarily true in the broader scope of what it means to be a professional....
Being a Professional involves the right attitude, more so than how many years of experience a person may have....A Newly minted CDL driver that has a positive attitude about the job...and about how he, or she, chooses to represent themselves to the public and preform the duties of a driver in a safe and responsible manner....Dressing appropriately....to be clean.. speak in a manner that gives others the impression that you have an education....
behave respectfully....and yes that can be difficult at times...but it is the mark of a Professional to have the ability to do so......These traits are not something that is gained only with experience....
.The New Driver can choose to emulate these attitudes and behaviors from the very beginning....
In the case of Mr Kalak, we only know him through his postings of his experience at the Swift Training Center....and as I mentioned in a prior post....from that he seems to display the right attitude that will make him a "Professional" from Day one on his own.....
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You are not a professional , you are merely a licensed truck driver. talk to me in 30 years
According to the strict definition of the word he is, or will be when he starts driving on his own...and as far as your attitude towards the new Drivers....I would wonder about your "professionalism"..
The New Drivers need our respect and our willingness to mentor them.....not tear them down treat them as if they have no value......Did you forget that you were a new driver at one point in time...?
Why do say that he should talk you in 30 years? Why 30 years? Do you think that is how long it takes, in your view, to become a "professional"?... Is that how long it took you?......
There are many Examples of drivers with decades of experience that have never become worthy of being called Professional.... and by the same token there are many many examples of drivers with very little...perhaps a year or two... that rightly can be called a professional....