XPO | "the Steering Wheel Knows No Gender."

Reading back through some posts and it’s always funny me. You never can tell what’s gonna get someone else’s attention. Really thought I’d be having a different conversation. But we were all young and dumb once. And many of us may relate to a time when we had a similar relationship.
 
Could be the teacher.

Every generation thinks the following one is a poor substitute for their greatness, and yet life goes on.

We ain't talking about solving all the worlds problems. We are talking about running a peddle route. Guys in their 60s are getting it done while guys in their 20s say they can't and bring it back. It isn't that high of a bar.
 
We ain't talking about solving all the worlds problems. We are talking about running a peddle route. Guys in their 60s are getting it done while guys in their 20s say they can't and bring it back. It isn't that high of a bar.

I am 42. Started peddling at 21. Old timers said the same crap about me. People my age are saying the same thing about younger guys. It's no different.

20 years ago: These young guys couldn't even DRIVE a truck without power steering and TWO stick shifts!

10 years ago: These new guys are SPOILED! They have AC!

Now: These guys have trouble with a 10 speed!

Well, ya know what? Good. Shifting sucks. Give me ab automatic every time. I hope I drive it long enough to completely forget how to drive a stick and work a clutch.

I just kind of kicked it around in my head and I'd estimate we have about as many slackers in the 50+ year range as we do in the 20-35 range at my terminal.

Edit to add, 20 years ago putting a tire track in the grass near a curb wasn't really that big of a deal. Neither was backing into a driveway. Or even putting a small scratch in a trailers paint. We were speeding around town like idiots, squeezing into places we shouldn't have, didn't wear seatbelts, worked through lunch, etc. Basically we did stupid things.

Bow we have GPS, cameras, LOIs that flow freely, and get fired at the drop of a hat if we make a decision the higher ups don't like.

Hell, I do less than I used to. I have to. And that's good.
 
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If you hear some of these guy shift you would think that pedal wasn't even there. While your at it grind me a pound too.

Only ever really used that thing at stop lights. But then. It was a different time. I'll keep this automatic though. I enjoy being able to have two hands on the wheel.
 
I am 42. Started peddling at 21. Old timers said the same crap about me. People my age are saying the same thing about younger guys. It's no different.

20 years ago: These young guys couldn't even DRIVE a truck without power steering and TWO stick shifts!

10 years ago: These new guys are SPOILED! They have AC!

Now: These guys have trouble with a 10 speed!

Well, ya know what? Good. Shifting sucks. Give me ab automatic every time. I hope I drive it long enough to completely forget how to drive a stick and work a clutch.

I just kind of kicked it around in my head and I'd estimate we have about as many slackers in the 50+ year range as we do in the 20-35 range at my terminal.

Edit to add, 20 years ago putting a tire track in the grass near a curb wasn't really that big of a deal. Neither was backing into a driveway. Or even putting a small scratch in a trailers paint. We were speeding around town like idiots, squeezing into places we shouldn't have, didn't wear seatbelts, worked through lunch, etc. Basically we did stupid things.

Bow we have GPS, cameras, LOIs that flow freely, and get fired at the drop of a hat if we make a decision the higher ups don't like.

Hell, I do less than I used to. I have to. And that's good.

When I started here. You worked the dock and never saw a truck. Yes, when you finally did. It was a pile of crap. But they also had a stack of applications if you didn't like it. Years of that mentality. And now no one wants to be a truck driver. And I don't blame them. But companies have adjusted to make things a little more enticing. With some creature comforts. A 30 minute lunch. So on. But at the same time. You have all those things you mention. GPS tracking. Cameras in the cab. The (⊙▃⊙), asshat, king of the local kangaroo court telling you that you got four points for looking at your mirror during a hard stop. This is still a job full of bullshit. Endless amounts of bullshit.

And I don't ever make any decisions. I will sit there for hours until they figure out what they want me to do. I only make observations. And they pay me to do it.
 
I don't make decisions either. Dispatcher sometimes pulls the old "Do what you think is best" crap. Nope, he's the boss. He gets the two best options and he picks, not me. If it has gotten to the point where one customer or the other doesn't get done, I sure as hell am not picking. That is for the bosses.

I do it all via text on the handheld, as well (I refuse to answer texts or calls to my personal phone). I've even gone so far as to take a picture of my handheld text screen if I think the decision he made will be questioned by the SCM or another supervisor.
 
I don't make decisions either. Dispatcher sometimes pulls the old "Do what you think is best" crap. Nope, he's the boss. He gets the two best options and he picks, not me. If it has gotten to the point where one customer or the other doesn't get done, I sure as hell am not picking. That is for the bosses.

I do it all via text on the handheld, as well (I refuse to answer texts or calls to my personal phone). I've even gone so far as to take a picture of my handheld text screen if I think the decision he made will be questioned by the SCM or another supervisor.


CYA - cover your ass. Because they are bad mouthing you all day at the terminal. And then smiling to your face when you get back. I have had multiple occasions where it has bailed me out. Unknowingly got thrown under the bus. Get talked to about it. And there you go. Wasn't me. Just doing as instructed.
 
And I don't ever make any decisions. I will sit there for hours until they figure out what they want me to do. I only make observations. And they pay me to do it.
He gets the two best options and he picks, not me. If it has gotten to the point where one customer or the other doesn't get done, I sure as hell am not picking. That is for the bosses.

100%. :smiliewhs:
 
I don't make decisions either. Dispatcher sometimes pulls the old "Do what you think is best" crap. Nope, he's the boss. He gets the two best options and he picks, not me. If it has gotten to the point where one customer or the other doesn't get done, I sure as hell am not picking. That is for the bosses.

I do it all via text on the handheld, as well (I refuse to answer texts or calls to my personal phone). I've even gone so far as to take a picture of my handheld text screen if I think the decision he made will be questioned by the SCM or another supervisor.
When I was in the city I use to work around freight using a pallet jack. That did last long after day after day of bad loads I opened up the door and saw what was the next stop and went there. Put a 11:00 appt in the nose well I damm hope I get there by then even though there are 6 stops in front of it and I'm leaving the yard at 10:00.

I link my headphone to the HH via Bluetooth and call them from the HH. The number shows up as a Oregon number
 
When I was in the city I use to work around freight using a pallet jack. That did last long after day after day of bad loads I opened up the door and saw what was the next stop and went there. Put a 11:00 appt in the nose well I damm hope I get there by then even though there are 6 stops in front of it and I'm leaving the yard at 10:00.

I link my headphone to the HH via Bluetooth and call them from the HH. The number shows up as a Oregon number
When the customers see the Oregon number most don’t answer the phone. I never call from my personal phone ( its shut off in my briefcase) I don’t need someone calling after hours looking for their freight.
We get a bunch of overtime making home deliveries at the end of the day. $$$
 
When the customers see the Oregon number most don’t answer the phone. I never call from my personal phone ( its shut off in my briefcase) I don’t need someone calling after hours looking for their freight.
We get a bunch of overtime making home deliveries at the end of the day. $$$
In other words, after dark?

To hell with all that. Get them done early and bring the rest of em back. :438:
 
When I was in the city I use to work around freight using a pallet jack. That did last long after day after day of bad loads I opened up the door and saw what was the next stop and went there. Put a 11:00 appt in the nose well I damm hope I get there by then even though there are 6 stops in front of it and I'm leaving the yard at 10:00.

I link my headphone to the HH via Bluetooth and call them from the HH. The number shows up as a Oregon number


Yeah. If it's a skid or two. I will move it. If it's 4 or more. Or one big honking pile of poo. That's my next stop.
 
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