Why Do Truck Drivers Have a Poor Reputation?

Truck Drivers are generally seen negatively by the public.. and sometimes for good reason.. we need to work together as an industry to shed that negative mindset!
**********************************************************
LOVE SMART TRUCKING AND WANT MORE CONTENT?
HERE'S HOW!
→ SUBSCRIBE TO SMART TRUCKING KZbin!
Get loads of truck driver videos, live stream and trucking industry updates!
/ @smarttrucking
→ BECOME A MEMBER!
♥ Access special perks and cool stuff on our Channel.
♥ Get content that you won’t get anywhere else!
JUST CLICK THE JOIN BUTTON UNDER ANY OF OUR VIDEOS!
OR
CLICK HERE!
/ @smarttrucking
→ LET’S CONNECT!
♥www.Smart-Truc... (WEBSITE)
♥ / smarttrucking
♥ / smarttrucking
♥ www.instagram/s...
→ Sponsorship + Business Inquiries? You bet. Go here and tell us more! [e-mail]
→ OUR MUSIC IS ALL SOURCED FROM KZbin
Music: From KZbin Library
Song: Atlanta
#trucking #cdl #trucker

[@meganostra6633]

"Low skill level and a pulse". Perfectly said, and said much nicer than I would've. Absolutely disgusting what our once respected and valued reputation has become.

[@gregoryeiermann7370]

Quit calling them mega Carrier's. Their bottom feeders plain and simple.

[@labrea654]

Why can't they be both. They are. Mega bottom feeding carriers.😢

[@barryminor6245]

Mega describing the sizes of their fleets, not the shady business practices.

[@fredeldrid]

34 years in the industry and I could not agree more. Skilled drivers are a thing of the past. Modern drivers are just steering wheel holders..

[@six-pack1332]

You've once again hit the nail on the head.

[@repsforjesus6720]

Low pay = low standards

[@RiVer-Parish]

But yet they considered heros during the pandemic.

[@tobiaselefante8547]

After 25 years in the industry, I got out for that exact reason!

[@1BEAVIS13]

When younger people ask me about going into trucking, I always advise against it. OTR is dominated by sweatshops on wheels. Carrier paid training and lease-purchase are just creating indentured servants.

[@conradboykoii1170]

That's why they started increasing the automatic transmission trucks.

[@user-be8yo1bh4u]

Its called the race to the bottom Ask Shawn Fain

[@yammiipawchaw833]

Just when I’m about to get my CDL 🤣 oh lord what a slaughter feast I’m walking into…

[@carlclouseriii8519]

They are recruiting right out of local jails in my area

[@noApologies72]

Probably thee best explanation I've heard 👏 👌

[@rogersawyer9265]

agree 100 percent.

[@LastFrog1]

The problem is there are so many bottom feeder companies as there are drivers. Guy willing work for trash pay as a driver cuz his last job was 15 an hour

[@Mark-vd8oi]

THE BAD DRIVERS R WRECKING THE TRUCKERS TRUCKS..

[@Paul-th9vr]

You know what branch of truck drivers used to have a bad reputation was dump truck drivers. I remember being in a cafe with the guys enjoying a coffee in the morning break and the talk got a little too loud and explicit. I did not hear it personally but the owner of the construction company was told by a staff member from the cafe we had to watch our language or we were not welcome to dine there anymore. I used to swear a lot but not in a cafe or public facility, just not good manners.

[@crockettslate]

Semi retired after 42yrs,you alweighs give the best advice,for the younger drivers. To touch base with your topic,auto transmission,plus the media,made us the bad guys.

[@renedominguez7621]

I got lucky Shaffer started me at .65 cent per mile as soon as they got enough drivers they lowered the pay to .60 cents. currently there start pay is .62 cents per mile BRUTAL

[@jamestunedflat8942]

Bare minimum wage, bare minimum effort. I'm still on the road, and concern myself only with my own safety and that of the general public. Aside from that, I could really care less about any of the hoops the company wants me to jump through for an extra cent per mile.

[@williamevans6522]

Fact.

[@kevinalexander2787]

Its not just skill they're lacking. Aptitude, integrity, discipline, and common sense are missing also. Skill can be taught if you have the aptitude. The other attributes may be taught, but you aren't gonna get that done in 6 weeks.

[@frankleonard6570]

100% true

[@cnf6045]

Quite frankly, when I’m driving and I see a mega carrier truck, ‘oh, better steer clear of this guy.’ Then if I see what’s clearly an owner-operator truck, my first thought is ‘well, he’s probably a better driver than anyone else on this road.’

[@chuckliquor3663]

The automatic transmission made it alot easier for lower skilled drivers to get into the industry. And the regulations have gotten out of control, so a lot of smarter drivers have gotten out of the industry to avoid damaging their records.

[@derrickwashington3181]

I truly agree 👍🏾 with what you're saying, the steering wheel holders have messed up the Trucking industry it sad , hell to say I drove 17 years across the country it's juz not fun anymore being out there on the road and it's not safe with steering wheel holders flipping and running trucks down in the woods after being on the road 2 hours 😂😂😂

[@Austin.D.]

I wasn’t part of the greatest trucking times but I started in 2014 and even then times and drivers were night and day different then! Sad to c what is going on….

[@tylergraham3544]

Well if they took away the automatic’s the unskilled drivers will fade

[@stevengobeli8351]

Well said, couldn't be any more truth, wouldn't want to be associated with a lot of them drivers anymore!!

[@JohnMiller-bg8ut]

Mega carriers is the easiest way to get started , they need to screen them much better

[@Bubbles12345-cat]

You must check out the crashes they cause that were caught on their dashcams, Dave. Truckers SA or something like that on KZbin...

[@Kelvin-nm8ti]

Everybody needs time to build them, when you guys started trucking you have no knowledge of a truck and trucking industry like any of us, stop behaving like a a know-at-all guy. I have full respect for older generation truck drivers, and you should do that to us.

[@rodneypattonsr3179]

Well said, Dave.

[@mihairotar9092]

its true John. from Ohio

[@Latenight82]

What is an “unskilled driver”?

[@LastFrog1]

Truth

[@FURST420]

Automatic transmissions didn’t help the industry in that regard, in my opinion

[@WorldTravelA320]

We pretty much did it to ourselves with the piss bottles and crap bags as well.

[@KingDavid_70]

That's the foreigners who do that. I've seen them do it.

[@younglove3362]

I don't blame the mega carriers at all. That's a well thought out strategy. I blame the yes men that continue to work there and put up with the bs allowing this to happen. They're the real problem.

[@paullongwater1348]

Come on you know these new drivers haven't got a clue what they are doing. They can't drive a real truck with an 18 speed manual transmission. Hell they couldn't even move it. All they do is hold the steering wheel and hope. Then you got DOT and their dumb regulations

[@kenmcdonnell8741]

The MEGA carriers never have wanted to pay. Always out to make a buck off good people. The more independents they can put out the lower their company pay gets. Theirs no pride in a company or their employees. Not even in a Union.

[@fastinradfordable]

Imagine if we only kept the ones who drive Manuel trans

[@clarkmorgan1151]

Owner in the day were classy Gents

[@joedirt9600]

Immigration ruined trucking, plain and simple.

[@32degreesretarded62]

Yep.

[@KingDavid_70]

The illegal immigration

[@smokingjoe9864]

We worked hard on that low life image.

[@user-cl9wk7io3z]

Hy sir can ask how can i get truck driving job if I'm from south Africa

[@rosserb7637]

💯Dave

[@artiewilson1075]

💯 percent

[@jamespalmer4945]

Lotta homeless people get into OTR simply to have a place to live since you are living in your truck anyways a rolling gel cell I call it I’m local

[@ericlind454]

When you start seeing a lot of import steering wheel holders from third world countries you know it's all over. Don't believe me watch some videos of how they drive in India, Russia, etc.

[@carzkartz9080]

I've always said a manual box was a great divider. You had to have an intuitive interest in the machine you were driving to be worth a dam in a truck, today......... Well enough said

[@DaddyForeverYess]

#Roger

[@CSTA2024]

Drivers need to STOP being treated unfairly, the industry needs to get a grip on training, and stop bringing on the "Low Skill Level, and a Pulse" drivers. It is up to you and me, to get our voices heard and to do something more positive in Our Industry...

[@highlordinquisitor4882]

Automatic's. Anyone?

[@AleksandrIlchenko-vw3py]

Good companies still playing. Mega carriers can pay about 1500 per week - that's appaling! But good companies pay 3K per week or more - rgn/oversize and carhauler

[@gordledingham2674]

Too many new Canadians on the road that's why. Go ahead say it it's the guys with funny touques we all know it.