What You Can Do To Raise The Trucking Public Image

Raise The Trucking Public Image

What comes to mind when you think of the stereotypical trucker that roams your local Interstate day in and day out? If you are like most people, you have probably gathered a certain truck driver image in your head based on Hollywood movies that often promote the typical trucker as an uneducated, redneck who rarely showers. Sure enough, the work is never portrayed as very glamorous but how wrong this image can be when you get to know some real truckers from everyday life!

Worse yet, during the later half of the 20th century the reputation of the trucking industry and trucking public image started to wane as media stories of truckers started to convey them as typical, male chauvinists or even serial killers. It was certainly not helpful to the industry to learn about Robert Ben Rhoades, who held a full-fledged torture chamber in his truck in order to rape runaway teens that no one would have missed anyway.

In reality, most truckers do not fit any kind of stereotypical picture. Most truckers are truly easy going, nice, good hearted people, and are often more educated than many might believe. Yes, there are even doctors, lawyers and police officers who become top-notch truck drivers.

Suggestions for Improving The Typical Trucking Public Image

Sometimes, truckers are their own worst enemy. Little attention paid to personal grooming is among the worst culprits. While no one anticipates a trucker to look like a banker getting prepared for business meeting, there are small things some truckers can do to improve the overall truck driving image problem. Perhaps throwing on a fresh T-shirt and jeans from time to time while paying greater attention to personal hygiene and appearance.

Another thing that truckers can do is to turn off their CB radio! Part of the negative truck driving image stems from what is uttered out of the mouths of some drivers such as excessive swearing, gay bashing and general ignorance. By simply locating that on/off switch, it is possible to clean up those airwaves from picking up such annoyances that people would prefer not to hear.

While the state of a truck stop really falls into the responsibility of the management that occupies it, nevertheless the truckers themselves can do simple steps to avoid the stop from smelling entirely like an outdoor toilet. On the other hand, truck stops should also work harder to remove waste on a normal schedule. It is not fun to walk across a parking lot full of rotting food and other waste material that hasn’t been picked up.

Improving Driving Habits

The overall trucking public image could be greatly improved if truckers also implanted more courteous driving habits. Sometimes truckers are in a rush to get a job done and can put other drivers in very dangerous situations.

Other times, programs should be set in place, as it is the other drivers on the road that put truckers in dangerous situations. For example, truck drivers would prefer that cars pass them or back off with clear intentions of what they want to do rather than driving alongside for too long.