Without truckers no one else can do anything. We move everything from point A to point B. Without us you have no food, no Iphones, no wood to build houses, no steal to turn into finished products, no finished products to buy at the store and so on.
Meanwhile we have to put up with drivers who have no idea how to drive all day, crappy managers who have never even been in truck let alone driven one, people who don’t understand at 55mph I need 7 seconds in GOOD conditions to come to a stop, impossible deadlines (how on earth am I supposed to deliver something in 2 hours that’s 300 miles away?), being away from friends and family for weeks or MONTHS at a time (this one only applies to over-the-road drivers), 12-14 hour work days almost everyday, a bunch of extra regulations to memorize (and each of the states is different) and to top this all off (you can look this up) trucking is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world.
Meanwhile I see all these billboards while I drive that say “thank a farmer” or “thank a nurse” or whatever. While I’m not taking away anything these people do it is important but I’ve never once seen a billboard that says thank a trucker you were able to get food from Walmart today. No instead all I see are billboards that say “in a car accident involving a truck? We’ll make them pay!” Over and over fear mongering people into thinking we’re just out to get them. And don’t even get me STARTED on all these internet comments on dash cam footage videos where the car was very CLEARLY in the fault and everyone tries to blame the trucker instead.
(Sorry for any bad grammer or spelling I’m dyslexic as it gets)
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Truth. My grandpa and one of my uncles were truckers. Yall deserve a lot more respect.
😆 that’s actually wild
THE BACKBONE OF THIS COUNTRY IS THE INDEPENDENT TRUCKER
Trucking is hard, but I think the most unsung heroes are garbagemen, for obvious reasons.
Like with most all jobs, the thanks is the paycheck isn’t it?
18 wheels pay the bills.
It’s the worst job I ever had. OTR. Did it over 20 years ago for 6 months. Maybe the pay is better these days but never again. I had local driving truck driving jobs that were much better.
Stay out of the left lane
Meh they get the perks of the road
Are they always 12-14 hours a day?
I feel like more conservative leaning individuals are always gagging on truckers. They also have a whole day for truckers. Not exactly thankless. Other than their crappy driving, no one actively downplays the role of a trucker. And they get paid well for it if you find the right company.
I will give credit where credit is due. My only hang up is, I have seen some grungy ass truckers. If you want more respect than what’s given, maybe try not looking like the swamp creature when you hand me the handheld or paper you need me to sign off on? I understand long hauls are brutal but public appearance definitely adds to any stigma towards truckers
It would probably help if so many truckers weren’t such horribly incompetent drivers.
I disagree it is 100% sanitation workers. People look down on them but without them thing fall apart so quickly as well as sickness just spreading like wildfire
You get paid? Why do you need thanks? You weren’t forced into doing some pubic service thing. You chose to be a truck driver.
Some of the coolest, nicest people I ever met were truckers. They were also some of the most entitled and rude assholes I’ve ever met as well (I worked at a Pilot and was also born into a family full of them).
That being said, you’re not wrong either – it’s one of the toughest jobs there is (especially mentally) and some of you guys put up with an unnecessary amount of company intrusion that only makes an already stressful job worse.
Eh, I’d rather go back to trains and box trucks. It’s more safe and efficient
I agree that they push truckers to have dangerously unrealistic expectations, we need to increase their time limits to get places.
If we had a better railroad system and we were able to significantly cut down truck usage, the highways would be so much less awful— plus trucks can carry 60 times more goods per cargo hold, and they’re SO much better on the environment, and safer. Win-win-win.
Truck drivers can’t drive for shit. Can’t believe someone pays them to drive so poorly. Random blinker goes on, immediately pulls out into the left lane, is going 63. Thanks buddy, you fucked us all.
Thanks, truckers.
There. Now it’s not thankless.
Stop blowing through left turns 5 seconds after the arrow is red
My dear old dad is a truck driver wish the world treated him better. Trucking is a hard life.
Also lots of serial killers.
“Data indicates there could be hundreds of truck-driving serial killers at large
Federal Bureau of Investigation data indicate that there are likely hundreds of homicidal truck drivers who have never been captured. Although the percentage overall of long-haul truckers who become killers is small, many of those who did have driven across Nevada.”
https://www.8newsnow.com/investigators/data-indicates-there-could-be-hundreds-of-truck-driving-serial-killers-at-large/amp/
Without mechanics, pit operators, and clerks, you wouldn’t have shit to haul. You’re just part of the supply chain. Yall really need to give up the victim mentality.
Jobs often suck, many of us are pretty important at the place we work doing the thing we do. It’s all pretty thankless.
I dont mean to shit on your post my dude but in adult land that’s just how it be.
I do appreciate people who do good things for each other. If you do your thankless shit job and you arent a callous piece of shit, well I appreciate you.
Network IT guys. No one knows they exist until the network goes down and then they are all on a hit list
And you’ll all be obsolete in 10 to 20 years when self driving cars become the norm
There are so many thankless jobs. And many of them are necessary for your job to exist. People who work in mining, fracking, oil refinery, manufacturing, repair shops, construction. Would you thank someone if they told you they worked in a steel mill? If yes, you’re weird. If no, stop complaining about not being appreciated.
I mean anyone who has ever relied on logistics really understands how important truckers are
I appreciate you.
I appreciate you getting goods and products to the shelves for us.
I appreciate you trying your best to be safe on the roads. God knows with that much weight the consequences are life and death.
Ever been in a city during janitors and dump trucks strike? Because I can tell you that they are the most necessary people that we always forget. Beyond the “it stinks”, they also prevent us from rats and resurgence of long forgotten infections thanks to taking our trash away
I would argue that if there are no truck drivers anymore, it would suck for a bit, but then we would reorganize and start eating more local, go back to stores and markets instead of buying tons of crap online (very important for socialization), and countries will go back re-developping their train and fluvial infrastructure. In terms of ecology, relying on truck rather than train is a disaster. No trucks or just for local delivery (as it is in some countries and has been for like a century prior to current situation) would be extremely good progress and a lot of long terms benefit. Also could address climate change because more trains for fret also means more for passengers. And people eating local.
Other than that, yes we know trucks are important. People will never do the “thank a truck driver” for a good reason: the behavior of too many of them. We all have been tailgated or passed super fast by a truck or stuck between 2, or as a woman sexually harassed by drivers, seen a lot of unacceptable behaviors. Especially when you have several tons in hand that can kill others. Not all, I know. Work in changing mentalities and behavior inside the field and people may change their mind. We know you work hard and your job is dangerous.
I don’t know, I saw on King of the Hill that you guys get special treatment at diners. I’m kidding, id never really thought about truck drivers, which proves that you are right.
There are idiots out there, believe it or not, who compare trucking to prostitution, because one uses their body to make a living. That is the most asinine and ignorant comparison I have ever heard. Trucking is hard and not many people can do it and it’s a respectable trade.
Truckers are incredibly important. Just tell all the other truckers to be nice to the mechanics who keep their trucks on the road.
The parents of a friend of mine got divorced because his dad was out of town all the time driving truck.
🙄 truck drivers are like nurses, they always let you know they are under appreciated
You’re just one factor of a complex logistical system, no more or less inherently important than the receivers, the loaders, the pallet builders, the order pullers, or whomever.
That said, here’s my single contribution to giving you the kudos you crave so desperately:
If a trucker is trying to get over, let him. Slow down, create space, and when it’s safe give a few flashes on your headlights to let him know he’s good to merge. Most of them seem to greatly appreciate this and give me a little triple-tap of their brake lights or a wave.
That’s what you get alongside your paycheck. Deal.
We could all use more gratitude. Thank you for your work 🙂
P.S. In my experience semi-truck drivers are actually the best drivers on the road. Very predictable and courteous. I see people in normal cars trying to cause accidents every time I’m on the interstate, but rarely a semi-truck
I don’t get thanked for doing my job either but I don’t care because I already have self esteem. I get paid. That’s why I’m there.
Police yourselves. A lot of you guys suck. Drinking and driving, finger banging GPS and phones, swerving in front of people because not driving by someone on the shoulder is more important than oxygen, “passing” each other because you’re going 1/8 of a mph faster than the other guy.
It’s driving, be disciplined. Your whole job is how some people just get to work, you should all be the best operators on the planet. Spoiler alert: you aren’t.
On the other hand they make pretty good money and a train would make more sense for most long hauls.
Try working IT where you get yelled at immediately because of something a company you have zero affiliation with did.
I’d kill to just drive for a living.
I always say truck drivers are the backbone of the economy. You are much appreciated.
I also thought it was a well paid job, but according to another comment on this thread , perhaps not.
Truckers would be loved if they stopped trying to pass someone going 65 by going 66.
Because it’s easy, well paid, and they’re all still shithouse.
It’s thankless because they don’t deserve thanks
Yeah, thankless job. But buddy, a lot of us appreciate and respect what you all do.
I used to think if you like being on the road then good for you having a job driving. The first time I saw big trucks trying to get through Seattle traffic on I5 nobody wanting to let them over a lane and the stop and go I realized how stressful it would be to haul trailers through a lot of places.
Agreed! I wish I remember where I saw it but there was a great documentary showing how truly fucked up the profession has become, with impossible expectations and dangerous pushes to keep driving. Thank you for what you do and I’m so sorry for how shit you’re treated during it.
I would actually apply this to everyone who works as part of the global supply chain. Longshoremen, freight rail engineers and conductors, truck drivers, crane operators, deliver drivers.
All are too often dismissed or overlooked, despite the vital role they play in maintaining our way of life.
Oh god, is it 2020 again where my trucker friends were posting memes that sounded like this rant?
That’s not unpopular at all. I’ve seen all sorts of media posts telling us to thank truck drivers, and I do. Truck drivers and farmers are the backbone of America, not Apple or Microsoft.
” people who don’t understand at 55mph need 7 seconds in GOOD conditions to come to a stop,”
Most truck drivers don’t seem to understand this one the way they go tailgating people and trying to bully them out of the road.
At least u get paid well
There’s still trains. The fuck? Lol
Maybe it’s just because I live in the south, but I see a “AMERICA RUNS ON TRUCKERS” or something like that on a bumper sticker or tank top pretty often.
Idgaf. You are paid plenty well for your service. You aren’t a hero. You clog up the highways, take forever to pass, cut us off because you feel it’s your turn to pass regardless of my rate of passing. All to pass the next truck at a rate of speed of 1mph faster. You’re the next job to be replaced by autonomous vehicles. wtf should I thank you for? Dropping out of HS and making $100k a year?
hey, the truckers chose this job. they shouldnt expect anything other than money.
Instead, we have to feign respect for people who don’t have any other option but to serve in the military. Under the auspices of free education and Healthcare. Noone else deserves it.
Everyone thinks truckers are uneducated morons.
As someone with a CDL, I can absolutely confirm that many of us are 😅
Whiny baby
I agree. And truck driving is way more dangerous than LEO.
We know! You guys keep posting this same rant !
Every job is a thankless job unless you are a manager. Then everyone sucks your cock.
You think driving truck sucks. Work in a warehouse where we unload your deliveries. More thankless, physically more rigorous, and far less pay.
All jobs deserve respect.
Why are yall constantly going 75 on the highway and 60 on the interstate
we all make society work. talk to customer service people, construction workers, janitors, delivery people, grunts in the military… the majority of people in society get shit on for a living, and very few of us get thanked for it. it’s not just you. have you thanked your gas station attendant lately? chances are they put up with some absolute garbage today.
My friend who has a perfect driving record paid double in insurance premiums this year from 13000 to 26000. He called geico and they said it was because all of Massachusetts as a whole made more claims. He didn’t save 15% or more on his truck’s insurance.
It’s amazing how many people forget that the tin can they’re driving is alot smaller than the tin can you’re driving.
As someone who drives an average of 7000 miles a month. I wish you would all get your jobs replaced by trains.
Maybe someone with more knowledge could tell me. Have long haul truck driving companies opposed high speed rail development?
It’s really the ones that do nasty stuff at truck stops that give you guys a bad rep. A lot of people have the general idea that truck drivers are degenerates.
Don’t know if it’s unpopular or just ignorant to how important it is (and going to include port and last mile too!) s/o John Oliver
If truckers weren’t statistically such insane right-wing loons I’d respect them up there with firefighters.
That’s what lot lizards are for
If it sucks you suck. Be better.
over 2 million people have bought American Truck Simulator.
Please don’t steal the steel that they’re having you deliver.
We were just talking about this today. How if the truckers go on strike the country will literally come to a halt. I honestly don’t know how y’all do it.
my dad and i used to be in the delivery industry, he drove(26 foot box van) and i was his ride along, we did this for 7 years and in my experience the worst drivers are actually TRUCKERS(generally semi truck drivers)
Isn’t there a law against 12 – 14 hour workdays as a truck driver. That doesn’t sound safe to me.
come from a trucking family & not enough people understand just how hard the job is. you are appreciated 🫶
The Teamsters ran a pretty good “thank a trucker” campaign.