10-4 Magazine - For Today's Trucker

FEBRUARY 2006 TRUCKER TALK
THE CIVILITY CHALLENGE
By Writers and Owner Operators Rod & Kim Grimm

Listening to The Satellite Sisters on XM channel 155 Take 5, they have a “Civility Challenge” every week for each other and their listeners. I thought this would be a good idea for all of us as drivers. There are little things that you can do that won’t change the world but might make the world a little better place for the people around you. A few of the suggestions here have a minimal cost but most cost nothing. What they will cost you, though, is a little bit of time, understanding and patience. I think that is a worthwhile trade-off.

Sometimes we’re in such a hurry that we forget to just be polite and do something that can make someone else’s day. It doesn’t take much, really. I know when I’m having a bad day and someone says something nice, it helps make my bad day a little better. At the very least, we can all be a little nicer to each other, don’t you think?

One thing that The Satellite Sisters encourage is ALWAYS take your cart back to the cart corral or back into the store. Don’t you hate it when you want to pull into a parking spot and there is a cart sitting there? I was at a Wal-Mart in Nebraska and they had put a cart corral by the truck parking. The few bad apples spoil the privileges for all of us. When they first built the Ontario Mills Mall, you could park trucks there. Now, they will tow you. But guess where the garbage was in the parking lot. We have too many places that say “NO TRUCKS” and we don’t want to lose the few we have left. Some of these places have garbage cans but if they don’t, wait until your next fuel stop to take out the trash; it doesn’t belong in the parking lot!

I’m guilty of hurrying to get to my next drop after being held up at a receiver or rushing to make it to our last pickup so we’re loaded today and not still sitting in California in the morning, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t let someone over and/or still be courteous in a traffic jam we don’t have time to be in. Maybe that driver who wants to get in front of you is doing the same thing you are; trying to make it somewhere, just in time. I know I really appreciate it when a car (always a pleasant surprise) or another truck lets me over when I need to get over. If everyone followed the “let one in” rule, traffic would merge smoothly at ramps and traffic jams would ease. I hope that the (rare) car that lets me over knows that when I flash the bottom row of lights, I’m saying thank you.

For you drivers that have the fog lights on when the night is perfectly clear, it would be very nice if you would shut them off (if you can’t see with just your headlights, I’m guessing this isn’t going to really help you that much). And while talking about headlights, blinding someone in their mirror by flashing your bright lights instead of turning the lights off and right back on, is not courteous! It would be better to tell someone “you can bring it back over” on the CB if you can’t turn your lights off then back on. Nobody likes to be blinded - do you?

In public bathrooms, it’s always nice to go into a clean bathroom. Even if the last lady didn’t do what she should’ve, we always should. Put the used paper towels in the trash can, wipe the seat if it’s wet, etc. Some docks won’t let women drivers use the office bathroom and we have to use the one on the dock for “drivers”. Some of those are so nasty that I’ll just wait instead.

Another thing we can do as drivers that will make a kid’s day is toot the horn. I remember being that kid standing by the street back home, motioning for a driver to blow the air horn. It was always disappointing when they didn’t. I know we can’t terrify mom, driving and not paying attention to the kids waving at the nice trucker next to her, so be careful when doing this. If it’s not safe to toot the horn, at least wave and smile.

A few weeks ago at the T.A. East in Ontario, CA, on our way back out to our truck, we stopped to help a solo driver backing into a tight spot. Going back to make sure he didn’t hit the truck behind him, we saved him the hassle of having to get out to check, back up, get out to check, etc. He was surprised that we would do that and ended the conversation with “Thank you. Have a good night and God Bless you.” Taking the time to help someone back into a tight spot, be it at a dock or in a truck stop, could save someone from having an accident. Who knows, it may be a driver helping another driver that saves you from being the one backed into!

I was so proud to be a driver when one woman driver called in on the radio show and said that she’d bought hundreds of sandwiches over the years, giving them to the people standing on corners with signs that say “Will work for food”. When someone is telling all those down on their luck stories and asking for money, you never know if they are being truthful or not, but if you buy them food, you know where it’s going. I remember one day getting a homeless man whatever he wanted off the lunch wagon. He politely asked if it was okay if he got a sandwich, a drink and a little something for later. Yes, yes, yes. Giving money, you’re never quite sure where it will go, so giving food can be a great alternative.

One woman said that she never had any pennies in her purse because she left them on the ground wherever she was. You know how lucky you feel when you find a penny? Especially heads up! Another one said she never took her change out of the snack machine so that the next person would feel good finding that extra 15 cents change. Leaving some quarters or a dollar near a school or playground, where a small child might find it, would make a kid feel rich. Again, these things won’t by themselves “change the world” but they will make it a little nicer for someone at that moment.
When someone rings up your sale, look them in the eye and say, “Thank you, have a nice day.” Can you imagine working behind a busy fuel desk all day or night? A kind word is probably really appreciated. It’s usually not their fault that the truck stop is understaffed or out of something that you wanted, so don’t take out your frustrations on them. Most of them are just trying to do their job the best they can - give ‘em a break.

There are some shippers and receivers that don’t allow pets. For the places that do allow pets to get out, they have bags that go in a fire hydrant-shaped holder that attaches to the leash, so you can pick up after the “kids”. Be considerate with you pets and put them on a leash! When I see a dog running around, not on a leash, I worry about them getting hit or coming over to my dogs, who don’t like other dogs. If it’s a little dog, I don’t trust Lizzie or Starbuck not to hurt them and if it’s a big dog, I don’t want it to hurt mine. Dogs can be unpredictable (yes, even your precious pup), so be safe and keep them on a leash. It’s better for everyone, including them. There are also some stiff leash-laws out there, and you wouldn’t want to get a ticket.

I hold the door for other drivers and appreciate it when they hold a door for me. Especially when a driver has their hands full, taking in a weeks worth of laundry or shower bags. And this one’s not just for the guys, you ladies out there can do it too.

When was the last time you told your dispatcher thank you? When was the last time you told your boss how you appreciate the job your dispatchers are doing for you? People are always quick to complain about someone, but slow to say “good job” or “thank you” anymore. We not only tell our dispatchers thank you, but they tell us the same in return. If you need a load for a special reason, they will work harder to get you what you need if they know you appreciate them. When they need us to go above and beyond sometimes, we will and they know it! This job (like most) is a two way street; you can’t always get and never give.

Next month kicks off the truck show season in Louisville, KY! We can’t wait to show off the big truck and see all our friends. But despite all the competition, the truck shows are a great place for us to get together as a (trucking) family and help each other. If you have a ladder and aren’t using it, let someone borrow it. Do you have some cleaning tips for the new guy next to you? Share them. Does a driver need help staging his tires? Help him. The best part of a truck show is the people, not the trucks, so make it a fun place to be.

Take the extra second or two to do something nice. You might not think it’s a big deal, but you might just be making someone else’s day a little better. And in the end, you will make your day better too, because being nice feels good. Really, try it. We think you’ll like it!