The trucker’s lifestyle is one that hardly gets any recognition in today’s society. Back in the ’70s, the trucking industry was looked upon as one of America’s most essential blue-collar jobs and held to an extremely high standard. Truckers were known as the “Heroes of the World” because of the number of necessities they provide daily. They have a vital role in society because they supply communities, drive the economy, and increase production and efficiency while meeting supply and demand. Despite all the complexities of this work, truckers are aware of the importance of their mission; they understand that the world sees them as heroes and try to fit this image.
It is interesting for children to watch cars moving along the highway during a trip. So it’s no surprise that when they manage to meet truckers, they try to get them to honk their loud horns. However, this child’s play is a long-standing tradition; there is no exact information about when it started, but its name is “trucker salute.” Many truckers would like this tradition not to disappear, as it gives them joy in such a childish and naive way to interact with others on the road. The feeling that those around them appreciate their work gives a pleasant impression during long and restless trips.
It is believed that this tradition is gradually becoming a thing of the past. While it is fun and challenging for kids, a trucker’s salute means a lot to those behind the wheel (Williams, 2019). For drivers, a salute is a reason to look forward to their arrival on the road. This practice does not happen as often as before; however, seeing how children swing and wave their hands, it is difficult to refrain from honking. This activity reminds truckers of their own children and makes their day better. Most drivers always honk when they see a “hand pump,” but sometimes this is impossible due to driving conditions, but still it encourages children and adults to keep the tradition.
The trucker spends a lot of his life behind the wheel in extreme road conditions, only occasionally stopping at truck stations. Such stops are places where observations can be made concerning a day in the life of a trucker. One can witness so many remarkable things and learn so much about their group. Truck stops provide showers, food, groceries, money services, printing/fax/copies, laundry mats, fuel, scales, mechanical and tire services in most locations, and a spot for the trucker to park for several hours. Truckers all have ELD’s, which stand for Electronic Logging Device. This device keeps track of the miles and hours that a driver puts in, and at a certain point, the driver cannot drive anymore. The purpose of this is to ensure they are taking breaks and not riding while fatigued (Weiland and Bray, 2016). Because of the need to take breaks and how crucial running out of time is, truckers can spend hours at a truck stop, getting rest and waiting for the timer to allow more hours to drive.
While drivers are stopped at the truck stop, they do laundry, eat at the restaurants, and sometimes shop in the convenience store multiple times a day. Their truck is their home, and a truck stop is a place where they can feel more comfortable and provide them with everything they need before they get back on the road. The good physical shape, the ability to endure long periods without sleep, excellent knowledge of the road rules – these are the qualities drivers should have (“Top 10 qualities of a great truck driver,” 2019). Constant exposure to a danger on the way and difficult working conditions require tremendous endurance from truck drivers; this kind of work is meant for real heroes.
Many truckers love to tell jokes, many of them after every transaction. When they enter and exit the parking lot, they always chat with the cashiers and talk when they can. A part of these conversations is telling jokes; they are driving for hours, and they love the fact that someone will listen to them and laugh at their jokes. They also like to talk about their family and kids; many of them are observed on their phones for video calls and voice calls. Many times one can hear truckers saying “good night,” “sweet dreams,” “daddy loves you and misses you,” during phone conversations with loved ones while staying at truck stops. Representatives of this profession are forced to sacrifice their relationships with loved ones to carry out transportation – what is it if not heroism? The long separation from family and loved ones is a massive disadvantage of this job. This time spent far away from home harms relations within the family; therefore, there are many divorced people or single people among the truckers.
Truckers are also helpful and caring people; they often buy random strangers and homeless people showers and food. Support is so widespread among such workers, perhaps because they understand how difficult it is to be outside society for a long time and how uncomfortable the living conditions of people can be. The older generations of truckers take time to teach and talk to the younger truckers and give them coaching and advice for driving while they talk over a meal. In the truckers’ environment, a close-knit community of representatives of the profession has formed, ready to help both their colleagues and those around them.
As stated earlier, truckers are the backbone of America. Without truckers, the world would be without food in a matter of days. It would be difficult for customers in supermarkets to find groceries, except when the store grows vegetables and fruits itself. Many needed supplies to build homes and businesses would be delayed and take much longer to produce a house. In today’s economy, where everything is sourced, it would shut down most of the world in days if society did not have truckers to bring supplies. Truckers are still “Heroes” or “Asphalt Cowboys,” as they used to be called.
References
Top 10 qualities of a great truck driver. (2019). Dot Transportation.
Weiland, B., & Bray, T. (2016). Truckers must use electronic timekeeping. Post-Crescent.
Williams, C. (2019). Why the ‘Trucker Salute’ is a tradition worth saving.WHAS11.