By Kenneth E. Skaggs
Whenever I speak to a group of drivers, I always begin with this question- by a show of hands, how many of you haven’t had an accident in twenty or thirty years? I always get the same response; I few young guys laugh, as though it’s impossible. Then, a few older guys raise their hands. Then, one of them will say, “I haven’t had one in forty years”. Next, I ask- what’s your secret? After doing this at over three-dozen orientations and a few truck-driving schools, the answer is always the same- just take it easy out there.
I love to do that for a few reasons:
First of all, it gives acknowledgement and confirmation to the good drivers. These are the guys that slow down for construction zones, give room to the lane-dodgers, keep extra space when they have a tailgater, take the time to scale their loads (and return to the shipper when it’s not right), tactfully handle impatient dispatchers and customers, and, put up with verbal abuse on the CB from the younger, impatient drivers who don’t get it yet. They take the time to do what’s right. So, I start off by giving credit where it is due.
Secondly, it teaches the young or impatient drivers a good lesson. For those that have only been driving for a few years, and, probably had an accident or two already, they can’t even fathom the notion that someone could drive for several decades without a single fender-bender. But of course, many truckers do just that. Another thing they notice about these old-timers is, they always smile and seem to enjoy their job. I also love to point out the fact that, although these older drivers always take their time, they also have an impeccable on-time record. Which proves another point I like to make- you can only save a few minutes by hurrying all day, and, you lose more time on foot than you do while driving.
And thirdly, it sets the pace for what my speech is really about- patience. The younger drivers are usually the ones who seem to get aggravated by traffic. They think they “lose” their patience after they’ve been driving for a (short) while. But, as the old-timers always verify when I point it out, patience is a skill. You have to practice patience if you ever want to get good at it. A truck driver without patience is like a mechanic without a screwdriver. It’s a basic skill for the job you do. So, just like backing into a dock, or shifting gears, you have to practice patience, to get good at it.
You can read the entire outline of my speech at www.bigcitydriver.com. It’s called the Ten Keys to Safe City Driving. Stop by and take a look when you get a chance. You can watch a video, listen to some MP3’s of that speech and some radio interviews I’ve done, contact me, or just browse my archive of articles.
