Fred was training a new driver, like many new drivers coming into the industry this new driver was eager to get started and making money. Jack, the new driver had a bit of an attitude, after all he was not a blank canvas, his Grandfather had driven a truck, his Uncle had tractors on his farm that he had driven many times on family vacations, so he didn’t think he needed all this training hubbub. In fact the only reason he was there was because a career counsellor had signed him up due to a lack of money on his part. Jack figured he could have gotten a job on his own, but the career counsellor convinced him he needed training to get a good job. Jack felt he was pushed into the training and his attitude was showing just that.

Fred was in the last week of training with Jack. He was fine with the skills of Jack but his attitude had been hard to overcome. Jack seemed to be fighting every turn of the training and after five weeks both parties were starting to feel very drained. Fred felt Jack would be a good driver if he would just listen and treat others with some respect. Like many other people that come from a family of older drivers Jack had learned the stories of the old days, some of the way drivers would fight with Dispatchers, how they had to chase load brokers for loads and so on. Those days have changed, but Fred noticed that many new drivers feel they know the industry because of those stories. Fred often wondered why many new people fall into this trap and has found it is from trying to fit in and show they have experience. What Fred has actually found out is that it shows the the inexperience even more because those days have changed and the industry is trying hard to change to the new standards for the industry. He often wished that if the new driver would just keep an open mind and listen to the things that are being taught to them they would be much better off.

One of the areas that Fred was having trouble getting through to Jack was in the time management department. Jack just did not move fast and he had the attitude of he wasn’t  doing this or that, or he’ll get there when he gets there. That is all the old days coming out,but it was really holding back his training. Fred was now conducting the final assessment on Jack. Jack had the skills, but Fred was nervous about cutting him loose with the attitude still not in check. As he marked off his check list the evaluation came to and end, the two sat in the truck talking about what went right and what went wrong during the evaluation. Most of the items checked off well with the exception of the attitude which Fred had not checked off as of yet. Fred sat in the truck and tried once more to explain to Jack that his attitude will make or break his career in the future. It was the key to making money, it was the key to being hired by good companies, and it was the key to a long satisfying career. If he couldn’t get that under check it would make for a troubled future.  Jack sat for a minute talking about what he had been told, he thought, and promised he would do his best to work on that for the future. However only time will tell.

Driving skills are only one part of the equation when beginning a career in the transportation industry. More often than not are the soft skills that give you a good solid career and those should be worked on indefinitely.

About the Author

Bruce Outridge is a transportation consultant with 30 a Years of experience and author of the books Driven to Drive, and Running by the Mile. To learn more or to purchase books please visit his website at www.outridgeenterprises.ca