Some driver says, "I've been out here 35 years and…" You'll be impressed, I mean really, 35 YEARS? Even 20 years is a heck of a long time. When you're only on month 2, anyone with one year can seem pretty impressive!

You can learn a great deal from Old Timers. They've seen the industry grow and change and they've managed to grow and change with it. Some love to talk about how it used to be - and if you're smart - you'll listen. Notice I didn't say you'll necessarily believe everything you're told! But it will do you well to listen. Learn about where the industry came from and the battles that have been fought. You'll be able to pick up little "tricks of the trade" from these Old Timers that will amaze you.

Beware, some Old Timers really dislike the new blood entering the industry. Way back when, a driver typically learned to drive with dad or brother. Dad or brother passed on a great deal of practical information as well as common courtesies and respect for his fellow driver. In this day and age, though, the truck driving schools are doing the training. Insurance companies have more or less demanded that it is this way.

There are some big benefits - people are usually taught the safe way to do things - not just the fastest. They're taught the proper way of doing a logbook, not "creative logbook 101". On the other hand, the spirit of trucking is not passed along in the same dimension that it used to be. That's just not the job of the school. A school can't really pass along a respect or feeling in the same way. As a result, you're seeing the old traditions slowly dying as they cease to be passed along. Old timers strongly resent this, understandably, but sometimes criticize the "newbies" for these things - when in all truth, it's nothing the "newbie" has any power over. The only hope for the passing along of the traditions is in the Driver/Trainer. If your Driver/Trainer is an Old Timer, don't resent him for all his stories of yesterday!!

Learn everything you can from him!!!!! (or her!!!)