What makes a truck driver tick?

Camaraderie amongst fellow driver - a close knit family despite competition between drivers.

What makes a truck driver tick? What is it about truck driving that attracts people to a job which entails spending long hours behind the wheel of a truck travelling thousands of miles per month criss-crossing the country - and always far from home? This was the question Patrick O'Leary, editor of FleetWatch magazine, put to our truck driver correspondent, Walter van Piggelen. Here is his answer. It is touching, it is warm and it places a new perspective on truck drivers. Three cheers to the unsung heroes of our country.

To my mind, the first reason for choosing this profession is that you really have to love trucks with a passion. It's a heart-thing, an all absorbing fascination with all things to do with trucks - from the mechanisms to the actual driving of the vehicle. Trucks are indeed beautiful.

The choice of being a long-distance trucker is one that comes over time. To be a successful long-distance trucker who is away from home for weeks on end means adapting to a totally different lifestyle to that of other "normal" jobs. Your social and family life has to be adapted to this line of work. You can never, for example, make a promise to friends or family to attend a planned function or simple braai as the chances of being there are slim.

In contrast to this, there is the camaraderie among your fellow drivers which, in itself, is a social event and allows for spur-of-the-moment interactions. On occasions like these, you realise what a close-knit "family" you are, despite the competition between companies.

More like brothers
It's so nice to see that across the board and beyond any colour-line, long-distance truckers in general are more than colleagues or friends. They are like brothers - and in some cases where older drivers are concerned, like father and son. I can only describe this as respect, admiration and love that becomes deep-rooted. Most drivers will always help a mate in need.

The will to stand above the negative aspects that confront us on a daily basis reigns supreme. And there are negative sides to the job. Many customers (despatch and receiving) still treat us with a certain amount of contempt, truck stops are not up to scratch, public understanding and behaviour ranges from irrational and outrageous to arrogant and plain stupid! The long hours and sleepless nights, the recklessness misbehaviour of motorists - we can only dream of being treated with respect.

Also, the feeling that our government is largely ignorant or unconcerned with our plight in so far as protection from unscrupulous bosses and other abuses is concerned, does not go down well. But, the pride you take in your vehicle and the deep-rooted sense of service and achievement more than make up for all these negatives.
It is the freedom of going places and not being bound by four walls that is the allure of the long road and whatever lies beyond. It is this that keeps the wheels rolling. In a way, you lose track of time while travelling with your thoughts as you tune into the sound of the engine and the hum of the tyres. It's a poetic thing, man. You actually become one with your truck.

Our sincerest wishes and prayers are that we be seen as human beings with families like any other and that we harbour the same values in life as those of most people.

The occasional "thank you" and word of praise does help and motivate whether it comes from the boss, customer or public. In this regard, I refer to a letter published in the October 2000 issue of FleetWatch from Moira Grueneberg in Nottingham Road, KwaZulu Natal. Moira, I thank you for your broad outlook on life (and other people's lives). It's great to have back-up and good things mentioned about us!

I would like to pass one comment though with regard to the R103 - and other alternative routes. It must not be overlooked that some bosses force their drivers to take alternative routes and thus it is not always driver ignorance and/or choice to use these roads.

Time to get heavy
Taking all this into account, it is time to get heavy. I refer to a FleetWatch supplement in the September 1996 issue, headed Understand the mental stress. If ever there was someone who leads the life and outlook of a Belgian Plough Horse, it is Dr. F!

To quote the man on some of his ranting would only waste time and space but some of his "highly professional" claims must be put in their rightful place - the garbage bin! He states that we truck drivers are (all) druggies, alcoholics, sex maniacs, suicidal, insecure, psychotics, gamblers and a range of other inflammatory descriptive phrases/abuses.

If this were true, the country would need a lot of asylums and much more straight jackets to contain us crazed lunatics. Whenever we become what he says, we just escape with drugs and booze and then we chuck our "weight" around by gambling in order to impress the people around us. Blind, blind accusations!

No wonder we get treated the way we do if this is what the public is led to believe we are! I know it's been a long time since Dr. F's "findings" were published but my invitation/challenge is now also extended to him to travel with me on my truck - as he suggests the bosses should do. For editorial reasons I will become "Dr. Heinz' and I will then analyse him - which should prove most interesting. He'll have to bring his own drugs though. We don't do drugs.

To the rest of the public I want to say: 90% or more of us are normal, drug-free, sane people doing a job we love. We do it with pride, integrity and honour to supply our country's needs.