8 points on my licence am I doomed?
#41
11-08-2006, 02:29 AM
Re: 8 points on my licence am I doomed?
Originally Posted by ssoutlaw
Originally Posted by Useless
Originally Posted by Rushman
Thanks Kjax. I'm fast beginning to learn that there are as many "know it all's" with a superiority complex over here driving trucks.....or keyboards as there are back in the UK. You are confusing "Holier than Thou" attitudes with experienced people who recognize their professional obligations as drivers. The reputation of the professional driver was at one time held in very high esteem. Thirty years ago, drivers in America were referred to as "Knights of the Highway". Since the time when the trucking industry was de-regulated, pay and compensation scales have suffered, and the overall quality and public perception of the professional driver has suffered badly. Now, in addition to many other problems, we are having to deal with truck drivers from Mexico whose linguistic abilities and driving abilities are severely lacking. In many cases, the quality and safety of their equipment is lacking as well. Although the vast majority of wrecks involving big trucks are caused by four wheelers, the public, and all too many law enforcement agencies, are quick to lay the blame at the foot of the professional driver. The mega carriers who staff their trucks with people who are not properly trained and qualified to drive, and have inexperienced drivers (in some cases, drivers with only a few months driving experience under their belts!!) serving as trainers, have also contributed to this problem. Some of the "outlaw" companies are guilty as well. Yet, there are those among us who choose to recognize that the reputation of the professional driver here in America is in serious need of refurbishing. We not only recognize the fact that we will be held to a higher standard, we choose to be held to that standard. As such, when someone who does not recognize that standard comes here asking how to get into driving professionally here on our highways, they are not given a warm reception. Personally, I applaud those who offer them the cold shoulder. Their choices and their actions jeopardize the safety of other professional drivers, and our friends, families, loved ones, and everyone else on the road as well. Go back through some of the old threads, particularly in the "Rules, Regs, and DAC" Forum, and you will see drivers who have failed drug tests and effectively been locked out of driving for a living asking if there is some way that they can get back in, often with the same "But it only happened one time!!" theme that you brought here. These people are not received warmly, nor should they expect to be, and that is not the fault of the people who reply to them. Add to the mix, they dishonor the driving profession, and cause harm to all of the safe, law abiding drivers who recognize their professional duties and obligations. The reputation of the professional driver is one that is, quite sadly, in serious need of refurbishing. Someone who has been caught doing 28 miles over the speed limit is not someone that we want in our profession. The risks are just too high, even if it did "only happen one time". The fact that you have tried to mitigate your degree of wrong doing by trying to argue that you were on a dark empty road at 2:30 in the morning sends a message to me, and others here, that you just don't see your conduct as a serious problem. In your first reply to me, you tried to argue that far more are killed in wrecks involving lower speeds. That, to me, is a moronic and asinine argument. In any event, it tells me, and others here that you are not in tune with the element of risk that you impose upon yourself or others. Consequently, when I think of my wife and daughter being out on the roads, I do take some comfort in knowing that you will be locked out of the driving profession here in America for the next several years. Hopefully, by the time this ticket burns off your record, you will have gained a proper element of maturity. I guess you guys will have to put down all the old timers in the Industry today, but seeing how you said we were the most professional, you would be contradicting yourself...lol God this is FUN...lol Are you quite in control of your faculties??? No where in any of my posts did I put down older, experienced drivers. I just had to add something. If it was not for all the sue happy people, weather it be a Righteous suit or not the insurance company's wouldn't care, just like the old days! Believe this, the company's would still have you gas on it all the time so don't think this is all the governments plan to keep everyone safe...lol.........lol Oh, yeah, almost forgot:.....lol.....lol!! 
#42
11-08-2006, 02:34 AM
Re: 8 points on my licence am I doomed?
Originally Posted by Ardmore Farms Forever
Originally Posted by Rushman
.....if I had let you attack me and did nothing in return I'd be a Frenchman not a Brit. LOL
#43
11-08-2006, 02:41 AM
Re: 8 points on my licence am I doomed?
Originally Posted by kjax
Originally Posted by Useless
You are confusing "Holier than Thou" attitudes with experienced people who recognize their professional obligations as drivers.
No, it isn't- and I'm probably a little older than you think. I'm old enough to remember when you saw big trucks pulled off the side of the road helping stranded motorists. I also remember when they were more professional than they are now. I remember well enough, when lots of the trucks ran better than 20 over on the freeways, and other 'knightly' behavior. Truck drivers aren't saints and never were. Never said that they were saints; I said that they were highly competent and more professional. You are speaking more like the "Smokey and The bandit" era.
Consequently, when I think of my wife and daughter being out on the roads, I do take some comfort in knowing that you will be locked out of the driving profession here in America for the next several years. Hopefully, by the time this ticket burns off your record, you will have gained a proper element of maturity.
In any event, as long as he stays up in his neck of the woods, that's somebody else's problem. Here in Texas, if I was caught going 28mph over the speed limit, even in my own personal vehichle, the police would have grounds to arrest me and haul me off to jail. I hope he stays grounded.
#44
11-08-2006, 02:53 AM
Now forgive me if Im wrong here but I would say that the British interpretation of a "professional driver" and the USA interpretation were exactly the same.
That would be a well trained driver that takes good care of his equipment, gets the load to it destination in one piece, on time or before. Is aware of the road conditions and also aware of the limitations of himself and also of the surrounding traffic and takes that into account. A professional driver doesn't have to stick rigidly to the speed limit, he is likely to steal 5 to 10 MPH over the limit but NOT in unsafe to do so situations to arrive ahead of schedule. He wont drive on while his eyes are falling out of his head and the cabs full of zzzzzzzz's and he is experienced enough to know when he starts to micro nap and then pulls over. Above all a professional driver in my book is smart enough to know that he doesn't know everything and can still learn a trick or two and that sooner or later he is going to make a mistake. Whether that mistake is a wrong route, a wrong gear forgetting the landing legs because he was looking at the T**ts on a blonde...whatever, he will make another mistake. Lastly, a professional driver will know that 80% of his fellow truck drivers are bulls*tters and 15% are usually all complete liars and the last 5% exaggerate a little bit. He'll also know that once you get bitten by the road.....it never lets go. EDIT:: Almost forgot this..a nice old guy I used to work with when I got my CDL told me this little gem and I've always carried it with me......"It's always better to ask another old time drivers advice ..and look a complete idiot...than to not ask, f**k it up and prove you are"
#46
11-08-2006, 03:09 AM
Re: 8 points on my licence am I doomed?
Originally Posted by Useless
In any event, as long as he stays up in his neck of the woods, that's somebody else's problem. Here in Texas, if I was caught going 28mph over the speed limit, even in my own personal vehichle, the police would have grounds to arrest me and haul me off to jail. I hope he stays grounded.[/color] I may not have the years that you have behind the wheel. I have 17 years OTR CDL experience which in cludes everycountry in Mainland Europe, Geece, Turkey, North Africa, Scandinavia and Russia (as far a Moscow). In those 17 years I NEVER once got a ticket for ANY offence and never had one single accident. Furthermore, since I was 17 years old I have driven at about 90 MPH on British interstates (motorways) as does 90% of the rest of the population there. So, I am acustomed to driving at that speed for the last 23 years. I came to the US on a short trip and rented a car, I sat on the interstate and as happens to the best of us...yourself included...I went into "automatic pilot"...I was cruising along at a speed in excess of the limit...I dont argue that and I dont argue that I was wrong, especially as a visitor to the US and not even a resident at the time. Furthermore, I am not trying to justify that speed..I am simply trying to get it through to you how I came to be doing that speed. Now can you tell me that in all your years as "God's trucker" than you've never once been wide awake and conscious of your surroundings and actions but at the same time so deep in thought that you've found yourself in the middle of something you ordinary wouldn't be doing in the same circumstances? If you've never been in that situation then you haven't done many miles because that scenario is an occupational hazard for every OTR truck driver no matter what country they come from.
#47
11-08-2006, 04:56 AM
Re: 8 points on my licence am I doomed?
Originally Posted by Useless
Originally Posted by ssoutlaw
Originally Posted by Useless
Originally Posted by Rushman
Thanks Kjax. I'm fast beginning to learn that there are as many "know it all's" with a superiority complex over here driving trucks.....or keyboards as there are back in the UK. You are confusing "Holier than Thou" attitudes with experienced people who recognize their professional obligations as drivers. The reputation of the professional driver was at one time held in very high esteem. Thirty years ago, drivers in America were referred to as "Knights of the Highway". Since the time when the trucking industry was de-regulated, pay and compensation scales have suffered, and the overall quality and public perception of the professional driver has suffered badly. Now, in addition to many other problems, we are having to deal with truck drivers from Mexico whose linguistic abilities and driving abilities are severely lacking. In many cases, the quality and safety of their equipment is lacking as well. Although the vast majority of wrecks involving big trucks are caused by four wheelers, the public, and all too many law enforcement agencies, are quick to lay the blame at the foot of the professional driver. The mega carriers who staff their trucks with people who are not properly trained and qualified to drive, and have inexperienced drivers (in some cases, drivers with only a few months driving experience under their belts!!) serving as trainers, have also contributed to this problem. Some of the "outlaw" companies are guilty as well. Yet, there are those among us who choose to recognize that the reputation of the professional driver here in America is in serious need of refurbishing. We not only recognize the fact that we will be held to a higher standard, we choose to be held to that standard. As such, when someone who does not recognize that standard comes here asking how to get into driving professionally here on our highways, they are not given a warm reception. Personally, I applaud those who offer them the cold shoulder. Their choices and their actions jeopardize the safety of other professional drivers, and our friends, families, loved ones, and everyone else on the road as well. Go back through some of the old threads, particularly in the "Rules, Regs, and DAC" Forum, and you will see drivers who have failed drug tests and effectively been locked out of driving for a living asking if there is some way that they can get back in, often with the same "But it only happened one time!!" theme that you brought here. These people are not received warmly, nor should they expect to be, and that is not the fault of the people who reply to them. Add to the mix, they dishonor the driving profession, and cause harm to all of the safe, law abiding drivers who recognize their professional duties and obligations. The reputation of the professional driver is one that is, quite sadly, in serious need of refurbishing. Someone who has been caught doing 28 miles over the speed limit is not someone that we want in our profession. The risks are just too high, even if it did "only happen one time". The fact that you have tried to mitigate your degree of wrong doing by trying to argue that you were on a dark empty road at 2:30 in the morning sends a message to me, and others here, that you just don't see your conduct as a serious problem. In your first reply to me, you tried to argue that far more are killed in wrecks involving lower speeds. That, to me, is a moronic and asinine argument. In any event, it tells me, and others here that you are not in tune with the element of risk that you impose upon yourself or others. Consequently, when I think of my wife and daughter being out on the roads, I do take some comfort in knowing that you will be locked out of the driving profession here in America for the next several years. Hopefully, by the time this ticket burns off your record, you will have gained a proper element of maturity. I guess you guys will have to put down all the old timers in the Industry today, but seeing how you said we were the most professional, you would be contradicting yourself...lol God this is FUN...lol Are you quite in control of your faculties??? No where in any of my posts did I put down older, experienced drivers. I just had to add something. If it was not for all the sue happy people, weather it be a Righteous suit or not the insurance company's wouldn't care, just like the old days! Believe this, the company's would still have you gas on it all the time so don't think this is all the governments plan to keep everyone safe...lol.........lol Oh, yeah, almost forgot:.....lol.....lol!! I also did not say you were trashing the "old-timers" I simply stated that you would have to keep up your holier than thou attitude idea about all the Outlaws, speeders, and log offenders because those 3 things "were" a way of life and more fun than you will ever know. I will tell you this much "Rushman" has a better idea of what trucking is about than your lame truckers Constitution you so proudly have written your posts. Useless reminds me of the poster "Dawn" jamming it down your throat with the legal beagle cr@p. The truck drivers coming up these days are definitely a new breed with all the answers...lol To Dawn, I'm not putting you down, i just used you as a example, I think you come off a little pushy, but think you are really trying to HELP! To Rushman, you sound like a sound driver and someone to have a good conversation with. My father was born in England. Keep on trying! In my opinion after a year you will have a better chance, but stranger things have happened. Short story here, Tore my shoulder capsule out and shoulder was dislocating, needless to say I GASSED on it all the way home to have it operated on. Well cop got me at 78 in a 55, was I right for speeding, no but did it anyway.After the operation I quit the company and went right to work for another company. 1 major violation dosent kill you. I dont know about coming from another country though? Everybody SPEEDS, and everyone takes the chance just keep your Witt's about you. Hopefully "USELESS" will come down off his high horse and give it a rest!! I say we vote him for the "Jesus Christ" award for being so perfect...lol Off on a tangent now, sound like the "REV" with no offense intended "REV"...lol Useless you need to read my post a little bit closer, like what comes before and after a statement to get the right picture...lol Alright I think this counts as Badgering another poster so I'm SORRY {NOT}
__________________
#48
11-08-2006, 01:44 PM
Re: 8 points on my licence am I doomed?
Originally Posted by ssoutlaw
The truck drivers coming up these days are definitely a new breed with all the answers...lol
I'm not a young buck, but I am technically a part of the 'new breed.' Thanks for your addition.  (I wouldn't have bothered with a followup had I seen ssoutlaw's post first... but I didn't.) Good luck in your search, rushman.
#49
11-17-2006, 02:49 AM
Sorry to p*ss on a few peoples fireworks here but I have had 2 job offers since posting this thread. I will be starting on the 28th.
Instead of having trouble finding employment because of the violations, the problem I had was no one would accept 17 years of European tractor trailer experience. A few national big boys would take me with the violations but not with no US experience. Thanks to those that chose to give kind words of encouragement.
#50
11-17-2006, 02:52 AM
Originally Posted by Rushman
Sorry to p*ss on a few peoples fireworks here but I have had 2 job offers since posting this thread. I will be starting on the 28th.
Instead of having trouble finding employment because of the violations, the problem I had was no one would accept 17 years of European tractor trailer experience. A few national big boys would take me with the violations but not with no US experience. Thanks to those that chose to give kind words of encouragement. |
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