Chapters 10 and 11 of The Trucker's World: Risk, Safety, and Mobility by J. Peter Rothe
Table of Contents |
Chapter 10 Giddyup Quick Freight and The Courier Team
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Chapter 11 |
Suggestion for Future Generations
| Chapter 10: Giddyup Quick Freight and The Courier Team |
Introduction:
In Chapter 10, Roth rode with Giddyup Quick Freight, his real name is Richard, a senior truck driver for P Courier company. The two men were to drive out of Phoenix to Flagstaff. According to Roth, Giddyup always made an effort to be the last driver leaving Phoenix heading north so that he could handle any parcels that were forgotten, or any last minute items that required immediate attention and quick response.Giddyup is a line driver, one who drives from point A to point B at a schedule time during the day. Giddyup always drives his own unit. The only thing he exchanges is the loaded trailers. According to Giddyup, P Courier is a great company with the benefits and pay being good, the equipment is well maintained and no equipment moves on weekends. Originally a barber at a University for 16 years, Giddyup changed his lifestyle and career choice to fit his desire for more excitement, better retirement and proper medical plan. As a result he applied to the P Courier company as a local delivery driver. Nine months later, he applied for line duty and has since been driving for 15 years. In P Courier jargon, Giddyup is a "feeder driver," who brings loads to the sorting terminals.
P Courier Company has a visual image that is easy to identify. The dull color, clean step vans, standard tractor trailer units and recognizable logos signal P Courier company to the ordinary person. The look is enhanced through mass media advertising. However, the police do not pay attention to the visual imagery rather they are more concern with P Courier's truck maintenance practices and the driver behavior. Added advantage is that P Courier truckers avoid police involvement because some of the state's police truck inspectors who work for a Police Officer Phil are also P Courier drivers. For Phil, the matter was not a conflict of interest, rather it helps the state troopers keep abreast with their trucking knowledge and it helps keep them in the truckers social culture. Also, P Courier service are diligent about retaining its image of employing safe, and competent drivers. In fact, the truckers go through a thorough screening, training, written examination and safety surveillance. Then comes apprenticeship driving on the freeways and city with a supervisor at all times before being turned loose to drive on his/her own.
Giddyup considered himself to be a model driver that P Courier demands of all its senior truckers. The P Courier company monitors its drivers using tachograph chart. According to Giddyup, P Courier only has top rated drivers. There is no question of inability, alcohol/drugs, or bad attitude. However, there are times when their drivers are affected by marriage problems. P Courier's policy demands that managers ride along with every driver four times a year to familiarize themselves with the daily operations of hauling a freight. P Courier's motto is "Safety brings in customers, safety sells." There are policies demanding that their drivers always run legal speed, run logs and timecards. The driver's paperwork is audited every night. And to ensure that their drivers do not break the speed limit, each truck has a governor installed, preventing drivers from exceeding sixty-two mph. There is also policy to ride as a passenger. Roth had to get one and he had to wear a company t-shirt. If a driver is detected with an unauthorized passenger, the driver is subject to termination. Truckers, however, are allowed to pick fellow truckers if their truck broke down, but can only take him/her as far as the nearest telephone. There is no P Courier policy on the use of daytime lights. P Courier drivers get paid good money which help drivers fight of fatigue. According to Giddyup, it is like an 8 am to 5 pm job. Thus, to drive a P Courier truck meant obeying company policies.
Roth was held captive by the scenes of the desert ride; cactus, cliff dwellings and distant mountains. The Arizona desert was Giddyup's life. He knew every "squareinch" of the road and countryside. Giddyup believed that his knowledge of the desert made him a safer driver. On the Phoenix to Flagstaff run, Giddyup was the P Courier representative. He would always pick up his CB and greet other drivers good morning because he knew many of them. As they got to Flagstaff, Roth teamed up with George, a P Courier trucker who took Roth to Gallup, New Mexico. And from Gallup, Roth is to team up with Mike to head down to Albuquerque.
According to George, the drive from Flagstaff to Gallup was boring because he saw the same things over and over again. It was George's regular schedule. The drive to Albequerque was okay with Mike, although he was a grizzled old fart. Both men echoed what Giddyup was saying about the P Courier company. In fact, both men were proud to be P Courier drivers. George and Mike would consider changing jobs but instead saw themselves retiring with the company. They like the idea there was always uniformity and no surprises. Mike spoke highly of the P Courier company especially after all that he benefited and cannot wait to retire. Thus, Giddyup, George, and Mike are all comfortable driving for P Courier reputation and status.
Rothe noticed that Giddyup Quick Freight was fully aware of the relationship between his driving and the image of P Courier service. More than George and Mike, Giddyup went to great lengths to be a company abassador through his driving tactics. His speed was constant. He would not enter the passing lane unless he knew he had a chance. He did not like complaint lodged against the company or him. He rather like his face placed beside a compliment. Thus, the image of driver and company are very important and are there for the public to see what its service stands for.
Introduction:
In this chapter, Rothe rode with Tim from Albequerque, New Mexico to Denver, Colorado. Tim was a young man, twenty-five years old, who had six days left on his six-month probationary driving period. Tim works for X Freightlines, a company like P Courier, had a policy too about no passengers unless authorized by the management. Tim was being paid fourteen dollars per hour by X Freightlines. Tim, however, had extensive trucking experience. He was originally an owner-operator for the last three years hauling shingles between Albequerque and Dallas. Tim always drove within the speed limit because, like P Courier Service, X Freightlines installed governors on all their trucks. According to Tim, the move was approved by all drivers because they work on assigned mileage per ten hour trips and frees the trucker from worrying about speeding violations. In terms of family, Tim lost his wife and a two-year old daugther during a blowout leading to a car crash.
Tim was a widower still mourning the deaths of his wife, who was part Indian, and daughter. During the ride, Tim spoke emotionally about life before their deaths producing a dramatic context that was stirring and tense. It was the foremost thing on his mind. For Rothe, it helped him better understand truckers emotions and home life. Tim got got married as a trucker and started a family soon after. The change in lifestyle created a counter theme to trucking for Tim. In fact, Tim's trucking and family were not getting along in the beginning. Both Tim and his wife were lonely. When Tim was a way, his wife took charge of the home. Things became so tough that Tim asked his wife to ride along with him. Eventually, Tim and his wife became a trucking teamand classified themselves as "commercial tourist" because they actively share life through travel. To Tim, it was like vacationing. Once Tim's wife got pregnant, Tim drove solo again. When his daughter turned 2 years-old, Tim decided to quit driving and join the police so that he could see his daughter grow up and for the daughter to know who is her daddy. However, when Tim had the wreck everything changed. He returned to trucking because it was what he like and what he did best.
While cruising, Tim and Rothe were struck by a tire blowout while traveling at fifty-five miles per hour, in an isolated road of New Mexico. Tim theorize that the heat affected the walls of the tire, causing it to disintegrate. Because the truck trailer was a double trailer, the chance of it going out of control was remote. Having a blowout going north of Albuquerque was a new expereince for Tim. He had no idea who could exchange the flat tire because there was no tire banks along the route. So Tim decided to drive to Las Vegas, New Mexico with a speed of 30 mph and then call the company dispatcher on the telephone to see what they would suggest. Tim stated that the difficult part of having blowouts is finding help fast and cheap. The average cost to repair a truck tire is three hundred dollars plus traveling time for the repairman. What scares Tim the most about blowout are drivers behind the truck. They are at risk when an emergency occurs. When tires blow the trailers begin to jerk making it difficult for the driver to maneuver the his/her rig. Tims experience hit at his family life. A trucker he was passing had a blowout and smahed into Tim's half ton. His wife and daughter were instantly killed. Tim became silent. Rothe noticed that whenever Tim touched on his wife and child he would briefly describe the issue, become silent, then change the subject. A tactic Tim used to remain calm.
As Rothe and Tim reached Las Vegas, New Mexico, Tim phone the his dispatcher and was ordered to drive on to Raton, a town south of Colorado border to contact a company repair contractor. Tim was told to drive 110 miles at 30 mph with a flat tire. Driving on the shoulder of the highway at about 30 mph requires a patient driver. Tim fit the profile. Tim wouldn't mind driving all the way to Denver with a flat tire as long as he was paid for it. The fact that such trip would take a long time made little impact on Tim since he had no future plans anyways. Tim's only worries was getting fatigue late at night especially after doing chores at home earlier. Rothe noticed that Tim does not turn on his daytime running lights. In fact, X Freightlines had no policy on the use of daytime running lights. Rothe asked Tim about the trucker plight and his own future. Tim felt the pressures from the government deregulation of transportation as a owner operator. He was aware too that it hurt the truckers. However as a company driver, Tim did not feel the pressures of deregualtion as much. As far as Tim was concerned, governments don't give a shit about truckers. Talk about safety is only a smokescreen to hit the truckers even harder. The benefits go to the consumers who can buy stuff cheaper and to large corporations who get a deal shipping their stuff and goods. Tim's observation was that trucking was always pretty wild but it was never really dangerous. Most truck accidents are unavoidable due to other drivers and equipment failure.
Tim and Rothe agreed that families occupy a central position in truckers' lives. However, a warning must be introduced. The truckers marriage is built, to a large extent, on separation by distance. The wife and children have a location, an adress of residence. Over-the-road, truckers only share the domiciles for a few days each month. As Tim describe, he was a homecomer who temporarily enters the front door as a stranger. His wife had to become "the man of the house" by learning to wear the pants in the family. Married drivers are prepared to take driving risks such as fatigue, running over hours or speeding to gain time with the family. Being home is special, or as Tim said, "It is something worth fighting for." However, women are usually not part of the truckers recreation plans. Truckers want to be by themselves within the security of a family. This desire may be ideal for the trucker, but it is less than acceptable to spouses. After being alone for weeks, they do not appreciate their husbands coming home and entertaining only themselves. Wifes desire affection and confirmation of their individual worth. According to Tim, while he worked hard at this, most truckers do not. As a result, divorce is the typical outcome of a first-time marriage. The implicit and explicit meaning of family, whether by choice or birth, is major factor in trucker's driving lives. Tim's extreme, yet real family circumstances, symbolize the truckers desire for rootedness.
Not only is the trucker's immediate family important to his driving career, equally relevant is his family of birth. It is here that the trucker developed his attitudes, roles and impressions about work, family and trucking. Most often a trucker like Tim comes from a conjugal family that was fully involved in trucking. If we recall, Victor, Dale, Simon, Danny, BJ, Mike and Ted all came from a truck driving families. Rothe pointed out that in families where trucking is practiced by one or more members, there is a sharing values and beliefs about trucking that influence youngsters to become full-time truck drivers.
According to Tim, "Colorado is a tough state on truckers." Colorado weighted trucks twice and registers the trucks as they enter and proceed through the state to check on fuel use and time of driving. In comparison to Colorado, New Mexico was an easy state. New Mexico seldom weight the trucks. Tim believed that New Mexico relied on its neighbouring states to assure that interstate truckers met the safety standards and regulations. For example, is a trucker is cleared according to Arizona or Colorado's rigorous standards, then surely it must be within New Mexico's guidelines.
Tim and Rothe arrived at the X Freightlines' marsahlling yards in Denver at four a.m. The trip was exhausting, both from physical and mental point of view. The two men were accomodated at the Traveler's Lodge, a chain contracted by X Freightlines. The next morning Rothe caught a plane back to British Columbia to continue his voyage in Canada.
During the presentation, I was very nervous because this was my first time to take this course. Additionally, I had so much expectgation to do good that it pressured me to be even more nervous. Otherwise, I overcame the nervouseness at the end. I just hope I did a good job.
In chapter 10, I agree with certain points that Rothe made, but I also question his other points. For example, the part when Rothe talk about the added advantage that P Courier truckers had in avoiding police involvement because some of the state's police truck inspectors who work for a Police Officer Phil are also P Courier drivers. Rothe stated that for Phil, the matter was not a conflict of interest, rather it helps the state troopers keep abreast with their trucking knowledge and it helps keep them in the truckers social culture. I thought that was superficial and bogus. I believe that there is a conflict of interest because for one thing were does the loyalty of those inpectors/truck drivers belong too. I felt that their loyalty would be to the Police Officer Phil and not to the P Courier Service. It is like she said, he said thing. Who side is the inspectors/truckers on? I disagree that there is no conflict of interest.
Another part that I question was the description and portrayal of Giddyup by Rothe. I thought Giddyup was too good to be true. Giddyup appeared to be the best trucker Rothe had ever rode with. Rothe placed Giddyup on a high peddlestal throughout the chapter. At times, I thought that Giddyup exagerated with most of his responses to Rothe. I thought too that probably Giddyup thinks he is all that or the man in trucking.
Another part that I somewhat question was the portrayal of P Courier Service. Rothe painted a vivid picture that P Courier was a strict, no holds bar company. Safety was the main concern within the P Courier Service. The thing I don't get was that there was no policy for daytime lights to used. I thought that the use of daytime lights was a good safety measures by truckers. I am stunned that the P Courier Service did not had any policy about it especially since they had policy for almost everything else like having approved passengers for a ride along to wear company t-shirt. I got the assumption that probably the P Courier Service has some priority issues yet to clear up within its company.
In chapter 11, I was more touched because the whole chapter was depressing and sad about family. I felt for Tim's lost of his wife and daughter. I knew that Tim was devasted, but somehow he coped with it. Despite those feelings, I still managed to find some points that I disagreed with Rothe's comments or description. For instance, Rothe made a comment about how he noticed Tim's actions whenever they talk about his former family. Rothe stated that the reason that Tim uses that tactic of being silent for a while was to remain calm. I believe that there was something more to that for Tim to engage in such behavior. I think that Tim becomes silent whenever they talk about his wife and daughter because of respect for them and also he wants to remember them through his thoughts. Rothe could have asked Tim why he acts that way instead of speculating.
Another issue that I was shocked to see was the decision to continue with a blowout. I thought that X Freightlines was just as safety cautious as P Courier was. I guess I was mistaken. I thought that was a stupid decision by the company's dispatcher and bad judgement call by Tim. Tim and Rothe could have caused a serious accident if the trailer did not remain stable because of the blowout. Tim placed Rothe and his life at risk and not to mention other innocent lifes on the highway. I thought that the excuse about sending a repairman being expensive was weak. I also thought that the excuse that no one passes through that highway was bogus. There is atleast almost always someone passing by just not often. Otherwise the company dispatcher should had told Tim to stay put until relief can come aid them.
Although, I had some disagreements on how Rothe presented his findings, I still like this book. I thought that chapter 10 and 11 was more in depth about the life of a trucker with the company and family. I actually found it interesting. I think that Rothe did a great job in bringing the world of a trucker in the company and the world of a trucker in a family together with positiveness. Rothe gave me a clear understanding that indeed the world of a trucker is tough, hard and complicated.
Questions:
1. Do you think all trucks should be equipped with a tachograph?
2. Do you think it would be a good idea to equip all passenger vehicles with a Govenor (Speed Restrictor)?
Answers:
1. Yes, I think all trucks should be equipped with a tachograph. There are three reasons why I say that all trucks should have a tachograph. My first reason is safety. I believe that trucks should be built for safety precautions because trucks are deadly on the road. Having a tachnography can help the truck company and manufactures see what adjustments like best brakes to use and tires that best fitted for treacherous conditions. Also, other options can be installed based on what the tachograph show like modification to the engine when every certain milage is reached for safety.
Another reason is for scheduling purposes and monitoring truckers activities. The trucking company can use the tachograph to make sure that scheduling of delivery were accounted for on time. This can help the drivers make accurate judgements when delivering loads to its destination and as well protect them from false accusations of not delivering the loads on time. Also, the tachograph can help the truckers make plans ahead of time because all they have to do is reach their destination as schedule and they are free to go afterwards.
Lastly, the tachograph can help keep the cost of goods down because it is delivered on time. Much of the cost to the goods are based on time and distance it has to travel. The tachograph can help lower the cost by showing the exact time and destination it took to reach the destination.
2. I think it is a good idea to equip all passenger vehicles with a Govenor (Speed Restrictor). Why you may ask? Well, it can prevent unecessary speeding among speeders and also reckless drivers. The governor will prevent this type of drivers from going over the set speed limit for that car. Therefore, I believe that the roads will be a lot safer if all passenger cars have a governor. I also think there will be less road ragers on the freeways and highways. So the governor is a good idea but I don't know if everyone buys into its existence and use.
Questions:
1. Would you rather drive for this company (P Company) or would you rather be an owner operator?
2. Do you think regulations like the tachnograph, governor or the idea that you cannot modify your truck, would bother you as a trucker?
3. Why is it a good idea to have supervisors and managers periodically travel with truckers?
Answers:
1. I think I would rather drive for this company because it has a good image to the public and law enforcements. I like the idea that I drive for a company because I don't have to deal with all the stress of being an owner operator. Also it is less costly for me as a trucker to drive for a company.
2. I don't think such regulations would bother me as a trucker if that is the company's policy. I always go by the company rules. I don't like to be in trouble so I rather follow the rules. Anyways, I am not paying for the maintenance of the truck. Now if it is my truck, I probably still don't have a problem about it because usually, I think, the regulations would be a law.
3. It is a good idea that supervisors and managers periodically ride along with the truckers. The reason being is that it reinforces the knowledge of managers and supervisors on how hard truckers life can be. Also it serves as a monitoring tool by the supervisors and managers on how competent their drivers are. Thus, ride alongs are good for safety and educational reasons.
Questions:
1. It seems that the mangers of the P Company adopted a Japanese style of labor management. Do you think that this type of uniformity is good? Could Giddyup be an exception?
2. Obviously blowouts are a problem for truckers. As in Tims case, it was the cause of his wife's and daughter's death. Should the state take precautions to insure that tires do not blow out? (i.e. posting warning signs, requiring tire manufacturers to follow stricter guidlines).
Answers:
1. I think the labor management that P Courier company implement, strict regulations and uniformity, are good for the trucking business. Policies on safety, training, scheduling and monitoring are good for P Courier Service because they want to avoid lawsuits and serve the public the best way as possible. I am not sure though if the way the P Courier company runs its labor the same as a Japanese style because I am not too familiar with it. I bet though that it is similiar in terms of strictness and demands. Overall, uniformity is good because it brings makes all employees equal no matter what race, class, or gender they are. I believe too that having uniformity brings higher moral and success into the company. And I don't know if Giddyup is an exception to this type of labor management because of how he portrays himself which I think is a bit selfish and conceded. But then again Giddyup is following the company policies.
2. Yes, I think that state's should take all the precautions to insure that tires don't blow out. For example, the state are responsible for the conditions of the road to see if it needs repair. Also, the state should regulate and enforce that tire manufactures post warning signs on the tire and for them to follow stricter guidlines. It will be costly for the state, but someone got to pay the price too. And as a side note, I believe that all drivers should be educated that tire blowouts are common and dangerous. I believe too that drivers should always inspect their tires before going for a long drive or road trip with family and/or friends. Thus, both the state and individual should take the reponsibility. The state can deal with the tire companies and road conditions, while the individual can deal with his/her automobile safety.
Questions:
1. What do you think is missing in this type of study for Chapter 10 and 11?
2. Do you think non-commercial drivers should have a government tachograph?
3. What can you say about the psychology of truck drivers from Chapter 10 and 11?
Answers:
1. I think that in chapter 10 and 11, Rothe did not do any psychological testing on Giddyup and the other P Courier Service drivers, Tim and the X Freightlines drivers. So essentially, there was no validity scale that he could use to see if the drivers that was interviewed were either malingering or truthful to their response. Rothe also did not provide research studies that support his interviewed findings. Another thing that Rothe did not include in his study was female truckers perspective about the Courier and X Freightlines team so that to compare it to the male truckers response.
2. I don't think that non-commercial drivers should have a government tachograph. I think that non-commercial drivers should have the freedom to drive where ever they want to drive without restriction. Otherwise, it would be a violation of an individuals rights to be monitored without the consent of the driver. Thus, to have a government tachograph on non-commerical drivers would be unconstitutional because it is like invading a person's property.
3. In chapter 10 and 11, I think that the psychology of truck drivers involves the emotional, learning, social and development of competent truck drivers. Truckers need all the emotional and social support from family and co-workers. From that support, truckers can develop and learn mentally and physically about trucking. Truckers depend on uniformity and understanding from company they work for and family respectively. In all essence, I think that the life of truckers is simply hard and that truckers are psychologically fighting to stay alive.
Many of my fellow peers had their oral presentation up and going now. From what I can see, they did an good job. They were amazing and creative. Everyone had a different style and look to their oral report. Some oral reports were long and some were short. However, it is the content that matters the most.
Suggestion for Future Generations
My suggestion to the future generations is prepare early. Do not procrastinate! Make sure you read the assigned readings for your presentation as early as possible and take good notes about the topic. Make sure you follow the directions for this presentation because it is very important. Lastly, the day before your presentation, practice giving the oral presentation and time yourself. When your putting up your Oral presentation site, be creative and again folloe the instructions. Most importantly, make sure all your links work.
