What Professional Truck Drivers Want The Public To Know

We asked CDLLife readers, “What is one thing you wish the general public knew about trucks, truck drivers or trucking?”

We got a variety of answers. Here’s what CDLLife readers and professional drivers said:

• Most of us are professional. Those who are not, are only temporary in this industry. The idiot driver who tailgate you on the highway is the exception, not the rule. Your safety is very important to us, so help us by not getting too close.- Jim B.
• That all we are trying to do is our job as safely as possible. So please don’t crowd us or cut us off. Last thing we want is to end the day with someones or a families life on our hands. All because somebody lost their patience.- Rafael O.
• We can’t stop on a dime.- Jo Anne W.
• If you cut in front of me and slam on your brakes, chances are that YOU WILL DIE!!!! We need more education about driving around big trucks.- Adrian I.
• We don’t make enough money to afford all of the drugs they think we do. We’re not criminals, don’t get upset when we show up to deliver what they ordered.-Kevin B.
• We can’t stop on a dime, so quit cutting us off and for goodness sake, when they’re coming out onto the interstate, be at interstate speed at the end of the ramp, the more times we have to change lanes increases the chance of not seeing something or someone, even though we don’t actually have to move over to let people out, we still do because we want things to flow smoothly.- Ricky P.
• The space we leave in front of us is so we can safely come to a stop, not for a car to quickly dart in front and then slow down.- DnTasha S.
• 2 sayings on the back of my wagon reads:
  < pass side
  > suicide
  Please respect it. Thanks.- Tige W.
  
• We can’t accelerate, we build up speed. Please don’t cost us our speed at the beginning of a hill.- Andy F.
• How to merge: We can’t move over, so speed up to get in front of us. DO NOT stay beside use you are in DANGER.- Brian S.
• Stay out of blinds spots and pass us, dont stay beside us. We need to move over sometimes.- Michael W.
• Their day may be done, mine isn’t. I’m tired, hungry and in need of a shower. I haven’t seen my family for weeks, I haven’t had a decent meal since last Tuesday and I have no clean clothes. Most days I am so exhausted I don’t have the energy to chew much less walk inside for food. The last thing I need is to be treated like yesterday’s garbage because you’re in a hurry, because you somehow think your agenda is more important than mine. Respect.- Diana D.
• I’m working here, not out for a joyride. I don’t come into your place of business and screw with you, please don’t do it to me.- Jeffrey S.
• Trucks are not the enemy.  You are, when you don’t know how to drive around them. – John S.
• Drivers are humans and not machines, and drivers have feelings too.- Jessica S.