Wednesday, February 19, 2025
ESSAY - TEACHING TRUCK DRIVERS
BY DONOVAN BALDWIN
I used to teach truck drivers.
Among my students were people from all walks of life: housewives, college graduates, students of philosophy, managers, cops, rodeo riders, fitness instructors, and, overall, damned fine people.
We spent weeks training them to drive safely, yet, one of their most common remarks was, "People drive crazy!!! Don't they (the people in cars) realize they're putting everybody at risk?" and, the biggies, "I USED to drive like that, but now I know better." and "NOW I understand why you guys (have) to do that..."
Want to see some scary driving? Become a truck driver where you can drive thousands of miles across the country, with an excellent view of four-wheelers (car drivers), apparently trying to kill themselves and ignoring the danger they pose to people around them.
Want to see some scary driving? Become a truck driver where you can drive thousands of miles across the country, with an excellent view of four-wheelers (car drivers), apparently trying to kill themselves and ignoring the danger they pose to people around them.
Not you, you say?
Reminder; one of the most common comments was along the line of, "Oh my God, that's the way I drive!"
Or, as a student named Bob, put it, after being cut off by a four-wheeler and having to slam on brakes to save the other driver's life, "I never realized how many truck drivers I've given heart attacks.'
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Labels: donovan baldwin, driving safety, essay, truck driving
Thursday, September 07, 2017
Knowing The Facts or The Secret Of Kevin's Glasses
By: Donovan Baldwin
When I used to teach truck driving, Monday of the first week was spent doing paperwork, and giving some orientation on company policies, what would be happening, and some basic classes to prepare students for their in-truck training.
We in-truck instructors would meet our assigned students, two or three to an instructor, on Tuesday. We instructors would walk in the classroom, identify our students, and take them down to the cafeteria for a little conversation before leading them out to the truck for training.
Students were nervous, even afraid, some terrified, and we all had different methods for relaxing them and breaking the ice.
One instructor, Kevin, had found and old pair of exceedingly thick glasses. When we entered the room, he would be wearing them, holding on to the wall for guidance, and being "helped" by the other instructors.
The students, most of whom were already at some level of terror, and not knowing really what to expect from a bunch of "truck drivers" would get the most horrified looks on their faces, wondering who was going to get the, apparently, nearly blind instructor.
We would let the joke run until Kevin picked his students, and then, after letting them "stew" for a moment, and the other students breathe a sigh of relief, we would reveal the truth. Usually got a good laugh...especially from Kevin's students.
Often in life, even if we are not happy with everything that's going on in our lives, at least knowing the truth can make us feel a little better. It's easier to deal with most things when we have the facts.
So much non-fact information is made available in our world today. Instead of just getting angrier and more terrified, maybe taking the time to check facts might help us remain a bit calmer.
Anyway, it's easier to cope with, and, make decisions about, a situation when you know the facts rather than acting on uncertain information.
I guess, in a way, Kevin's thick glasses made some things a bit clearer.
We in-truck instructors would meet our assigned students, two or three to an instructor, on Tuesday. We instructors would walk in the classroom, identify our students, and take them down to the cafeteria for a little conversation before leading them out to the truck for training.
Students were nervous, even afraid, some terrified, and we all had different methods for relaxing them and breaking the ice.
One instructor, Kevin, had found and old pair of exceedingly thick glasses. When we entered the room, he would be wearing them, holding on to the wall for guidance, and being "helped" by the other instructors.
The students, most of whom were already at some level of terror, and not knowing really what to expect from a bunch of "truck drivers" would get the most horrified looks on their faces, wondering who was going to get the, apparently, nearly blind instructor.
We would let the joke run until Kevin picked his students, and then, after letting them "stew" for a moment, and the other students breathe a sigh of relief, we would reveal the truth. Usually got a good laugh...especially from Kevin's students.
Often in life, even if we are not happy with everything that's going on in our lives, at least knowing the truth can make us feel a little better. It's easier to deal with most things when we have the facts.
So much non-fact information is made available in our world today. Instead of just getting angrier and more terrified, maybe taking the time to check facts might help us remain a bit calmer.
Anyway, it's easier to cope with, and, make decisions about, a situation when you know the facts rather than acting on uncertain information.
I guess, in a way, Kevin's thick glasses made some things a bit clearer.
Labels: donovan baldwin, humor, truck, truck driving, truck driving instruction
