Say What?

Question: Do truck drivers get a bum rap from the public?

John Stuart, 53. Peru, IN

Professional driving experience: 16 years

“I don’t know…maybe it’s deserved. The longer I drive, the more guys I see out here that don’t seem to care. No matter whether they’re under the gun or what the deal is, it’s always go, go, go, and if you are in the way, you’re in a lot of trouble. There are still a lot of good drivers out here, but the demand for drivers is getting so bad that there are some guys out here who shouldn’t be.”

Bethany Vanatta, 29, Findlay, OH

Professional driving experience: 4 years

“Yes. People don’t stop and think how hard it is for truck drivers to be away from their families and on the road all the time…dealing with four-wheelers cutting them off and thinking that those damn trucks are only going 55 mph, and they want to go 65 mph. If people would just stop and think how hard a job these guys are actually doing, they might have a little more respect for drivers.”

Dave DeYoung, 36, Spartanburg, SC

Professional driving experience: 1 year

“Unfortunately, the public perception of truck drivers is negative, and it seems to be trending more that way. It’s all of the accidents you see or read about involving trucks. It’s way too easy to get your CDL these days. As a result, there are a lot of bad drivers, far more than there should be.”

Ken Harrison, 62, Dunedin, FL

Professional driving experience: 10 years

“Yes, and I think some of it is deserved. We are our own worst enemy. I’m talking about the guy who follows a car, and you can’t put a piece of paper between him and the car’s rear bumper. He’s got fangs on his truck. The guy in the four-wheeler looks in the rear-view mirror and all he sees are those fangs, and it scares the hell out of him.”