Deserving Knights

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 The image of a knight in shining armor is imprinted into many a young girl's head whether she's watched Disney® movies or been privy to medieval stories of princesses and their suitors.  Another image of knights in shining armor exists though – and this image includes a lot of armor (as well as an engine and sixteen wheels.) Truck drivers may not have been the original knights, but they're certainly the original knights of the road. 

While truck drivers may feel like they're the brunt of road rage or easy road targets to pass, their history suggests otherwise.  The transportation industry and specifically truck drivers were first thought of as not only dutiful, but cordial and protective.  Truck drivers after all, were responsible for the movement of products and services throughout the nation's paved arteries, delivering items that supported (and still do) a micro/macro economy.  The original truck drivers were thought of as modern day cowboys,  and then outlaws, and rebels during the peak of trucker culture in the 1970s, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trucking_industry_in_popular_culture_(United_States).)

Truckingtruth.com reveals additional and historical information as far as original truck driver perceptions are concerned.  “In the past, truckers were known as “Knights of the Road”. They used to have a reputation for helping people whose cars became disabled and had to pull their vehicles to the side of the road. People always expected a trucker to aid them when they were in distress on the highway, and their big rigs were seen like the heroic mounts of the always-helpful truckers,” (http://www.sharetheroadsafely.org/truckAndBusDrivers/truckAndBusDrivers.asp,”

While perceptions may have changed over the years (congestion, road laws, and eco-concerns have stigmatized several sectors of the transportation industry) there's still a trucking culture that exists that embodies the same values as those original knights of the road. 

Even the government supports the same principles held by those very knights.  For example, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Share the Road Safely Program provides an opportunity for Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) drivers to set the example for other drivers on how to share the road safely. At the same time, it offers the truck and bus drivers the chance to improve their professional image each day they are behind the wheel. Surveys indicate that many highway users are intimidated by the mere size of a truck or bus. When you combine this perception with a highway crash and the resulting roadway congestion, the public image of the motor carrier industry takes a beating no matter who caused the crash. By driving safely to prevent crashes, you can improve that image and save yourself time, money, and most importantly lives,” (www.fmcsa.dot.gov.)

While knights in shining armor may be passe, the road knights that not only support industries worldwide but strive for safer roads and cleaner technologies are very here and now.