Been behind the wheel since '79 and let me tell ya, this ain’t the same industry I started in.
Things That Are BETTER Now:
- Equipment: Air ride seats, APUs, automatic transmissions. My first truck had none of that. My back thanks modern technology.
- Communication: Remember payphones and CB? Now we got smartphones and GPS. My wife doesn’t worry as much.
- Safety: Trucks stop better, handle better. Fewer accidents overall.
Things That Are WORSE:
- ELDs: I get why they exist, but man do I miss paper logs. The flexibility is gone.
- Parking: Never used to be an issue. Now it’s a nightly battle.
- Respect: Truckers used to be looked up to. “Knights of the highway” they called us. Now we’re just in everybody’s way apparently.
- The money: Adjusted for inflation? We’re making less than we did 30 years ago.
What Hasn’t Changed:
- The freedom of the open road
- Brotherhood among drivers (when you need help, truckers show up)
- Sunrises and sunsets that office workers never see
Anyone else remember the “good old days”? Or am I just a grumpy old timer? 
