Why me
I was enjoying coffee with a friend this morning, and my friend replied to a question with “above my pay grade.” Without much thought in the moment, we continued our conversation. Upon reflection, I found myself asking the question, albeit to myself, “Do we truly comprehend the enormous vastness of our ‘pay grade, regardless of its nature?”
Why me – I am only the driver!
CDL licensure designates the possessor as a professional driver. Like the pilot of an aircraft, the captain of a ship, the CDL driver is the person responsible and accountable for the actions of the vehicle. The mantle of responsibility drapes heavily upon his or her shoulders. If the vehicle operated contains product, packages, or passengers, the responsibility remains unchanged – responsibility for all that rests within the vehicle, and of the public or property that may be affected by the actions of the vehicle.
Mechanics are responsible for the maintenance and repair; however, you remain responsible for ensuring that the vehicle is in a state of mechanical worthiness while under your control. You are not responsible for the repair – you are only responsible for determining that no repair is required while under your command. Shippers place product under your supervision, trusting that it will be delivered in the same condition to the consignee as it was when placed under your command. The scenario becomes more profound where people are involved – people trust you with their lives. Trusting that you will deliver them, unscathed, unharmed, uninjured, to their choice of destination.
This means that your decisions are to be based on the safety of operations at all times – not arriving on time, not to be late for the curtain call, not to miss the kick-off or tip-off as the determining factor, but to arrive safely as the first and only factor. The first rule of thumb is to always assume the worst possible outcome of an action, not the most favorable. I can probably get by with 70 mph, but what if something unexpected occurs? Will I be able to maneuver or stop safely? That traffic signal will not change before I get there, but what if it does? The roads do not feel slippery, but what if they are? If I do not stay closer to the vehicle in front of me, someone will pull in front of me. What if the vehicle in front of you stops abruptly? Or if the vehicle still tries to fit into the space that remains? Checking the cell phone, just to see if something important has arrived, is anything more important than keeping eyes and attention on what is visible through the windshield?
Every fatality or injury had a moment in time when prevention was possible. That moment may have been hours before or immediately before the event – but it did occur, and a professional driver is expected to ferret out those moments and act upon them. Unreasonable, unfair, unrealistic, maybe, but the mantle of responsibility drapes heavily and rests with finality. YOU, the professional driver, are the difference between tragedy and safety, and more times than not, you are not afforded a second chance – the first must always be weighed heavily with prudence and caution.
Often, the safety of passengers must come in spite of themselves. Bachelor and Bachelorette parties that become overly exuberant need to be dampened; sporting event outings that become too intoxicated need to be brought to sobriety; nights on the town that become more drowning of the town need to be cut short – you are aware of the situations, you have experienced them.
Tragedy can strike in a split second – your responsibility is to identify events before they morph into a tragedy!