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Show i - quite adept at using the jargon, and even now I use it over the correct words. I was a trucker now, but I soon learned if I didn't know a trucker's handle, I didn't call (or refer to) another trucker as a trucker -1 called him or her a driver. For the unenlightened, a handle is the name a trucker driver goes by on the CB. Rod-gers Rod-gers was Loony Tunes and mine was Crazy Lady - a fine pair of nut cases who had matching jackets with the name "Dos Loco Truckers" embroidered on the back - the very name we weren't calling anyone by. But we didn't care because it got us some great conversations going. go-ing. Cars and trucks (as opposed op-posed to Big Trucks, which we drove) are called "four-wheelers" in general. There are always al-ways exceptions like small cars, especially Volkswagons, being called a "Roller Skate" and a pickup truck was a "Pickemup truck" or just "pickemup." But as a whole, four-wheelers were the bane of any Big Rig because be-cause they just don't get it. For instance, one of our greatest peeves were vehicles that sped past to get in front of us and then slow down. These "hood ornaments" are almost always the cause of a jack-knifed jack-knifed Semi, especially when road conditions are wet or icy. I understand not wanting to be behind a slow-moving truck, especially going uphill, but the risk these dumb four-wheelers are willing to take to get around them, just isn't worth it. And for the most part a driver will do anything to avoid hitting the smaller vehicle, thus the jack-knife jack-knife or roll-over. If you've ever seen a Semi blow a tire, you would never hug a truck or drive behind it "Granny" continued on Page 6 by Geri Taylor One of the first things I had to get used to was the trucker , lingo. Even though I had all but banned the use of the CB, due to the unsavory language, there were still times I had to understand the slang so as not to appear like a complete novice. Besides, Rodger had driven for a year and a half, and that's the way he talked. I got "Granny" continued from Page 3 either a roll-over, a potential jack-knife or any number of problems that I didn't anticipate. antici-pate. The main problem was I didn't understand the "why" and consequently I would need to be instructed over and over, which is most perplexing perplex-ing to someone who not only understands, but that it comes naturally to. If I'm not making mak-ing much sense, it's because , just because. When it finally dawned on me to follow the instructions instruc-tions of my marriage manual, "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus," I surreptitiously surrepti-tiously planned how to get Rodger to teach me on my level. Although I didn't bat my eyes, my approach had the same effect. I invited my dear husband into the bedroom for a little chat on how I needed his help. Sitting on a bed put him in my domain, rather than the driver's chair, which represents rep-resents dominance. I looked into his eyes and meekly told him how much I wanted to be a good driver and of my frustrations frus-trations when he asked me to do something over and over. As he tried to make a retort, I softly put my finger to his lips "Granny" continued on Page 7 to catch its air. But the majority major-ity of four-wheelers, whether or not they sense any danger, drive too close, which includes front, side and behind. In basic training we had to watch videos of Semi's crashing and the impact im-pact 80,000 pounds has on an object. It was enough for me as a four-wheeler to give a wide berth to a big truck. OK, enough of the sad stuff. Let me tell you how the master taught the rookie to drive and why we are still married. Rodger had been a trainer for EA Miller and although al-though he was mainly a solo driver, the company would send newbie's out with him to learn the ropes (and lingo as well). He exhibited the patience pa-tience of Job and even though he wanted to throttle several of them, he always kept his cool and graduated them as quickly as he could. The difference between them and me was I wasn't going go-ing to be leaving, and I'm sure they didn't cry when he told them what to do. Was Rodger Rod-ger ever in for some reality checks on how to be the husbandtrainer hus-bandtrainer of a female truck driver. The first thing he taught me was to shift into gears without using the clutch. This was a major undertaking undertak-ing since the only training I had was how to clutch shift through the 12 gears. Once I got the hang of it I loved the fluid motion, but learning was quite a different thing. I had to watch the Tachometer and when it got to a certain RPM it would glide into the next gear. Watching the road, the tachometer, and shifting all at the same time did not come naturally and if I stripped a gear, Rodger would let me know, as if I didn't already know since the grinding sound was quite loud! For the most part, I bit my tongue and knew he was only trying to make me a better driver, but a woman's tear glands are connected to many more things than just her body. Mine would come at the wrong inflection of his voice or at a request (or rather demand) that I do something, withbut being told why. Herein lay the crux of most misunderstandings and hurt feelings. Rodger instinctively instinc-tively knew what to do in any circumstance and when he told me what to do, he expected expect-ed an immediate response. And not unrealistically because be-cause he was trying to avoid "Granny" continued from Page 6 and asked him to just listen to what I had to say. Women have such great arsenals for getting what they want if they know how to use them, and now, thanks to my book, I did. Rodger was the expert. That was a fact I used in my ploy to accomplish the change I wanted. I was unabashed un-abashed in my praise of his skills and knowledge and that I only wanted to please him and be a good trucker buddy. I told him I needed to understand under-stand why I was expected to do certain driving maneuvers and how they related to other areas of driving, so when the need arose, I could execute automatically and he could relax. Amazing how posturing a situation can turn it completely around. Rodger became the consummate teacher, and with the help of a toy truck, he explained ex-plained the whys and wherefores where-fores of driving a Big Rig. I would now keep the shiny side up,- let the bear bait pass me by and keep my eyes peeled for Smokey or the plain white wrappers and never give cause for them to issue green stamps. I would be truckin' it up and actually ac-tually know why and how - do I have a copy? |