My Rant about some wannabe Truck Driver advocates

A advocate as defined by Wikipedia is - one who speaks on behalf of another person, especially in a legal context. Implicit in the concept is the notion that the represented lacks the knowledge, skill, ability, or standing to speak for themselves.

I have visited many, many truck driver related forums over the passed few years. I have seen all kinds, from ones who believe they are gods gift to truck drivers to others who just want to make a dime off of truck drivers, visitors etc. whoever will click their advertisements. I thought I had seen them all, but apparently I had not.

I have never indicated to anyone, that I was or planned to try to be a advocate. I am a truck driver just like the rest of you all who have read my blog. I know it seems that I have been blogging more than I have been driving, but that is a whole other discussion. I through this blog together just so truck drivers did not have to spend precious time searching the web for various news of interest to them.

Yes I do have ads listed on this site, but hey why not everyone else is doing it as well and sometimes some pretty neat stuff pop up on the ads.

I joined one particular truck driver related forum a few years ago. I thought it was the best thing ever. I ended up making several post and contributing to it, and was given a position as a moderator. But in order to moderate even the slightest thing that i would see wrong had to be "discussed" between the other up teen million mods on that site before a decision was made.

OK, so I played along with their games. But then it came down to where I was thinned out as "not being a team player" in other words some other mods and the admin were mad because I was online to much and was catching many of the spammers, and quote from the owner "Not spreading the work around". Meaning nobody else got to do anything.

So I asked to be demoted to a regular member. Well upon doing so, this "owner" of this forum talked me into purchasing my own forum software and starting a CB Forum. I agreed to only if he would help me get it started and he agreed. I myself do not have many skills at html and things.

I purchased it, along with a domain name and hosting and he installed it for me. OK, now I started posting and fixing it the way I wanted, it was mine. He ran his forum for truck drivers, he talked me into starting a CB Related forum, what else would come to mind with CB radio's? Truck drivers! so I posted a section for truck drivers. He was furious, and asked me not to go against him with this section of the forum.

It became time to upgrade the forum software and I asked him to do this or at least help me with it, his answer was he was too busy and that I should do it myself. So I had no choice but to try and do it myself, well that didn't work as I succeeded in causing my forum to go offline. So I went in search of someone else to help me out. I found someone and explained to them what happened. They agreed and helped me (it took maybe 5 minutes).

In return the other forum admin "banned" me from his site, said I stabbed him in the back! WTF? I asked him to help me he said he was too busy so I searched and found someone to help me, in which he found several thing's this so called friend had done to my forum that were completely wrong.

I finally figured out what was wrong, he didn't want any competition. Because it would cut his pay he was getting off the members of his forum.

He always since he opened his forum, kept preaching he would keep the forum free for ever or shut it down. Well I see he has a donation link up, and also has started getting paid advertisers to join, pay him some big money so they can advertise to the members. Use to be listed on his forum if you joined then the ads were not shown to you. Guess what the ads are still there even after you join, because he gets paid big money for this.

Oh another thing when you look at who is online at his forum, it will read like there is 800 online or some big ass number. Folks there is a setting in the software that will allow for a user to be shown online for as long as the admin wants. This is a tactic to elude visitors that there are a lot of members online all the time. But if you scroll down and look out of the 800 or so that maybe online only 50 or 60 maybe 100 had posted that day. Folks, looks can be very deceiving.

He claimed to have started the forum because of JB Hunt a company that he says he drove for....for 3 weeks. How can you tell how any company is in just 3 short weeks? I will not mention what forum this is, because many will figure it out anyway. I don't have to mention who the owner is, because that is easy to figure out.

But now as fuel prices are outrageous, and many truck drivers going broke as well as companies. He stated several times he WILL NOT support the shut down until it gets bad enough. I think he stated fuel would have to get to $5.00 per gallon! Then he goes on to post how truck drivers today are nothing but whining wussies and did not have the balls to come together and stand up and fight for what is right.

But then he turns right around and wants to poll the members asking if they favor a strike. Again saying truckers are spineless and not enough balls to do it. But says if the poll turns out for it he would back them and support it. Yea, only as far as getting a bunch of new members to come into his site, to make him more money.

Then he turns on the biggest advocates (OOIDA) truck drivers have, and calls them spineless, that they are only in it for the money. Because they will not support truck drivers shutting down. But before he always pushed for everybody to join, because he got fringe benefits for getting people to sign up using his name and number. I know because I did too when i was a member. I forget what it was but you get so much off your membership the next time around if someone signs up using your name and number. I really can't remember I only had about 4 to sign up using my name and number.

I suppose it paid him some money after his membership was paid for. Folks if truck drivers shut down and get what they are asking for, you are still going to need a voice in Washington and OOIDA is just that. OOIDA can't tell you to shutdown they could and would be sued for doing so. This is something you the drivers are going to have to do on your own.

I want to add one last thing, be cautious of A LOT of forums as they are only out for two things. That is members and to make money off members.