ram_1979:
Is there strong attitude of, ‘you’re one of use’, or ‘you’re not one of us’, or am I reading too much into it, or have things changed in general. What is your take on it?
You are really over thinking this. 
Yes there is a stereotypical truck driver, especially in the minds of Joe Public, and you will meet him, but you’ll also meet many almost every other type of person, in every RDC waiting room there are Ex special forces, Multi millionaires just helping a mate out, those doing a quick local run before going off to Alaska via Russia and those who missed that famous boat, 
although this tends to be just one person and you either avoid them like the plague or if you like a bit of sport, keep encouraging them as they’ll look more of a ■■■■ as each of their tales becomes more outlandish. 
Now seriously loads of different people, from all backgrounds, I’ve worked with people who left school with no qualifications and those that are highly qualified, I’ve worked with people who have only ever been truck drivers and those that have done many things in the past, for every sterotypical driver I must have met another 20 who didn’t fit the mould, the job does seem to attract plenty of induviduals.
As for the top of the hierarchy, it me, 
my job is so high on the truckers pyramid the poster forgot to put it on.