I know were mostly professional drivers
but why does the media only labour the point
when were being criticised.
on Central TV news earlier
out 2000 drivers caught using mobile phones
128 were “professional” lorry drivers
Why pay it any attention? You’ve seen the way that some “Professional” drivers handle their units on the road, using a phone behind the wheel is little surprise.
I’m afraid it’s a case of historical perception by the public. Drivers in France, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Italy and most western European countries have traditionally been treated with reasonable respect, as professionals (one ‘f’ in professional, chaps). This really struck me when I started doing European work and saw the difference: the clean table-cloths, proper food, respectful attitudes at factories (that eventually went downhill a bit) and even the way the police dealt with you.
The thing is, if society treats drivers as professionals they will behave like professionals. We have always had a wide spectrum of humanity in transport, from decent chaps to outright criminals, but unlike most professions we have never been able to stick together to represent ourselves strongly enough to change society’s perception of us. I’m retired now, but I did belong to another profession: teachers. Even at the worst moments of the last 40 years, teachers have hung onto some vestiges of a professional image, largely because they represent themselves well through their various unions. Those unions have always been at the ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ end of the union spectrum, but at least we had them.
If drivers got together for once, a drivers’ union would be seen to discipline its own members for letting the side down (phones clamped to ears, tail-gating etc), and the public would see for themselves that we were a professional force to be reckoned with. We think it’ll never happen because transport attracts too many misfits, but they managed it in Europe.
To be fair, the trade press and forums like this have helped quite a lot over the years to shape driver attitudes, but unfortunately the general public don’t read CM or view TNUK. Sorry I’m rambled on. Robert 
It’s just semantics. The word ‘professionals’ has been downgraded to include just about anyone. You can be a professional ‘■■■ shoveller’, or a ‘professional burglar’ these days, or even a ‘professional benefit claimer’.
robert1952:
Even at the worst moments of the last 40 years, teachers have hung onto some vestiges of a professional image, largely because they represent themselves well through their various unions. Those unions have always been at the ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ end of the union spectrum, but at least we had them.
In my view, teachers lost a lot of their status and image when they started to go on strike. I wonder if you really believe that they changed anything for the better?
Santa:
robert1952:
Even at the worst moments of the last 40 years, teachers have hung onto some vestiges of a professional image, largely because they represent themselves well through their various unions. Those unions have always been at the ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ end of the union spectrum, but at least we had them.In my view, teachers lost a lot of their status and image when they started to go on strike. I wonder if you really believe that they changed anything for the better?
No, and in over 40 years in and out of teaching, I never once went on strike. But I wasn’t talking about the collective bargaining aspect of having a professional association (or union), I was talking about the image aspect. Robert
If you do anything that provides the majority of your income - you are a “professional” in that field.
This means it’s possible to be a professional anything, from ■■■■ artist, to wide boy. 
hitch:
I know were mostly professional drivers
but why does the media only labour the point
when were being criticised.on Central TV news earlier
out 2000 drivers caught using mobile phones
128 were “professional” lorry drivers
It works out at just over 6% of the total. Given that according to DVLA’s 2013 figures, 83% are cars, nearly 10% are vans, and only 1.8% are LGV’s and PSV’s you could reasonably claim that based on those figures we as professional drivers are actually three times worse than car drivers.
Hardly helps your complaint of poor press. 
Winseer:
If you do anything that provides the majority of your income - you are a “professional” in that field.This means it’s possible to be a professional anything, from ■■■■ artist, to wide boy.
Well that just about covers most of todays truck drivers then
hitch:
I know were mostly professional drivers
but why does the media only labour the point
when were being criticised.on Central TV news earlier
out 2000 drivers caught using mobile phones
128 were “professional” lorry drivers
Maybe because there is a point there to be made - Someone who breaks the law while driving about for no other reason than simple personal transport, or even just because they enjoy driving, is a bit of a prat. Someone whose primary source of income comes from driving (i.e. a professional driver) who breaks the law while driving (for a living) is much, much worse.
You’ll find you only get called a professional driver when you make a ■■■■ up and it’s usually preceded by “you’re supposed to be” 