There’s no argument, trucking is a tough job. However, there are other occupations that are extremely draining too, mainly because they serve a very crusty bunch of customers. I want to recognize the truck stop personnel that faithfully serve our industry each day. They operate 24/7/365 just like the trucking industry. If there are trucks on the road somewhere in America, there will be a truck stop within a short drive that is open and ready to cater to the needs of truck drivers.
I’ve seen drivers who’ve surely had a bad day, bring their bad attitudes inside and have taken it out on truck stop personnel. This is the very reason you may encounter a waitress who is less than pleasant during your lunch break. What on earth has she had to put up with on an average shift dealing with unthankful truck drivers? What about the people in charge of cleaning the showers after you use them? That has to be one of the least glamourous jobs anywhere. Make sure you thank them and tip them if everything is to standard. Many shower 
attendants have greeted me with a smile and wished me a good day on my way out. That’s simply amazing.
Think about the workers who have to pick up the trash each morning. Imagine their attitude toward truckers as they pick up human waste and trash that lazy truck drivers left behind. It’s no wonder they might not return your greeting as you walk by them on the way to the fuel desk. They tolerate a lot from us and they deserve some respect!
When you encounter great service, please let truck stop management know. Usually we want to let management know when something is wrong, not when exceptional service is witnessed. That needs to change. If someone who works at a truck stop offers exceptional, friendly service-please understand how much of a big deal that is. With the attitudes and behavior they’ve had to tolerate from us, they deserve a golden crown when they can still handle themselves with excellence.