I just recently got my first cell phone. Everyone in my family had one, but me. I just never felt the need. My children, however, felt differently. As teenagers, they just could not possibly survive without a cell phone, so I caved into the pressure and got them one. One of my concerns with cell phones is the short-cut terminology they use to communicate via text message. It did not take me long to realize that only those
who participate in this crazy, push-button, phone-typing, truncated message delivery system know what is being communicated, and I was not one of those participants.
However, since getting my phone, I have attempted to text message, and after doing do, I fully understand why they would create abbreviations for everything, especially since it took me several minutes to type a one line message.
Okay, so I have come to accept this abbreviated, so-called language for texting. However, I am still concerned as to whether or not teenagers will be able to write and spell correctly when it comes to composing an English paper. I have seen my kids slip up and replace proper English for one of their text genre, probably out of habit. They get so use to this language that they have to force themselves to think in terms of spelling out complete words and using nouns and verbs to form a sentence.
I realize taking shortcuts is not a new phenomenon. In my days, we called it shorthand. Although shorthand has all but become extinct, many of us are guilty of trying to save time in some way or another. The trucking industry is no different. We too have are own lingo. People outside our business probably would not have a clue what I was saying if I spoke the following to them:
HG Logistics, a 3PL company in Cincinnati, Ohio, specializes in handling LTL’s and TL’s for all our customers. We pride ourselves in hiring only qualified CDL’s to deliver our FOB to the assigned CNEE. Although many of our loads are FCFS, we take caution to get an ETA from all our drivers. All carriers are given appropriate information, including PO’s and P/U’s before attempting pick up, and after delivering, they must submit a signed BOL as POD.
I am confident that my fellow truckers know exactly what I just said, but most would interpret the above as just mumble-jumble. When I think about it, it is kind of neat having our own little secret code. In some ways, it makes you feel part of a unique alliance, a special union where only members know what is going on.
All in all, I have concluded that shortcuts are just a part of life, and if I want to be an effective communicator with the younger generation, I better get on board and learn the language. What is important is that the message is communicated whether is be by full text or by a coded, condensed version.
With this said, I leave the following message in honor of all those text gurus:
cll HG Logistics 4 fre quotes on ll yr transportation nEdz. lets B d travL agnt 4 yr fr8. (interpretation below)
BFN