by Donna Smith
Tuesday October 20th at 8PM EST
Also Available on iTunes as a download: Listen from your computer
Join Dan Rather from Dan Rather Reports as he interviews our dear friend and fellow trucking advocate and activist TruckerDesiree. The theme of the show will be the inadequate CDL schools and the exploiting of new CDL drivers and trainees.
Almost 10 years ago my better half, Allen Smith ,wrote the book “The Truth About Trucking”, advising people on the correct paths to take and those avenues to avoid, specifically CDL school mills and trucking companies. The motive? To help folks achieve success within trucking and to prepare them for the lifestyle they would be facing.
Allen literally has received thousands of emails from people, but none so memorable as the one in September of 2008 from a new CDL driver who had just gone through the mill……CDL Mill if you will. The name of that Student? Desiree Wood, affectionately known today as TruckerDesiree.
Desiree had written Allen and I numerous times, asking questions about trucking ( as so many do). She had just been through some of the most difficult and stressful experiences during her CDL school training and her CDL company team driver training…and her descriptions were quite vivid and graphic! She would write us long detailed emails describing her encounters…some of them making me cringe. I finally asked her if she would like to share her experiences with our Blog readers and Newsletter subscribers. She said yes she would and thus “ A Day in the Life of a Lady Trucker” and TruckerDesiree was born, and the trucking industry would never be quite the same!
Well, it’s exactly one year today that TruckerDesiree made her debut in “AskTheTrucker” with the first post in her journal, ” A Day in the Life of a Lady Trucker”.
A lot has happened since then for Desiree; Talk Radio Shows, Trucking Magazine interviews, documentaries, spokesperson for the iPhone Trucker App, blogger, twitter queen, facebook diva, and most of all a very good friend and advocate for truckers … She’s made a lot of friends and many enemies (goes along with popularity) By far her interview with Dan Rather will be her biggest accomplishment to date, but we expect to see even more achievements in the future.
We’re so Proud of you Desiree!! You Give a new meaning to Women in Trucking
Allen & Desiree Oct 2009
@ Petro i75 in Florida
© 2009, AskTheTrucker. All rights reserved.
: a day in the life of a lady trucker, allen smith, cdl drivers, cdl training schools, Dan Rather, truck driving schools, trucker desiree dan rather video, TruckerDesiree, truckerDesiree video, trucking tv news show, women in trucking
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Gosh! It’s True, 1 year since I started writing my Original Student Trucker Story HERE! and I still have not finished my last installment.
It’s true that I started CDL School in Miami in Oct 2007 and my Student Trucker Horror Story did not end until Oct 2008, so why write it?
I couldn’t walk away from the Students I met who tried and didn’t make because of the poor training and treatment …so many young men with young wives and small children at home who were being abused by the Student Trucker Industry.
Thanks to Allen & Donna Smith SOMEONE SOMEWHERE Cares what is happening to these people, I am so grateful I found you guys and your book “Truth about Trucking”.
As I have written in many places, I first joined “Women in Trucking” after reading their Mission Statement and believing they truly cared to help someone overcome the obstacles that were being placed before me.
After a few months, I wrote and reached out to them with no response and I had just about given up when it was ONLY Allen & Donna Smith who truly showed a commitment to Student Truckers, Male or Female.
What a huge disappointment it was to experience the verbal abuse for asking for help to become a Safe Truck Driver.
The amazing thing about these posts is that in less than 1 year I turned this story and @TruckerDesiree on Twitter into a persona who will not accept the abuse I had to endure as a Student Trucker, nor as the meek Jiminy Cricket ( Avatar over at WIT forum) I presented myself to be to demonstrate the attacks incoming Student Females CAN expect when they seek help from their own gender.
I’m talking about Highway Safety, plain and Simple!
If you haven’t driven the truck, been left freezing in the Winter afraid to be charged to Idle, expected to sleep in this condition, then drive and be provoked or harassed mentally, sexually or verbally …. If you have no firsthand knowledge YOU should NOT be selling the dream to those who are hurting in our Ecomony on becoming a Truck Driver.
FULL DISCLOSURE to Students Should be required!
To Companies: If you cannot provide SAFE Trainers, YOU Should not be Training Student Truckers.
Recruiting in the manner that has been occuring is a danger to everyone on the Highway.
Charging Employee Drivers to Idle and accepting the Smart Way EPA Award is of the LOWEST Denominator
Not permitting a Lease Option O/O to BUY his/Her own APU to reduce Idling! Also, another Farce on the Smart Way Green BandWagon that harm real live Human Beings.
This story is NOT about me. It’s about a total abuse of our American Workforce and a WAR on the American Worker struggling to Save our Country.
Thank You Allen Smith for writing “Truth about Trucking”
Mostly Thank You for NOT attacking me and answering my email when no one else would and giving me a place to tell a Student Trucker Story….. Mine is Just one in thousands
Hi Desiree: We began exposing the scams of trucking in order to help newcomers breaking into the business and to provoke change within the industry. These lies, scams and deceit have been going on for years and many pro drivers knew it. Truckers are a tight-knit group who only talk among themselves … somewhat of a “secret” society … many are aware of these scams, but the problem was nobody was telling those who really needed to know … the new students and newcomers to OTR trucking. When I finally reached a point where I had the time, Truth About Trucking was the first to expose these scams, such as the starving out of experienced drivers, the owner operator lease scam and the abuse of employee rights against student and new drivers, just to name a few. For many, truth is a hard pill to swallow. I didn’t care …. cdl students and new drivers had to be told what to expect and what to look out for within the over the road trucking industry.
Donna and I gave you a place to tell your story, but YOU did the work…YOU made the phone calls…YOU did your own investigating…YOU wrote letters…YOU were not afraid to let your voice be heard, even when those who oppose the truth attacked you.
We provided AskTheTrucker for you to tell your story … but you provided the courage, dedication, commitment and work in getting that story out there to further help the students and new drivers in knowing the Truth About Trucking.
Thank you . . . Allen
You made three statements that are a complete lie. The first there is NO WAY that any company can completely vent all drivers. Number 2 you are given the chance to use idle air and dont have to freeze or sweat. Number 3 lease option O/O do have the option to buy apu units. So check your facts before making braod statements
Of course a company cannot babysit every driver … no secret in that – A company driver should not have to pay out of their own pocket for comfort, especially a new/student driver making .14 to .25 CPM – and of course one of the biggest scams in OTR trucking – the owner operator lease purchase program … why would a driver spend the money on an APU unit for a truck that through such a program shows that 87% fail? The TRUTH is always a hard pill to swallow . . . Allen Smith
Dear Greg:
I believe what you intended to say was “Vet” which is a political “buzzword” meaning “check out”.
So what you are saying is that trucking bears minimal responsibility to put drivers behind the wheel who will drive state to state anonymously?
I wonder? Should a pedophile be permitted to be employed as a school bus driver? What about as a Janitor in an elementary school? How about a predator as a janitor at say … YALE?
In all honesty there is no way to know how a person will act clean record or not , male or female when you place them in a position of stress, duress & power with little support from the company when the situation unravels as they often do in epidemic numbers from the “Team Training Business Model”.
The interview actually occurred over many months & many more drivers from CRST & My Company PLUS many more WANTED a chance to share their experience with Dan Rather but 1 news segment of 20 minutes cannot touch on everything.
There was much not included in the final cut including a discussion of how the Student Trucker Industry affects Owner-Operators & what I saw during my week on FEMA during Hurricaine IKE with regards to the term “Cheap Freight”.
The interview is open for follow up & I believe there will much more coming about the Trucking Industry shortly.
A number of drivers contact me via my website http://www.truckerdesiree.com & ask me to raise a topics of discussion that they are petrified to discuss themselves for fear of Retaliation or a False Reporting on their DAC which will hurt their career. You can read more about the DAC nightmare here from Allen Smith’s ASkTheTrucker Blog Post and Video.
Several Owner-Operators who are on the Lease Option program at CRST have contacted me & kept me informed about their attempts to get permission to buy their own APU’s & install them so they do not have to idle or be subjected to citations. This continues to be an issue among other things at CRST according to their drivers.
I have written about the Idle issue on my blog over at http://www.pickensplan.com where I participate in a Trucking Discussion Group & Support Natural Gas for Americas Future Independence from Foreign Oil.
IdleAire I speak about in both “The Truck Stop of the Future” & “My Green Idea” , the truth is it is not always possible to locate Idleaire, it does not protect the engine block from freezing, I am an employee & should not have to pay to stay warm at my place of employment & esspecially at a cost higher than diesel.
The Dan Rather producers have a number of documents that are original hand written statements & emails to my company, police report & photographs that were not even touched on PLUS, just for the heck of it I called the Head of Security at the location where the bleach incident occurred just before the airing of this show on his cell phone & he stated to this day NO ONE from My Company has EVER contacted them about my co-driver leaving that casino intoxicated with their truck & a load of high security freight.
That and much more was provided to This production but time constraints do not permit showing everything.
What is important is that more & more national media want to know about a truckers life from the truckers themselves & NOT from the stereotyped image that has been portrayed.
I have had threats to my life for speaking out & I will say that I have sat & wondered what is possessing me to keep talking… It has been an incredible year of fortunate hapenstance while I’ve been telling this story despite the threats to my person.
I am not afraid of the critics, or to be harmed for telling this story. There are to many people being hurt who cannot write or have the ability to speak out.
I’m networking for them to give a chance for them to tell their story & find an audience who truly cares about them.
I’m fine with being the sacrificial lamb.
Pointing things that are of ones own experiences are in no way a lie. Background checks are a part of life in every industry, or should be when seeking employment. If one has nothing to hide then one need not worry. If everyone were perhaps this honest everything would be that much better.
You have a choice to use idle air? at who’s expenses? Hello why the hell should a company driver have to pay for something like heating and cooling to do his job. Isn’t the driver sacrificing enough? Living in the truck 24/7.
I really wish I had cable so I could have watched this. Hopefully, it will come out on YouTube one day.
Hi Deborah,
We’re trying to get the video, but in the meantime here’s a link to iTunes where you can download it and watch it from your computer.
You will need to open up an iTunes account, but it’s pretty simple to do.
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewTVShow?id=284488309
Ok, let me first say, that I am not the female truck driver who is against other female truck drivers! However, I worked and struggled and fought my way to where I was when I had to leave the industry. I do admire Desirees’ courage to stand up for what she believed to be true in the industry. I have sat and chewed on this for a couple days, and I really and truly believe it’s unfair that the only people being brought to the table on this are the few bad trainers in the industy, but to be fair, this is one story, granted, the story is horrible and I could not imagine living through it, but can anyone see the flip side, or one time on here, has anyone pointed out that there are a lot of very hard working trainers who dedicate their lives no matter the cost to putting safe and courteous drivers on the road. Yes it was said in the “Queen of the Road” interview. But it was such a short mention, that the only thing anyone heard was BAD BAD BAD!!! This is not in any way a slight againt what she has gone through, but if we’re going to be talking about an issue, don’t both sides of the issue need to be brought to the table for it to be a fair discussion? I can speak from personal experience that as a trainer with the “unmentioned” company, I spent countless days weeks and months away from my family to ensure that my students received what they deserved from me as their trainer.
As a trainer for them, I had students who tried to make accusations against me that were totally unfounded, for reasons such as their spouse was screaming in their ear that they needed to come home because they missed them, or because it wasn’t “their job to take care of their kids” and instead of just admitting this, it was easier to try and pull out all the stops and make it my fault, that I HAD done something wrong. Up to and including it being witnessed by phone by numerous people in the office the verbal abuse I was taking from this student. I remained calm and kept her on my truck trying to return her safely to the terminal in which I picked her up from. This however was not good enough for her and she CHOSE to get off of my truck in FL. Forcing the company to provide her transportation back to MI. Of which they did!
I have supported students on the road because of the fact that they had just come out of school and were broke. I did this with numerous students and never got paid back and on very few occasions did I even get a simple thank you! Taking money away from my own family to help them to keep from getting into the “advance cycle” that we all know is impossible to break! I was doing it to help them. But that is just me. These people got on to my truck a stanger, and got off a member of my family. I still get phone calls from students that have been off of my truck for a long time when they have problems or just need to vent!! I know more trainers that are like myself then the above mentioned trainer, and or trainers, then I do anyone else. Please if this is going to be fair, PLEASE put the flip side of what these trainers deal with out there as well, and Desiree, for what you’ve been through I’m truly sorry!!! Stories like yours are the reason that I became a trainer to begin with! But please make sure when talking about trainers, mention that there are some good ones out there too!!
Dear Christie:
I just finished writing a lengthy reply to Greg that touches on the topic of the time constraints that one television segment can include all aspects of a very complex array of issues.
If you read in my story, I was able to locate good trainers later who helped me learn better by my own initiative to be a better driver.
My Trainer was a young girl who was a great driver but she had many issues of her own.
There are good trainers and bad trainers. There are good students and bad students … The question is, why are the ones who want to listen and learn never get any help finding the trainers who take their job seriously and want to put safe drivers on the highway?
Like I have said many times before, Why are Good Trainers quitting and leaving? Because the quality of students being recruited is scaring them to death.
That leaves serious minded students with a Russian Roulette learning experience. The same for the trainers … that’s why.
A number of former Women trainers agreed to be in this Dan Rather Report and wanted to be in the final cut but the time constraints did not permit it.
No one knew who would end up in the final result but there is much more footage, conversation and participants who are more than willing to talk to more media person about this problem.
It just so happens I ended up in the final result, I am not the only one who is talking.
I do NOT disagree with you that there are issues that need to be addressed. I just feel that in some regards the fact that we are only brining to light the negative aspects of everything going on out there is not going to shed much of a positive light on the industry. There are TONS of us who have more then manipulated ourselves, our pocket books and most importantly, our families for the sake of our students and the betterment of the industry as whole. I really and truly hope that as this goes on, the trainers who do there jobs and do them with pride will receive some recogntion for the jobs that they do and that it will be brought to light that not all of us are bad. I wish that my life would afford me the ability to be here at home where I need to be right now and continue on with my career, I said it before, and I’ll say it again, it is stories like yours that brought me into training, so hopefully more women like you would not be run out of the industry. I admire your courage to stand up for what you believe in, and wish you the best of luck in your battle.
I am right there with Christie, being a current trainer myself, I strive to make sure that the people that get on my truck have the most comfortable, safe, and most important of all, LEARNING experience they can get in the given amount of time we have. I’ve even kept some on for more than that time if they express to me they feel they’re not ready, or I feel they need more time. Yes, unfortunately there are some really shoddy trainers in the industry, but not all of us are bad! I do feel they should raise the experience requirements for trainers, as I have 7 years myself, 2 of those being a trainer. I’ve had absolutely wonderful students, and people that should never have set foot in a truck. It does take a certain kind of person to be a truck driver, some have it, some don’t. I am sorry about the experience you had, and I myself had a pretty bad experience when I learned as well. My trainer NEVER let me back, then dropped me off to upgrade and said good luck, but I don’t think you’ll make it. This, among others, is one of the main reasons I became a trainer. I didn’t want ANYONE to go through what I did. I’m in no way accusing anyone of myself being attacked, but am standing up for those of us GOOD trainers that usually get overlooked amongst all the bad trainers out there. I do my job purely out of the satisfaction I get putting at least one more safe driver out there.
AMY AND CHRISTIE everyone knows that when you expose some “bad apples” it does not represent the ENTIRE GROUP!
I really wish you guys could be able to focus on the story and not yourselves.
PEOPLE KNOW THERE ARE GOOD TRAINERS. Lord knows we appreciate ALL OF YOU….but that’s not what this story is about.
It’s about how some schools do not give adequate training to people who are spending THOUSANDS of dollars AND
How some Trainers within companies who have NO BUSINESS BEING TRAINERS are paired in trucks with weak and vulnerable PEOPLE…men and women.
Do you understand that you should be angry with the companies who are pairing new, inexperienced, and vulnerable drivers with drivers/trainers who have questionable backgrounds?
YOU SHOULD BE ANGRY WITH THOSE WHO ARE DOING THIS..they are the ones giving trucking and THE GOOD TRAINERS a BAD NAME. Not the victims coming forward!!!
I can’t believe you don’t see this. Companies need to take the time to check and see WHO THEY ARE PUTTING IN THE TRUCKS WITH WHO!!
Can you see it now!! Do you see who is making you look bad.
It’s those in charge of making the decisions within the companies. It’s those who are not taking the time to look through a drivers background before making them a trainer and then PAIRING them with someone and living 24/7 in a truck with a possible sociopath!
DO you see it? It’s not about you! It’s about people being hurt and used because those in charge don’t want to take the time to do THEIR HOMEWORK!!
Ok Donna, I’ll bite on this one here, first of all word of mouth is the best defense that anyone has against the “schools” ( and I use that term losely) that are nothing more then breeding grounds is word of mouth, and if one person from every one of these “schools” who feels they have been slighted took just one day out of their week to go to the school, where the new recruits are, and take a moment of your time to talk to the new recruits about this school, it would only be a matter of time before they would either A: be forced to rethink the teaching practices or B: Close the doors. There are more and more breeding programs opening their doors nationwide.
Possible sociaopath? Let me say this, someone doesn’t have to have a criminal background, or a history of mental illness, or any of the typical labels that society uses to lose it in one of these trucks. I’ve seen some of the most level headed and down to earth people that I have ever met in my LIFE lose it out there! I don’t know what kind of background checks you are refering to before the people are made trainers, but if you have a background check that’ll work, please bring it! Cause let me tell you, I have been the one on the receiving end of the abuse out there, granted it never turned physical (could have had I not walked away) but I have deffinetly been on the receiving end of the abuse from the students. So yes, I have to agree companies need to have a more open ear when trainer/student either one speaks up and says there is a problem.
I’m pretty certain I’ve rambled here and to be honest, I think I’ve jumped from subject to subject, but I feel just as you’re getting one side of this story out there, the other side needs to be brought out as well. It is more then just truck drivers that read these things, if all they ever read is nothing but negative, they will eventually label all running up and down the roads of this country. If you read my previous post, I very much told Desiree that I admire her courage for standing up for what she believes in. And I also said it was stories like hers that brought me into training!!!! I have not discounted that there was a problem here, just asked that the voices of those of us who do our jobs and do them with pride be allowed to have a voice here as well.
Thank you Christie and we appreciate you and all the wonderful trainers on the road today. You are the kind of people we need to keep out there!
I like your idea of going to the school and talking to the new students. We get hundreds of emails from people who feel they were poorly treated or ripped off by a school.
Maybe this is what you should do…go tell others what happened to you. ( I do believe they’ll get kicked off the property, but it’s worth a shot)
And It’s true, you don’t have to have a criminal history to be a threat to another. ( Heck, look at Ted Bundy!) And many sociopaths have no history of any kind of either mental illness or a criminal record, BUT,
on that same note, you still have to start somewhere.
A background check is the only thing we have to go by and it will help filter out those who are not qualified to be trainers.
As far as trainers being attacked by students go: On one of our “Bullying in the Workplace” Blog Talk Radio Show you would have heard one of the guests speaking on the topic of students attacking trainers. He was a trainer and he did take abuse from some students. This kind of behavior should absolutely not be tolerated by anyone.
Bottom Line: Lets make the trucking industry a place to be proud of…Stop the rip offs and the Abuse!!
Lil comment about the getting thrown off the property, THAT right there should raise red flags to everyone and be cause for alarm. However, if enough people raise the awarness at a local level what these schools are doing, then just like with every news worthy story, the national news will be picking up on it. I am very fortunate that I live almost dead center in between two wonderful training schoools, my school consisted of 2 weeks in the classroom learning the laws and the mechanics of the trucks and the last 4 weeks were 5 days a week on the road or on the backing course. AND I had the ability at any time in the next 6 weeks while I was already employed to go back and have assistance from an instructor if I felt I needed “fine tuning” I have encountered on numerous occasions the students who have come from these breeder schools, and let me tell you, I was horrified when learning what these breeder programs DON’T teach the students. Hence, all of the extra time away from the family, cause I was doing the jobs of the BREEDERS when I should have been taking basic skills and helping to fine tune and tweek some of it and also teach some of the things that you can NEVER learn in ANY school, breeder program or not! I would love to see the changes come about, but I would like to see those changes come about WITHOUT the gov’t stepping any further into this industry then they already are, I think the reactions that many are giving in this case is the fear of the gov’t stepping in on just one more aspect of this industry!! Seriously, how much more damage can they do to any one industry? (Auto Industry prime example) I really and truly think this as well as people feeling slighted due to knowing deep down the kind of jobs we do are the reasons there is any kind of resistance to the whole issue, please understand, I’m not opposed to change and change is sometimes a hard pill to swallow. It’s even harder to swallow when you start to think the gov’t just might play “big brother” again……just the rants of a concerned truck driver on many levels.
By the by, my posts where not about me me me, I was simply trying to get the other side out there, that not ALL of us are bad, and there are a bunch of us that take pride in what we do! Do I think 6 months is enough to become a trainer, NO! (I’ve screamed about that one myself) I was almost 4 years before I thought I had what it would take to be a productive trainer. Just a lil side note there!!!!
One last thought for the night, BBB better business bureau, report these schools to them and direct the prospective students to call them to check out the shoools (or breeder programs) they are looking in to!! Not sure if the BBB is everywhere or what the deal is, but it is a usefull tool in my state, and I use it frequently!! Just a thought
PS
My trainer is no longer employed with the company. And it wasn’t only about taking vicodin. It was a whole lot more.
It always seams to be about me, me, me in everything in this world. Hello what is wrong with people. How can anyone become a trainer with only 6 months under their belt. They may not have ever been through a winter. You have got to be kidding. I would say more like 2 years maybe. It is not just about teaching someone to drive a truck. My trainer was taking vicodin while driving. Couldn’t say awake. Scary when trying to get your sleep so you could drive next. It was hell people… and I plan to tell everyone. This is bull what is going on with the trucking industry.
Yes, I realize I should be angry with the companies for their apparent lack of judgement when it comes to the “pairing process” I know for a fact that the only criteria my company uses is do you smoke? or male or female? And from personal experience, the latter still doesn’t seem to matter to them. Sad, but true. When we start, they have you fill out a “preference” form, same for students in orientation.. it would be nice if they had a “no psychos” box to check.. I jest. It would be nice if they could do a psychological profile on people who want to become truck drivers, but that would be descriminatory. I totally agree there are too many people who have angry temperaments driving trucks today, least of all, trainers who are like this. I have witnessed countless times, trainers berating their students. I also stand up for said students, by either talking to the trainer directly or reporting them. The trainers are reprimanded, then given another chance. I have seen trainers fired for this as well. I also have several friends that are trainers, that when they are done with their students, they believe they did a good job, they got along extremely well with their student, but as soon as that same student goes to upgrade.. they get nervous, or don’t handle tests well, and BAM! All of a sudden they had the worst trainer ever and they start spewing all of this hurtful negative slander.. Too may times now, people are afraid to accept responsibility for their actions. You screwed up, deal with it. I myself am horrible when it comes to taking tests, but I don’t have anyone to blame but myself. But, as Christie pointed out, you can be a completely normal, sane person, get in a truck, and freak. I myself have seen this. You CANNOT tell how ANYONE is going to react. In a car, they may get a little upset with traffic, but as we all know, traffic is much more frustrating when you’re trying to fit a semi in there. I know, I’ve gotten off subject again, but I have so many feelings about all of this. The driving school I went to was a joke. Basically the same crap that Desiree went through. My training was also a joke. Yes I believe something should be done about this. Absolutely. I find myself wondering all the time, especially when my students bring up their experience with driving school.
I have spoken with the person responsible for the “pairing” and their reason is, “They don’t have enough people to be able to talk to everyone coming through orientation, or can’t guarantee the trainer with the right personality (or preference) for whomever they’re going to train, will be available when that person is ready to go out on a truck. The wait-lists would be insane and you would have so many people in poor houses because they’re waiting on a trainer to “fit” them. People come to trucking generally as a last resort nowadays, and they don’t want to make them wait rediculous amounts of time to start learning, so they can start making money NOW.”
Some of that makes sense, but lately in these wonderful economical times we’re in right now, they can’t hire more people to weed out or profile new or existing drivers or hopeful drivers. They just hand them keys and see what they do, then take action, if needed (sometimes). Again, sad, but true. Companies and driving schools alike absolutely should not keep sweeping problems under the proverbial carpet. They should listen when someone complains. Example: I actually just had a major issue with someone and had to take action. They still work for the company now. But the company finds this person to be an asset, and are unwilling to part with them. Now I am forced to avoid them whenever I’m in the area. Not that this person would do anything, but I am extremely uncomfortable with them. I personally feel that much more disciplinary action should have been taken, but it wasn’t. My interests were last on their list. Yes I feel slighted. Another problem that has come to my attention is that some people come out here thinking it’s going to be a cakewalk and it’s NOT. They get out here thinking they’re just going to drive a little bit and stop and mess around or shop or whatever. Then they get upset when they’re told they need to go, because there’s no time for that on this load. Next thing I know, I’m a horrible person for not letting them stop to shop for a souvenir for their grandbaby. Or they don’t want to sleep because they’re afraid they may miss something. I could go on, I know I elaborate alot, but that’s just me. I know this whole thing is not about me, but I consider myself a victim of bad schools, and bad training as well, but I dealt with it, and here I am now 7 years later trying to make it up to the hopefuls that are coming out here. There’s nothing I can do about the company’s decisions, so I try to make it as good as an experience for those that do get on my truck.
Okay so maybe you were a good trainer. But I am sorry there is far to much bad in this industry far to much. I am with Desiree all the way. Attention has to be brought to this industry. And it is not just a few bad trainers…
Ok doitherselfher, please read what I have written, I have said time and time again that I admire her courage for standing up for what she believes in. I also said that it was stories like hers that pulled me into the training in the first place. Maybe I didn’t take the kind of steps that she is taking, but I took the kind of steps that I was comfortable with in trying to make a difference one student at a time……there is bad in the industry, I HAVE SEEN IT AND LIVED IT!!! There are a A LOT of good competent trainers on these roads, their focus is on placing safe and courteous drivers on the roads that they share with the motoring public. I don’t believe that I have one time said that change didn’t need to come. I just simply asked that the flip side be able to be heard, there are two sides to every issue. I’ve not one time discounted that there are problems that need to be addressed. If circumstances change here in the near future, I plan to go back to making my difference one student at a time. I’m not up for the large battles, but I can do my part one at a time!!!
Hi Christie:
We are planning an upcoming Radio Show for Women Truckers and I’ve been talking to ladies this morning, some who had their start some 20 years ago and who are former trainers.
I’m actually immaterial to this entire thing except that I spent every waking moment over the past year writing when I saw no one in the industry, nor anyone at “Women in Trucking’ gave a damn about what was going on.
I started a thread with over 3000 reads at “Women in Trucking” and watched thos lurkers, those prospective memebers which even if they were students would calculate to be 3000 x $10 = a hefty sum. and even if was half that number …. so many leaving from the climate conducted there.
I actually am nothing special and my mission is only this. To speak out for the people I MET who are not computer literate and do not have writing skills to communicate to the outside world about what is happening to them.
I have made it “Over the Rainbow” now because of my own tenacity and I get treated very well. I also have many skills in the business world so being blackballed from Trucking for speaking out is not a worry, it would only validate what others say the Industry does to anyone who tries to address safety concerns.
Dear Greg,
This ‘expose’ is not a slam on good trainers…..the good side of trucking is wonderful….but the dirty side is really black and needs to be addressed.
Kudos for this woman trucker for ‘taking’ the heat and letting the public know what is going on.
I too had some real rough times in trucking as a student and as an inexperienced and ‘young lady’ ….no one…and I mean NO ONE took time to tell me what to watch out for in the ‘wild wild west’ of the trucking industry.
Lady Trucker
Dear Wrong Way 2,
If you are not familiar with the social rules in trucking, you will not know how to judge a specific industry and the rules by which the industry is run.
When a trainee is far away from home with no supportive network and has been told that the person (man or woman) that is doing the training is to be trusted…..and no proper and professional set of rules, regulations and conduct are enforced by the company…..than the ”trainee’ must and has to rely on the ‘good judgement’ ‘excellent ethics and morals’ of the trainer….but as the statistics and data are surfacing in the trucking industry….the facts prove that the companies are not creating a safe working environment and that the ‘fresh and inexperienced’ drivers out in the trucking industry are ending up raped, left stranded in cities with no money, having to deal with druggies, drunks and criminals.
I look forward to helping the trucking industry take a close look at policy and procedure in training and developing a set of rules and regulations for all trainers so that the work environment that we put inexperienced people into will end up becoming a positive training environment for the student and a safe training environment for the trainers.
Thank you,
Lady Trucker
Dear Desiree,
Thank you for being a strong and courageous woman. If you were not, you would never have lasted. This tells me that your morals, ethics and your sense of responsibility is excellent and I hope that you will one day become a trainer to help, not only trucking trainees, but will become the voice for great change in an industry that needs changing.
Lady Trucker
I realize that this is going to be one hot topic…and I will be back on Saturday to read the posts and reply ( just so no one thinks that I have run off scared)
Lady Trucker
Ladies, I tip my cap to you all. Your fortitude, tenacity, and willingness to help should be admired. Gentleman out there, wake up, you too should want to pitch in and correct the wrongs where they exist and make for a better environment for the benefit of all. Its a we thing not a me or you thing.
Hats off to ya Desiree, If your still training I’m a 53 year old Gentleman who’s joining Covanent Nov 9th. It would be an Honor to be your student
Here’s a funny side note in response to me becoming a trainer.
I was told “Never” because I dared complain about my concerns!
The “HR Lady” herself sat down next to me as if I was a naughty child & expressed that just maybe if I behaved myself & could show what q nice quiet accomadating girl I was for the next 6 months, then just MAYBE, I might be considered to be a trainer.
This is at a time they were so desperate for female trainer anyone with a pulse could get to be one.
Like my post on the CRST Sexual Harrassment Case on my site speaks of a Fleet Qualcomm being sent out upon the dismissal to “SPIN” ut, My Company sent 2 prior to this broadcast.
In the second one, drivers were advised to call this same HR Lady who I have caught in lies time & again to answer their questions.
As I said before … That’s sort of like sending a COW to Ronald McDonald to keep him off the Bun.
Many of these so called “Driver Services” are simply to de brief you & then eliminate you from what I have observed.
I have been reading the story that has been put out here, and as I said before, I truly feel bad for the situation you had to go through Desiree, but everyone has been beating it into my head that it was not said that “all trainers” are bad, and to be honest based on what was being said, I felt that this was the case and that it had some merit, HOWEVER, the following was copied and pasted from one of your blogs in your diary:
Trainers get priority miles that’s why people who don’t really care about teaching OR are not qualified to teach OR people who can’t get along with anyone to stay teamed with them are the majority of trainers
Let me tell you the way I see it, I sat JUST AS MUCH, with my students waiting for loads in an economy that was in the toilet, as I know of many other trainers that were starving durring that point. I also know of trainers that were doing well as well as teams, but there were also teams that were sitting at a dead stop. I did not have an inability to team with people as have teamed before and I would do it again in a minute if the right person presented themselves! Not trying to pick a fight here in anyway shape or form, just pointing out as I have in previous posts that the good ones need to be brought to the table and recognized for the contributions and sacrifices they make to the industry that are positive. We are not all bad!!
Dear Christie:
Again, This story began before the economy collapsed. The manner of everything from the beginning of this story has been affected from what occured to me during my training AND I started recounting this story almost 1 year AFTER.
I have been driving almost 2 years now and as I say on my wordpress, I was compelled to tell the story as it happened to ME even though I was already in a Dedicated Solo Fleet with good communication & a great dispatcher & zero reason to ever care about anyone else.
I have good friends who were experienced trainers & were left sitting with students in a manner that was opposite from what I experienced in 07/early 08 before the economy tumbled.
I have serveral friends who WERE good trainers that quit.
In fact I see few trainers I recognize anymore & we do have good ones at my company I have met & wished I could have had them train me.
I had to FIND My Own Resources, Trainers who would take their time to show me things I did not get to learn.
I had to literally go ask people I came to know & respect to PLEASE help me & they would work with me along with their current students when I’d run into them.
Also, Valerie was a former trainer from my story & helped me.
I’m not sure why you keep going back trying to find something negative about you. I’ve never met you.
I met female trainers & male trainers who said they Wished they could get a student like me that was so willing to listen & learn.
Instead they kept getting duds & I wondered why many students I met who wanted to learn got stuck with crappy trainers.
They was no ryhme or reason just because the volume of students each week.
80-100 each week! That’s a lot of people to coordinate & it seemed little more than smoking preferences.
My trainer got me because she wanted a non smoking female. She said men didn’t listen to her.
She was a good driver but she was young, depressed, popping pills, in very bad health & seemed to have a death wish to be quite frank.
She was an unhappy person & often spoke of a young death
I’m not trying to say that you are directing anything at me personally, I’m just pointing out from the flip side of the story. Please don’t misunderstand that I know and acknowledge that there are trainers out there for the wrong reasons, just as there are Dr’s in their profession for the wrong reasons, and I’m sure if given a little more thought, I could come up with countless people who are in their chosen professions for the wrong reasons. But from what I have seen, this is not the case in the “majority” of trainers that I know or that I have had encounters with. Yes, I have had the encounters with the bad ones as well, but on a far less frequent basis then the good ones. Here’s the point I’m trying to make, there are SEVERAL things of which you say that I agree with. I’m not trying to say that I don’t agree with you in ANY fashion. I’m just simply asking as I have now said time and time again, just let the other side of the issue come out here so that it can be a fair discussion had by all. I don’t discount what you have been through, and again stories like your brought me to being a trainer! (again, repetition) I hope that in time you can see I’m not trying to interfere with what you are saying, or trying to accomplish, just putting a different perspective out there to be heard.
Really, I come in peace, here just trying to put the other side of the coin out there!!!
I have posted this link here to a CRST Post I made some months back.
Please Read it & the comments.
Understand that the only thing I have done is tell one story from MY point of view.
There are many people searching for a way to tell theirs.
http://truckerdesiree.com/2009/05/25/crst/
The Dan Rather interview was really enlightening and it’s really unfortunate what happen to Desiree with her choice of CDL school, but I would have liked to see Mr. Rather explore the fact that all schools are not bad. Obviously, there is good and bad in everything, but the report could have bared that out and not made it seem that all student drivers are only skilled at killing cones.
Hi Allen and Donna,
Nice story and interesting comments. Someone has uploaded the Dan Rather Reports interview to blip.tv. You can find the link here: http://www.blip.tv/file/2759448.
Hope you are well!
Warmly,
Allen
Hi Happy Dan and Mick,
Good Point. It is time for the “Good ole Boys” to step up to the plate and put forth some effort to help shape the attitude and professionalism that belongs in trucking. It is time for the Old Dogs to teach the young pups about acting in a professional and responsible manner by setting a good example in the work place.
When I was young – truck drivers were looked on as Knights in shining armor….Knights of the Road….IF you were in trouble; flag down a trucker to give you some help. Let’s bring that back!
Lady Trucker
The Dan Rather report was outstanding. It was pretty much true to form. I’m surperised to hear about the drivers with criminal backgrounds. I’m no longer an employee of Swift Transportation, but I’d like to put in a plug for their extensive background searches and investigation s of each new recruite/student that attendes thier schools. I’ve mentioned before in one of these replies that I attended the ” SWIFT DRIVING ACADEMY ” AT LEWISTON iDAHO. The new students were screened by thier recruiters before they arrived and they were throughly investigated
and screened agian for the entire first week. A gal we called ” Danny” probably short for Dannille? Prided herselve in doing this work. I found out later from a couple people in my “referance list”
that she accually talked and asked questiones about me for 20-30 minutes. She probably found it unusual that there was no dirt in my background, my driving record was clean as far back as time ,( i drove an english sports car to school ) , I was clean cut, and followed the rules. With a class of 16 to start we ended up with 8 after the first week. You were given one week to decide
if you really wanted to continue the program or not. If not you were given a bus ticket home. (If you didn’t come by car) and you were not obligated for any expenses. After that first week you could sign a payment contract and continue on with the program.
Sure, the school was 23 days, not long enough to learn the trucking industry. The schools aren’t designed to teach you the ins and outs of life on the road or how to manage your time in order to meet that 45 minute delivery window. The schools are designed to teach you basic safety, map familliarity, how to operate the equipmwnt and double clutch. We had plenty of “SUPPERVISED INSTRUCTION” on and off the road. I was given an extra week at no charge because I needed more instruction with the double clutch. At the Swift school in Lewiston Idaho students are tested extensively before they take the CDL test with thier perspective state. We had students from OR. WA, ID, AND MONTANA. The academy ” trucks” you to your state . You
recieve the state CDL test by an official Department of transportation officer from you individual state.
We worked 10 hours a day every day while at school and loged every minute. Our log books were checked for accuracy and neatness. If the books were wrong, if we made mistakes Danny would make sure we knew how to correct them. ( NOT CHEAT ON THEM)
Maybe some people would be more comfortable if you called a trucking scool a “CDL” school, but at the Swift Academy we were told the first 3-4 weeks would only be ‘PHASE 1 OF TRAINING. Phase 2 WOULD BE WITH A COMPANY ” MENTOR” ON THE ROAD FOR A PERIO0D OF 6 WEEKS AND PHASE 3 WOULD BE 90 DAYS SOLO.
WE COULD DRIVE SOLO IN THE AREA OF THE COUNTRY WE WERE MOST COMFORTABLE WITH. The biggest responsibility for new driver training falls on the ” mentor” or the 6 weeks teaming. Unfortunity
most of these people are not qualified to teach “DIRT”. They are
mainly concerned with the amount of miles they can put on the log books. I witnessed a mentor change because a mentor would not let the new driver drive, but used her log book to keep him driving. My mentor had me teaming/driving 10 on 10 off the third day out. Which I apprieciated.
My point is this: there are companies that screen and train as best as they can. I believe Swift is one of those.
Please excuss my grammer and or spelling. Do these reply boxes have a spell check anywhere? ( wheres a mentor when you need one?)
[...] Here is a link to the post on “Ask the Trucker” about “Queen of the Road“ [...]
It is true! Women are sexually harassed during finishing school. The trainers admit it. Desiree is an attractive woman and the sexual predators would have been after her. I worked for Frozen Food Express out of Lancaster, Texas. You will be surprised to hear that I have no complaints against them despite their short comings. The training at FFE was superior to that reported by Dan Rather. However, I discovered the culture I was working in very quickly. FFE was not a bad company to work for. I gave my descision to move on a lot of thought before I decided to resign. I knew I would be dead in 6 months if I stayed. The stress is enormous. Most of your time is spent with the truck. When the driver is not hauling freight, he or she is guarding the truck. Personal neglect is the result of these long hours on the job. The 14 hour rule is good but, as long as the truck is in the driver’s possession, the driver is never actually off duty. The driver cannot leave the truck unattended. I might have stayed a little longer if I had been able to track my earnings more efficiently. I did like the actual driving of the truck. Any truck driver will tell you how gratifying it is to see your skills improve on a daily basis. Truck drivers deserve a better life out there.
Like Allan said, YOU Desiree, are doing a hard and courageus work, spreading the truth about trucking. Hopefully many others will join you in this endeavor and someday, we truckers will be able to change the status quo. It’s a never ending battle. Let’s keep on fighting.
Dear Betty and Desiree,
I agree on all of the issues posted here. I would rather see someone at the helm of Women in Trucking that has years of trucking experience behind the wheel, dealing with the dark and scary side of trucking.
Yes, trucking itself is a wonderful and fulfilling occupation, and it is a ‘way of life’.
But, the dark and dirty side needs to be addressed as has happened in other industries.
I want to thank the supportive and strong women in the trucking industry that are coming forward and standing strong to help change the trucking industry for the better.
Lady Trucker
I have been reading all that has been posted, in ref to this story, and it seems that we have gotten away from what it was about, and that being the training of drivers, yes I do think that some of what desiree said was and still is true, but also that some of what was said seems to be just good entertainment!, but cant say for sure dont have all the facts, and as for some things that have been said to other drivers that r not posted here, I.E. something that happen at a company yard in tx! and I agree there two sides to every story, I have and do know a lot of the trainer at the company, she is with, and yes there r some bad apples in there, but there r also some really good ones also, I dont train there because of company policy, but I have been a trainer at two other companies, there comes a time when the truth has to come out, I know a few people r ready to jump and defend the company, but guys that is up to the company to do, yes u want to tell ur side of the story as a good trainer, I am with u on that I myself was a good trainer as any of the drivers I trained will tell, so lets do that, just remeber when u open the door, something may come out that the company didnt want to, but desiree, u r wrong about all trainer being bad, and yes maybe u just said it wrong, but I can show u trainers who r now at or have been at the company, that I would trust my grandkids with.
Dear K.C.
I’m sorry, can you point out to me where I said “All Trainers Are BAD”? I have had to come back over and over to say that “All Trainers are NOT Bad”. and that I know many GOOD TRAINERS I met later after I went through Training who HELPED ME.
Also, I have stated many times in my story that there are many GOOD PEOPLE at my Company who deserve to be treated with the respect they deserve.
There are people who have silently watched a variety of things happen with their hands tied on what to do to make changes or adjustments to make things better.
If you have found somewhere I have actually EVER said “ALL Trainers are BAD” Please SHOW ME and I will retract that.
The RUMOR Mill is in FULL Swing so if that is just something “YOU HEARD” then maybe you and that person can hash it out where they “HEARD” it from and from where or who.
well 1st of all I have been one of the few people who have looked at the interview u did and ur story, and have tired to defend u and show others that all u say is not true and what u say might be true and to wait and see and look at everything I have said to my friends who look at this thier way, and u want to come at me like that, if u go back and read ur interview with dan u will see what u said would lean toward u r saying all trainers r bad like I said maybe it was the way u said it, I just hope that somthing will good will come of this I dont know what u r really looking to gain from this, other than fame but good luck
Dear KC:
I have just watched the Dan Rather Show for the third time and I watched it with another one of the drivers from our company who is on my dedicated fleet who used to work for CRST.
I do not know her well but have seen her once before at a shipper.
I asked her to listen carefully to the segment and give me her honest opinion and we have concluded I did not say anything that could “lean” toward me saying ALL trainers are bad.
Here is the link again to watch it online:
http://www.blip.tv/file/2759448
Very little of this interview touch on my trainer who was in fact a young woman.
The segment focused primarily on my CDL School not on the company, also Tom Hansen from CRST did speak about trainers. He was formerly from the CRST Safety Dept.
In one section where I spoke about a co-driver I said ‘SOME” Male Trainers …. with regards to badgering for Sex.
I did hear Dan Rather say “…even a former Co-Driver who was popping pills ” but actually that was my Trainer who was popping pills the entire time she was training me.
If you look on my word press there are some comments from a “Tamara” who says she is my Female Trainers Friend.
She explains my trainer was popping pills because she has a ruptured disk.
Also, I say on here and on my website http://www.truckerdesiree.com
Later I met many Good Trainers who helped me.
I have many friens now who are current or former trainers and even some from CRST who have helped answer quick questions for me me.
You say if I would go back and “Read” my interview, are you reading a transcript? Because I am watching the actual program and it focuses mostly on my CDL Training in Miami, and then the Team Phase.
There is little about my trainer or asking me about trainers at the company except that one spot where I am talking about Sex and I use the word “Some”
Thanks,
Desiree
Here is a post with comment from my Wordpress and “Tamara” appears who later confesses she is a friend of my Primary Trainer . Also another Student who had this Trianer posts named “Graembo”
I am including both links so you can read the exchanges:
http://truckerdesiree.com/2009/04/20/why-did-i-do-it/
http://truckerdesiree.com/about-2/
[...] Read the Full Story Here [...]
[...] Carl’s Corner, Tx. The objective of this broadcast was to follow up from the Show of October 20th, “Queen of the Road” where Trucker Desiree and Tom Hansen discussed the poor practices going on in trucking, [...]
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