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Posts Tagged women truckers

Women in Trucking can Make a Difference

Posted by Allen Smith in Woman Truckers, otr trucking, trucking companies, trucking life on November 19th, 2008

One of the most courageous woman truckers right now is writing on the AskTheTrucker blog, exposing the treatment and tactics allowed to continue within the trucking industry, as viewed through her eyes and own experiences.  The purpose for these posts are two fold:

1) To warn women desiring to get into OTR trucking about the many “red flags they must be aware of so they may avoid them.

2) To encourage other woman in trucking to speak up and not be intimidated or fearful of “losing their job.”

Desiree has a written a Journal type posting which I encourage women to read. She posts regularly, and in my opinion it’s like getting a treasure of info, which I’m sure many would be more than glad to “pay for”" if it was available in  book form.

Her experiences start all the way from day 1 in truck driving school, where she first began in her quest for the coveted CDL license. It then continues into driver training and team driving. This persistant woman would not allow ANYTHING to prevent her from attaining her #1 goal of driving the big rigs. Her experiences are at times like something you would  read in a novel or watch at the movie theatre.

She is a testimony of integrity, commitment, and perseverance.

If you are anyone interested in a trucking career, looking into truck driver training, are already a truck driver, or just interested in knowing what is still allowed to go on within the trucking industry, then I believe you will benefit from these journaled blog posts.

Thanks,
Donna

© 2008 – 2009, AskTheTrucker. All rights reserved.


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A Day in the Life of a Lady Trucker

Posted by Allen Smith in Woman Truckers, trucking life on October 19th, 2008

10/19/09     One Year Exactly from the original post of TruckerDesiree and 130 posts later!!  From that scared and frantic student contacting Allen for help, to one of the most determined and influential women in trucking today…offering advice and empathy to all who need it.

**YOU’VE COME A LONG WAY BABY!**

If you would like to read Desiree’s Journal from the beginning, please scroll ALL THE WAY DOWN to the bottom of the page.

Click on the Blue Words at the bottom of this page: “30 Old Comments are not displayed, Click to display all comments. ”

If you don’t do this, you will miss the first few months of the journal. Thanks,  Donna

This Journal will soon be available in book form.  We’ll let you know when it’s complete

10/19/08

Allen and I have the honor to communicate with so many people every day. Although we haven’t met the majority of them, I feel a comradery between us and them just the same. Trucking can be a lonely lifestyle in itself, but our websites, truthabouttrucking.com and askthetrucker.com, have introduced us to some of the finest human beings around. We receive letters, gifts, prayers, and friendship from many of our loyal subscribers.

Recently I started communicating by e-mail with a woman by the name of Desiree. Her e-mails describing her life as a truck driver were so detailed and graphic, I felt like I was living the experience right along with her.  Her stories were those of courage and integrity and Allen even used one of them in his new version of “The Truth About Trucking“ 4th edition.

I  invited Desiree to post some of her stories here, and I hope all of you find them as intriguing, entertaining and fascinating as I did. These stories represent  similar experiences that so many other woman truck drivers have lived.

Some of her stories can definitely give you some insight on how trucking companies “value” women truckers.

When I asked her to how she would like to share some of her stories here on our blog, she answered with this reply,

“Well I’d like to start, by starting from the very beginning and navigating my way thru the trucking
school scam and thru the individuals that I teamed with and was trained by, because there
are already tons of funny stories… but great learning experiences. From weight
management to hygiene I’ve been collecting and fine tuning this lifestyle to make it
work.”

Okay, Thanks Desiree. It’s all yours now!

Donna

© 2008 – 2009, AskTheTrucker. All rights reserved.


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Truck Driver Health Issues

Posted by Allen Smith in Truck Driving Jobs, otr trucking, trucking life on July 23rd, 2008

A recent study listed the truck driver occupation as one of the top ten most dangerous jobs in America. Due to the endless driving of our nation’s truckers, being “out there” on the highways and interstates, the obvious danger is the risk of being involved in a major accident. However, the risks go much further than just the obvious…an irregular schedule, sitting for long periods of time, bending and lifting heavy objects, stress, fatigue and the inability to eat properly maintained meals can lead to serious truck driver health issues.

Because of long periods of driving, many drivers fighting boredom are affected by smoking habits and along with sleeping in a vibrating tractor and working long hours and receiving minimal rest, physical problems can alleviate far greater than those within the general public.

Here in the United States, 20% of truck crashes are the direct result of over worked, fatigued drivers. Fatigue is also creating breathing disorders and sleep apnea in many over the road drivers. Also, women drivers show no difference from their male counter parts for suffering from these same health issues. In fact, our women truckers are fighting such health issues as backache, hypertension, headaches, sinus problems and vision impairment, with backache being the second place lead for health problems for truckers. Fatigue, still remains as number one.

Simple steps can insure a path to better health :

1. Know the signs of a heart attack.

2. Exercise while out on the road

3. Control your blood pressure

4. Make healthy fast food choices.

5. Quit smoking

6. Know the signs for a stroke

Here is an excellent resource for combating a poor health lifestyle. Magnesium plus Calcium has been found to be an excellent supplement for providing stress relief and fighting insomnia, as well as many other factors.

The road to health depends on you. Life on the road is hectic….but with the right mind set, better health can be just around the next bend.

About the Author:

Aubrey “Allen” Smith is the author of the first and original Truth About Trucking. An expert in Motor Carrier transportation, he is also the host of the talk radio show: Truth About Trucking “LIVE. Fighting for our nation’s drivers, his informational package is helping to raise the standards of the trucking industry.

© 2008, AskTheTrucker. All rights reserved.


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Those Wonderful Women Truckers

Posted by Allen Smith in Truck Driving Jobs, Woman Truckers on February 5th, 2007

Presently, there are about 8 million licensed CDL drivers in the United States. Approximately 4.5 million of these are active truck drivers. Professional truck driving, specifically over the road trucking, has always been noted as a field dominated by men. The rough and tough trucking life could only be handled by a real man . . . well, times are changing!
Women in trucking actually goes back to 1929 when Lillie Elizabeth Drennan became the first women to receive the CDL license. Driving an old Chevrolet, she was a rugged lady who carried a loaded revolver with her on her trucking adventures. Born in 1897, she paved the way for women truckers up to her passing in 1974.
Today, there are nearly 170,000 women truckers, making up 5% of all U.S. trucking jobs. By the end of 2007, that number is expected to attain 200,000. What motivates these women to leave the general work place? You will find that independence and the irrepressible challenge of truck driving jobs are the two most common motivations given. Another important reason is the wage-earning aspect. Truck driving averages 20-30% higher wages than jobs’ women usually enter into. Woman in trucking is on such a rise in the United States that it is the cause of such great organizations such as the National and International Women’s Trucking Association. Also, women are taking on more important leading roles such as management, safety, dispatching, sales and recruiting.
In the beginning, this new breed of trucker was hard for their men counterparts to accept. As time passed, men took notice as these incredible women showed their determination and abilities to handle the big rigs. I remember one day when I was parked at the Petro Truck Stop in El Paso, Texas and a driver came in and was attempting to back into a very tight spot next to a light pole. After several attempts, he pulled away frustrated. Right behind him, came this massive looking Peterbuilt and whipped right up and “hit” the spot on the very first try. I thought to myself, “Now that is one good driver.” As the door of the Peterbuilt opened, this tiny little lady that stood only about 5′4″ bounded out and made her way up to the truck stop! I just chuckled to myself and went to bed.
All truck drivers encounter the dangers and hardships associated with truck driving jobs, more so however, for over the road trucking. Women truckers are more vulnerable to these dangers and need to adhere to far greater rules of safety. Listed below are a few key points to keep in mind:
1. Avoid rest areas at all times, especially at night.
2. Keep doors locked at all times.
3. Never advertise that you are alone, even using the C.B. radio
4. Stay away from driving on back roads or taking “short cuts.”
5. When parking at a truck stop, try parking as close to the front door as possible.
6. At all parking spots, attempt to park under a well-lighted area.
7. ALWAYS carry a cell phone.
I, for one, consider it a great testimony to the strength and determination of our country’s women to take on such a demanding obstacle of over the road truck driving. It is not the easiest way of life. I am also continually impressed by those women who not only have succeeded in this difficult lifestyle, but have also maintained their feminine qualities. My experiences have also shown that trucking companies show more respect and even provide BETTER opportunities to women drivers. Truck driving jobs are not for everyone. Do your homework and research the full aspects of the trucking life. If it is something that appeals to you, and you can manage all the responsibilities of home and family life, along with the struggles of truck driving careers, then give it a try. You may find yourself in that category of those wonderful women truckers!
About the author:
Aubrey Allen Smith is a veteran over the road driver with over 2 million safe miles and a former owner of several successful trucking companies. He is an expert in the area of truck driving jobs and an advocate for trucking safety. Please visit the Truth About Trucking to learn how to avoid the scams of the trucking industry.

© 2007 – 2008, AskTheTrucker. All rights reserved.


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