Women in Trucking - A Woman's Perspective

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In my work with new and prospective drivers both at my Yahoo group and the organizations I belong to, I always tell people that trucking is not for everyone and one has to have their eyes wide open so as to not have an idealistic view of the trucking industry. Rene Winsor had her eyes opened before she chose the industry for her career and offers some of her experience starting out. Though what she describes is a little extreme in my opinion, it is an accurate accounting of what the road might look like from the point of view of a lady driver just starting out-especially when things go wrong. The author is to be commended for realizing that trucking is not for her, there is no shame in that.-Sandy Long
 

I would like to offer my own experience as a learning tool for others. I have a friend who is a driver. He drives for a company, thus he uses a company-owned truck instead of owning his own. I had met him many times when he returned to town and thought being on the road, open and free, must be exhilarating.

I investigated many schools, locally and company owned. After much consideration as to what my goals would be in obtaining my CDL (endorsements mainly), I came to the conclusion my schooling would cost on the low end, $4,000. Getting into a contract with any company did not appeal to me, as I ultimately wanted to drive as a team with my friend, and his company did not offer schooling. We decided that before I paid any money for the school, perhaps it would be a good idea to see if I could handle the lifestyle change. If I couldn''t get along out on the road for four weeks, then this was not the career for me, and having my CDL was not going to make it better. So off we went.

In July of this past year, I had some time so we scheduled our run. Our goal: to be out for four weeks. I packed lightly, mostly shorts and tank tops, two pair of shoes, and necessities. I understood there would not be showers everyday and going to the bathroom would be a bit different. I did not go into this blindly. I also had a clear idea of how we were going to prepare food in the truck instead of eating out all the time. I was okay with all of this.

Once we got out, trouble dropped on us continually. The first thing that became a major issue was the air conditioning in the truck went out. He had been having problems with it prior to our trip, but the mechanic said it was fixed. So, we are leaving Las Vegas, Nevada, middle of the summer, and no air conditioning. It kept going on and off all the way to Colorado. Even in the mountains it was hot. We didn''t have time to stop, nor was there a dealership near where we could get it serviced. We toughed it out for four days. Finally, in Kansas, we were directed by dispatch to a dealership. After spending literally the whole day in their crappy waiting room, we had air conditioning that froze the cab.

I also am completing a Masters program online. I took my laptop and made sure I would be able to get a signal during most of the trip. I took my books and computer and was able to participate and turn in assignments while on the road. This took a bit of preparation and research in order to make sure I would have access to my class while away from home, but it was well worth it. Further, I was also able to do our banking online and keep in contact with friends, sending pictures of our adventure. For whatever reason, the only area in which I had a problem receiving a clear signal was in Nebraska. I am thinking there must be a black hole or something over the state that prevents signals from getting through. Other than that, Nebraska was a wonderful place, as it had beautiful scenery, an awesome sunset, plus all the really good-looking cowboy drivers seemed to gravitate to this state. I noticed this one night while my friend was sleeping soundly away in the bunk and I was up front watching a movie on the laptop. Very nice!

During the time without the A/C though, we had to touch down in Kansas and get a meat load. Since we were sweaty all ready, getting out in the Kansas winds, on a dirt lot, to hook up the reefer was horrible. We ended up not only hot, but sweaty, stinky, and muddy as well.

As to the shower issues, which it appears many women have a real problem with, I adapted. I would take my little toiletry bag into any rest stop we came to. I would go inside and do the best I could, even when we didn''t have any A/C. I would also take time when I first got up, or during the no A/C period, during the day, and use baby-wipes to clean as well as I could. I remember only one time when I had to use the bathroom was I forced to use an outhouse. All the other times, there were very well quipped and nice rest-stops. I do remember one rest stop that was clean, but had a scorpion in it, which I didn''t discover until I was well into my business. We did use my friend''s points on various truck stop cards for showers. Even I couldn''t see paying $10 or more for a shower, even at the worst part of our adventure.

Food was more of an issue for my friend than it was for me. I had already prepared myself for having to eat out of the truck and we had bought food accordingly. When we got on the road though, he wanted to take the opportunity of having someone with him and eat in the diners. I will admit the food in most of those places left a lot to be desired, and I am not really picky. I kept looking for a McDonald''s or the like, something familiar. After a while, we started eating more in the truck. My friend had purchased a small propane burner and a microwave, which tucked away nicely when not in use. So, we were able to have real food, hamburgers one night, lasagna another night. He kept two coolers, which were hooked up to power supplies in the bunk area. He had also had an event, which prompted him to always keep a lot of canned goods on the truck, so he had a "pantry" full of canned goods.

Sleeping was my main issue, but not because of the noise of the other trucks or the noise of the reefer. I have always had problems sleeping. The atmosphere needs to be just right. Not being able to get the rest I needed did not come as a surprise to me. This was the main drawback I had in the whole adventure. I have Lupus, and not getting adequate rest is quite detrimental for me. During the last two weeks (we stayed out three weeks), I was only averaging 2 to 3 hours a sleep every twenty-fours. I was starting to get very ill. There was a lot of time where we were just sitting waiting for either a receiver or shipper to get ready for us, so it wasn''t all a matter of the truck moving either. Eventually I was getting so bad, I actually passed out and fell right in front of a rig parked in a fuel bay. If he had decided to leave, he would never have seen me lying there in front of his truck. At this point, I decided that trucking was just not a career I could handle: kudos to the men and women who are able to do this.

We came back earlier than expected, but just in time for me, because he had a family emergency he had to attend. All in all, the trip was not worse than I had expected, and I feel I had a pretty good grasp on the situation. The sleeping issue was not due to the truck or being on the road, but due to my own insomnia problems which plague me even in hotel rooms.

I am very thankful though, I took this opportunity before spending the money to obtain my CDL. It was also a good chance to see how others work and live day to day, which many of us never have any idea. We have a stereotypical picture of the "trucker" and it is far from the truth. I saw young and old men; people with dogs, cats, and birds; women young, old, alone, and teamed; children with some drivers; and all cultures represented on the road. Being on the road is really a lifestyle, and those who can do it should be praised and compensated accordingly. It is not a really hard life, just different and without a lot of the "fluff" we are used to day to day.