I often get asked how being a female truck driver feels when I’m on the road. In addition to bringing attention to gender problems, the #MeToo movement and sexual harassment claims persistently publicized in the media have also scared or even deterred some women from joining the mostly male-dominated trucking business.
Sexism in my workplace
The most often-asked question is, “How do you handle sexism in the company?”
There is an easy solution. I don’t.
I haven’t yet experienced sexism at work, and I know my employer would never tolerate it. When efficient drivers complete on-time deliveries while driving safely, trucking businesses earn. A loaded trailer rollover accident might cost as much as $300,000.
The organization may lose contracts if it consistently arrives late to consumers. Because of this, businesses don’t give a damn whether you’re a guy, woman, or purple gorilla smoking a gherkin. You will be the one who receives the greatest loads and special attention if you can deliver on time, manage your time, thoroughly examine your equipment and avoid colliding with any objects.
You pay dispatchers for their services. They just care that you perform the job properly so they may be paid. The effect will be fewer and fewer miles if they give you a load with a lot of miles and you complain, and then they give you a load with fewer miles, and you complain. You convey to dispatch that you will never be content under any circumstances. Because of this, they won’t make an effort to make you happy and instead offer you undesirable loads, allowing excellent drivers to log more miles. Gender has nothing to do with it.
I once enquired about the opinions of female drivers from my fleet manager. They’re excellent, he said right away. Typically, they drive more carefully and safely than males. They are more detail-oriented and protective drivers. I like the fact that my fleet is far more female than male. Thus, believe it or not, having a female identity may be advantageous, and sexism can sometimes be directed against males rather than women.
Some businesses cater to women.
Our terminals show that a large percentage of the drivers at my organization are female. Full-service salons and day spas provide hair treatments and products in addition to massages, facials, manicures, and pedicures. Every year, we have a women’s banquet to honor female drivers, and prizes are handed out for noteworthy accomplishments.
The main terminal has a daycare facility and well-equipped gyms, dressing rooms, and fitness programs for the local staff. The fact that we have so many husband and wife pairs say a lot about the business. What husband would want his wife to visit a business only to have a negative experience? The spouse would learn about the company’s poor decision for the rest of his life. All of this only serves to demonstrate how positively businesses see women.
Productivity is the key, not how you identify yourself.
My buddy wanted to know whether I thought our fleet manager would find it offensive or bad if he brought his gay boyfriend into the vehicle. He doesn’t care, I retorted. He’s avaricious. He wants you to be content, so you will increase his income. Run hard and enjoy yourself.
Then, a lesbian trainee asked me the same question as my fleet manager. He gave a similar response. His fleet comprises males and females of all races, sexual orientations, and gender identities. Simply said, his favorite drivers are the best. This just serves to further demonstrate that the key is production rather than self-identification.
New drivers will get more live loads in certain divisions and fewer drops and hooks. They must drive throughout the day, at night, and on weekends. No timetable or shifts exist. I may drive all day on Monday before picking up a cargo at 20:00. I may have to drive the whole of Thursday night to deliver that cargo by 3:30. I sometimes get a few 300-mile loads, but I receive other weeks loads that are 1500 miles long. This is not a gender issue but rather a function of the business.
Getting the esteem of other drivers
Other typical queries are:
- Are you hesitant to travel alone in a car across the nation?
- Aren’t the males obnoxious and always approaching you?
- I expected the males to be rude and shout at a woman for attempting to perform a man’s job,
My response to these inquiries shocks you the most. In the trucking sector, some women are the issue, not men. Some women enter the trucking industry with the incorrect mindset. The remainder of us enters the trucking industry to work and perform at our highest level. You are likely to experience harassment and sexism if you anticipate you will. You are the issue if you see every joke, remark, and question as a direct assault on your femininity. Also, you are squandering time by concentrating on the incorrect things rather than honing your newly discovered expertise. Focus on honing your talents, time management, and acquiring as much real-world experience as possible. Both dispatch and your other drivers will respect you.
You may be surprised to find that, as a woman, I am given preference. Men are considerably more willing to get out of their vehicles, even at two in the morning, to help a woman into a tight parking place or loading dock, as I discovered as a novice driver having trouble backing up. Contrarily, I overheard guys making fun of the “new man” who was hunched over and suffering. But a female? She may quite well request the assistance of three guys.
Although many truck drivers are from the south, my black female acquaintance had preconceived assumptions that racism would be a problem. She was surprised that the southern white guys were more accommodating than other female drivers! Customers often treat women more kindly. Thus the improved treatment doesn’t only apply to the drivers. I can slyly enter a loading door in front of male drivers by grinning, flashing my baby blue eyes at a security officer or office clerk, and doing so quickly. I would sometimes want an accessible door. I’m rather new. 99% of the time, it works.
Trucking Is A Lonely Industry
There are a lot of lonely truck drivers. They seek social interaction, even if it’s merely to talk to someone about their upcoming holiday. While attempting to wash laundry or eat supper, does it feel a bit weird or overwhelming? Sure. Yet the men looking for it spend 20 hours a day in their vehicles just looking for innocuous conversation.
I often say, “Yes, but I was approached at home too,” when people ask whether males contact me for sexual purposes. No matter where you are, men and women will attempt to make contact and flirt. The day I stop receiving praise and offers from guys is the day I’ll start to worry. I would be incredibly old, fat, and ugly if it were the case.
Protective Gear for Truck Drivers
The topic of personal protection is distinct and applies to both men and women. If being alone at nighttime truck stops or rest areas makes you nervous, take precautions to keep yourself safe.
- To purchase food, use the lavatory, and do your post-trip check, pull into the fuel aisle at night. After secure parking, you won’t need to exit the vehicle again.
- To assist you in avoiding leaving the vehicle in potentially hazardous locations, always have food on board.
- Use a hammer and/or a large torch to navigate the area.
- Utilize parking lots or truck stops that you are used to. People often feel safer when they are familiar.
Men would rush out if I yelled and hurled a hammer through someone’s window during a man-grabbing attempt at a busy truck stop. No more so than at home; there is no need to be terrified of the open road. Reduce your risk of problems by being aware of your surroundings.
Women Must Have The Correct Mentality
This essay was created in response to a Facebook driver. She attended a CDL school before being recruited by a business. After four weeks, she requested Facebook’s recommendations for the top “non-sexist” businesses. She stated it was sexist of her dispatcher not to believe in her talents and abilities. She continued by saying that while a male from her school had also been employed by the same business, she didn’t think they treated him equally. She finally acknowledged that the employer had given her excellent comments on her driving abilities and support.
The issue was her attitude.
After barely four weeks, she still lacked any “skills or talents,” When I brought this up, she blocked me. The qualities and skills this lady believes she has acquired through time. People are prone to complacency when they believe they are better than they are. At that point, overconfidence may result in mishaps or sluggish delivery.
Some believe that having a CDL gives them the authority to demand things. That doesn’t; rather, it makes them seem challenging to please. Additionally, leaving at that moment would show other businesses that she is a quitter who won’t keep her commitments and fulfill her duties.
Some Guys May Show Disrespect
As in many spheres of life, you will encounter some impolite males. In my first week alone, I struggled to reverse into a place at a truck stop. I was fatigued after traveling 550 kilometers and worried about colliding with anything. One car inched up to me, sounded his horn, and shouted that I was taking too long. After I received my license, he inquired.
I responded, “Yesterday!” Get out of my path, please!
I just apply the brakes and get into the sleeper when some men go too near to me as I’m backing up until they realize I’m going to block their path, and they give me room. I didn’t break down in tears because a guy treated me badly. I could not take that. Therefore I did not turn in my vehicle and resign from my position. With anything else, attitude is everything.
Our Culture Encourages Victimization
Victimization is often encouraged in our culture because it gives certain individuals a sense of uniqueness and specialness. Those who share their experiences with other victims feel a sense of solidarity. If women desire equality, they must stop using the victim mentality. They must quit detesting males.
As the trucking sector is mostly male, some women who join it only complain about the guys. Being a victim and criticizing males is not how to empower women. It’s not a matter of competing against males. Elevating oneself above the typical individual is the path to true empowerment. Being the best at whatever one accomplishes leads to true empowerment. Be the better you can be, and don’t allow anybody to hold you back, whether it applies to professions, hobbies, skills, or just learning new things. Quit assigning blame to others for your shortcomings and faults. You’re the only one to blame if you don’t get back up after falling.
