Men and women alike often inquire about my experience as a female OTR driver, which always surprises me. What kind of guys are out there is my favorite query. They are small, bald, have big eyes, and have green skin. Therefore that is what I usually say in response. A normal Martian, if you will. What do you mean by what kind are they? Even if they have a new job here, they are still the same men. They are not a strange species.
Although a lot more professional, respectable people delight in assisting a female driver, some extremely crude and improper remarks are still made.
Despite the “gender difficulties,” most men appreciate a woman who can operate a rig, and many are open to my advice. Over the years, many guys have pulled my tandem pin, unlocked my doors, guided me while I was backing up, and even replaced my light bulbs. I detest the “men vs. women” rivalry I often see on social media. That is not how I see things.
When someone makes an improper remark, I can either take it personally and allow it to bother me or take a stand and walk away. Even as a youngster, I was never the gentle and meek kind, so when someone hurts me, I return, sometimes in a lovely and sweet manner and other times in a direct and violent one.
A Big Mistake
When I did my first load of laundry while traveling, a guy stopped me while carrying my basket of folded clothing. I lied when he inquired whether he knew me and carried on going. He replied, “I know I know you,” and grabbed my elbow.
Big error, indeed. I said angrily, “If you knew me, you would know that grabbing me is bad for your health. I will issue you a warning because you don’t. If you do not release my arm, you will discover your hand beneath my tractor tires.
When he released me, he said, “Oh, you are a driver?”
I shook my head and said, “No, I only do my laundry at truck stops because I like the washers here.” I went on moving. However, this man would not go away and asked me back to his vehicle to check out his brand-new automatic transmission. When I had finished, I said, “Great, you drive an automatic & I drive a stick. I am not interested in hanging out with you in your vehicle because it would make me a better guy than you.
Who Is The Instigator?
I will confess that sometimes I start things off. When I was once waiting at a truck stop and listening to the CB, this man was blathering about his nationwide sex conquests. “My wife has no idea that I have 100 ladies here.” I was unable to let it go. Your wife is banging the mailman in the bed and home you are paying for, but she does not care, I said. Once you get the greatest, you forget about the others, he said angrily. She is not acting that way.
This man was very arrogant.
“I have had the greatest,” I added, “and he does not need to promote himself to a bunch of man truckers. His loves provide his phone number to their pals so they may have a good time. Naturally, when I said, “Most guys cannot please one woman, and you just confessed to having 100 women,” he volunteered to come and show it to me. So why bother with a guy who is 100 times less gratifying than the ordinary male? I left the parking lot after the other males on the radio laughed a lot at my response.
Okay, so I like a little provoking!
Another time, I was checking in with a client at the shipping clerk’s desk. Another driver and I were informed that it would take 20 minutes before we could receive doors. The driver enquired about my hometown and my marital status. He then asked if I would want to play in his car. I asked whether he was married and he responded “no.” I asked, “Do you want to know why you are not married? I could not help myself. You believe 20 minutes will be enough time to please a lady. I appreciate the invitation, but I must say no.
The guy scrutinizing my breasts more intently than his vehicle received my wildest retort. He inquired as I exited my vehicle and headed to a restaurant to shower. That was only a conversation starter since he watched me exit the driver’s seat alone.
I commanded him to go quickly and follow me. I ignored the guy who followed me as we entered the Flying J and turned my attention to our vehicles through the glass entrance. I replied, “No, I do not work for Prime,” to his inquiry about what I was looking at. I am a member of a worldwide theft ring, and we track how quickly the carrier responds. It should take the police about five minutes to arrive. I questioned him, turning to face him, “Are you trying to get a better job? You get amazing money, no taxes, and as much time at home as you choose.
I continued to gaze at the vehicles as the guy glanced from me to the truck. I said, “Oh, that is my vehicle; I have to leave,” as my phone then beeped. I have your truck number, and someone from my company will contact you with the employment offer. But if you do not want the cops to suspect anything, you could want to move your truck given that you park next to the stolen car. He rushed out the door and relocated his vehicle while I went to lunch at Denny’s.
Never have I felt threatened
The odd guys that approached me never once made me feel uneasy or intimidated, not even the security guard at the customer, who I believe was the most direct. In his late 60s or early 70s, this guy was much older. He continued singing ” Eeeewwee ” and commenting on my breasts. I could hurt you if I were approximately 25 years younger. I will not repeat some of the things he covered.
25 years, I informed him, would not be helpful. “That still puts you at about 40, right? You still would not have a chance of life since I just last week caused a 20-year-old a heart attack. He insisted that he had no cardiac issues, and I said, “Neither did the 20-year-old until last week. I will not bear the blame for an elderly man’s demise.
The man chuckled and said, “I will be here for you whenever you need me,” multiple times. He even said that dying just to be with me would be worth it. How charming!
While some remarks are personal, they are benign. I met a driver in training when stranded in a snowstorm in Wyoming. He questioned me extensively about the trucking industry, including how to get things done effectively.
We had been hanging out in the lounge area for a while when he said, “There is something I have to know, but no one speaks about. How can you get laid when traveling? Forums and YouTube videos never discuss sex and driving. He would have left if I had instructed him to return to my vehicle, but I think he was only asking out of curiosity.
That is a challenging question. How can I or how can you get laid? Because I am a woman, there would be a queue if I took my shirt off in the parking lot. Whether I am short, tall, fat, lean, attractive, or ugly does not matter. There will be a queue. It would be considerably more challenging for a man.
I advise you to alter your sex and get breast implants. Then, you will have all the sex you want. I am sure it was the last thing he expected, so his face went white. I sometimes reflect that I ought to have acquired his phone number. He was a kind and respectable man who felt at ease questioning me about our way of life. I then responded with a sarcastic, uninformative remark.
So who did this situation make worse?
I was told by a security guy who seemed to be extremely young, “Wow, I am so pleased I came to work today. I never anticipated seeing such a stunning truck driver. I thanked him and informed him that I was beyond his prime. When he saw the age on my license, he was astonished, and he then turned to his female coworker and said, “Does she seem 42 to you? She is older than you—is that true? She scowled and moaned. He invited me to see him again. However, he was adorable.
Had I a right to take offense?
How Do You Plan To Handle Things?
Everything in life, particularly trucking, depends on your attitude and decision-making. These males could have annoyed me, causing me to huff and upset myself. I may have been injured in an accident due to the diversion. I could have protested to the company over the phone about the drivers, but what would happen? They were probably told to “do not do it again” since they had no reason to trust a stranger over their driver.
In many circumstances, the injured party is the only one who suffers harm. It is not your concern whether a driver or consumer has a personality disorder. Why would you let them stress you out mentally in any way? Why would you get enraged and honk your horn in protest if another motorist injures you on the road? It is not like they can hear you, thus they will not be in your life forever.
Why would I let them chase me out of trucking when I never saw any of those guys again? Perhaps the dispatcher who yelled at you today is a kind person. Perhaps the unpleasant customer service representative is divorced or has a sick kid at home.
You could let unfavorable aspects of a business, person, or sector color your judgment. Alternatively, you might focus on the good things and inspire yourself with them. I could use the remarks made by the individuals listed above to criticize males in general and truck drivers in particular, or I could use them to amuse and amuse myself.
My career in trucking has helped me reduce stress, increase my 401(k) and savings, and pay off my obligations. I can now afford everything I want, so why would I let a few dimwitted folks stop me from staying in this business? Why would I allow a few guys to shadow the fantastic advice and help I have received from many men? I am not a fool, and that would be foolish.
Additionally, there is a significant difference between a one-time encounter with a stranger and a frequent acquaintance—or, worst yet, a truck-sharing partner. In some situations, be straightforward and state that the actions or remarks are improper. Inform your dispatcher or security employees if it continues, and let them handle the situation if necessary. After you alert management, it is up to them to take appropriate action.
Keep your head up, be careful, and keep driving!
