Requesting brutal honesty about women in truck driving.

Women in Trucking

30yo female here. I have considered trucking for a while, weighing the pros and cons.

Regarding hiring, it seems bias could go either way. Obviously experience and merit should matter, nonetheless biases do occur. I have read many companies won't even entertain the resume or possibility of a female truck driver.

At the same time, women only constituting 6-9% of truckers, it would seem like big corporations would want to fulfill that 'quota' of sorts. More and more corporations are all about 'diversity' in their hiring, regardless ones politics, this just seems the direction many corporations have been going for a while.

Perhaps this is wishful thinking on my part, and perhaps women drivers are still put to the bottom of the pile.

I am asking for insight and brutal honesty.

I can afford the CDL course, I have a bachelors (which comes with student loan debt), and I'm looking for an industry where one can actually earn decent good money.

And for note, I have no problem driving clear across country, they could say drive freight from here to Alaska and I would with a damn smile.

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Oct 09, 2018
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Congrats on your progress
by: Hervy

Good for you doing the reaearch for moving forward with your goals!

I think Prime is a good choice.

Mrs Shirley I'm used to that. My name is strange lol and harvey is common. I imagine auto complete will also suggest harvey if you type hervy hahha.

Thanks for chiming in with your experience.

Sep 22, 2018
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original poster
by: Anonymous

Thanks for the feedback. In fact, since I posted this question about a month or two ago, I have gone through the trade school trucking course and received my CDL. I loved every minute of it, and had no problems with rudeness or sexism of any kind.

After doing a lot of research, I'm going with PRIME and will be leaving out early October. The trainer is also going to teach me how to manage maintenance expenses etc.

Overall equal parts nervous and excited, but mostly excited.

Thanks again!

Sep 21, 2018
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Correction
by: Shirley

My apologies to you Mr. Hervy I put your name wrong in my comment :)

Sep 21, 2018
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No BS
by: Shirley

Simply agree with Harvey's comment.

I am a lady truck driver been at it for 7 yrs. Im loving it so much I only go home 4 days out the yr which is not the norm for even male drivers.

There is good money to be made in this industry. It is how you carry yourself that is important.

As far as applications go that is a hit or miss process depending on the companies you just gotta keep at it if you realy want to be a trucker.

Apr 26, 2018
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Load of garbage
by: Anonymous

Companies love female truckers period!
You have no clue what you are talking about.

Apr 26, 2018
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Women in Trucking
by: Anonymous

Women are gold to trucking companies. Attend a 160 hr. cdl program and you'll have at least a couple dozen job offers.Freymiller - www.drive4freymiller.com is a good outfit with nice trucks that run coast to coast.

Prime Inc. - refrigerated division pays well.
Jim Palmer Trucking - coast to coast refrigerated trucking.

Plenty more to choose from.
Which state do you live in; so we know the hiring area you're in.

Apr 25, 2018
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Why trucking companies love lady truckers
by: Hervy

I don't know where you got that info. Trucking companies love lady truckers because insurance companies love women drivers.

They take less risks. That means fewer accidents.

You will hear some women complain about the experience. Most women however (including all of the ones that I personally interviewed here...
Women in Trucking) say that their experience is mostly good and is determined by how a women carries and presents herself.

There will be those who encounter actually being mistreated and there will be those who claim (and believe) to be victimized or mistreated. (Due to their interpretation.)

This is life. A lot of people feel like victims and will express that publicly. Of course, they will get the most attention and press. But there are many lady truckers who have no negative opinion about being a lady trucker and actually love it.

It seems like you are up to the adventure. Just read the info on the page and listen to the interviews with women truckers to get insight on what to expect.

Of course, you're right. There will be those in position with an old boy attitude about it and overlook a woman's application. I am sure that is a minority.

One company that I know who actively seeks lady truckers is US Express. I am sure there are more, I just happened to have spoken to a lot of those lady trucker. Probably because I am in South Carolina a lot.

Which is where I have come across most of them.

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