Drawing Women into the Trucking Industry

Quite frankly there are a lot of women out there that think driving a rig is uber complicated and hard to do
You could have stopped right there.

It's not just women. There was a time when most everybody thought trucking was this grueling, dangerous, mysterious occupation. The word daredevil comes to mind.

Folks thought truckers were like double-naught spies or special forces commandos stealing through the night. People wondered: Where do they come from? Where do they go? How the hell did they learn to operate three shifters for God's sake and who do they get those pills from?

Are they like vampires? for I always hear them go by at night while I'm in bed.

Must have to be a rugged sorta fella to do that, a real man's man. It must have felt good absorbing all the constant admiration.

But, alas, the word got out. History has proven, even before Watergate, that if too many people are involved in a conspiracy, sooner or later, somebody will blab. Always going to be a snitch that can't keep his yap shut and now the whole world knows that driving a truck just ain't no big deal and anybody can do it.
 
I won't say just anybody could do it, I know a few people (sex notwithstanding) that have no business near, in or around a rig, but that is true for every profession.

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Oh, sorry, I thought this thread had something to do with drawing women, which to me, were I a artist, would be more pleasurable than giving a go at attracting women into becoming Truckers.

Sex of driver has nothing to do with ability as some women, like men, are simply a good fit for trucking, while many are not despite what they believe and prove to the contrary.

Instead of drawing, I'll be content with viewing.

CHEERIOS!!
 
Maximum Homerdrive

During the trip, Homer falls asleep and wakes up abruptly at the wheel of the truck due to taking a combination of pep pills and sleeping pills that he bought at a general store. He awakes to discover that the truck drove by itself with its Navitron Autodrive system. He informs other truck drivers, who inform him that he cannot let anyone know about the Autodrive system because it would make all truck drivers lose their jobs. However, Homer tells a passing bus about the system which causes an angry mob of truckers to get in a showdown with Homer, and he survives without the autodrive system. Homer and Bart arrive in Atlanta to finish the shipment on time, and then commandeer a train full of napalm to Springfield.

Greatest episode ever. At one point Homer was sitting on the hood eating doughnuts while the truck drove itself. Other times he would be napping and drooling in the drivers seat or goofing around in the sleeper. The other motorists that saw him understood that being a trucker was a sham and they had everybody fooled.
 
Oh, sorry, I thought this thread had something to do with drawing women, which to me, were I a artist, would be more pleasurable than giving a go at attracting women into becoming Truckers.

Sex of driver has nothing to do with ability as some women, like men, are simply a good fit for trucking, while many are not despite what they believe and prove to the contrary.

Instead of drawing, I'll be content with viewing.

CHEERIOS!!
Dang it! And here I was anticipating the viewing of a sample of your artwork.
 
I agree with what Wild@heart wrote. I didn't get a cdl until I was 50 years old even though all my life I had been fascinated by big trucks. I worried that being a petite female I would not physically be able to do the job. I even worried about being able to see over the dash and reach the foot pedals, lol. From what I have read on message boards, many women also worry that they are not physically capable of being a truck driver.

Another reason, in my opinion, is that even today women are expected to be nurturers and caregivers. For example, when it comes to going on the road for weeks at a time, it is usually the man in the family who will go and the woman will be expected to keep the home fires burning, taking care of the kids and the home. Not always, but more the norm than the other way around. I think it takes a woman being a bit of a rebel, to buck the norm and be different, to go into trucking

Also, I think many women are afraid, being on their own in strange places with mostly men. I've seen a lot of women asking questions on message boards about safety issues in rest areas and truck stops. Women who have grown up with truckers in their family are usually more informed and know that, for the most part, they would be more safe parked at a truck stop than they would be in a Walmart parking lot doing their shopping.

I think it takes a special kinda gal to be drawn to trucking, one who is not only a rebel but a tomboy and a daredevil, someone who feels comfortable with the guys and doesn't mind getting a little grease on them or squatting behind a bush now and then, someone ready to accept a challenge and wants something different. I also think it takes a special kinda man to go into trucking but I believe those men are drawn into it for different reasons, maybe loners or a sense of freedom. Of course there are many men who are drawn to driving simply because they need a job and end up hating every minute of it, while women needing work usually migrate towards traditional "womens work" type jobs, mostly, I think, due to society's expectations for gender roles.

So, in my opinion, fear, society's expectations, and lack of education and self confidence, are the main reasons more women aren't trucking. Also, targeting advertising towards recruiting a certain personality group might attract more female drivers, just as advertising "freedom of the open road" seems to attract a certain group of men
 
ONE way Women can SAFELY get into Trucking is by taking classes in Martial Arts BEFORE signing with a company.
Carrying Pepper Spray as well Tasers and/or Stun Guns would be beneficial. There are too those nifty Tire (Head, Crotch, Knee) Thumpers designed as 18" Aluminum Bats with lanyards.
Engaging the "eyes in the back of your head" will also be beneficial and is a part of Martial Arts training.
Driving Team is another way.

CHEERS!! :smilies-19296::wink::bgroovy:
 
ONE way Women can SAFELY get into Trucking is by taking classes in Martial Arts BEFORE signing with a company.
Carrying Pepper Spray as well Tasers and/or Stun Guns would be beneficial. There are too those nifty Tire (Head, Crotch, Knee) Thumpers designed as 18" Aluminum Bats with lanyards.
Engaging the "eyes in the back of your head" will also be beneficial and is a part of Martial Arts training.
Driving Team is another way.

CHEERS!! :smilies-19296::wink::bgroovy:

You'd be amazed how much just being aware of your surroundings can take you, and yes a cheater bar comes in handy. Martial arts training would come in handy for a lot of women regardless of their profession, confidence in your bearing is usually all it takes to keep interested parties, uninterested.

When I dove into trucking, not only was I a young, small, 26 year old, I was in the oilfields. To this day barring one incident with an excitable coworker (that was remedied with a wrench to the head) have I never had problems with a man trying to become forceful with me. Then again I always kept my head about me and just simply stayed alert about my surroundings. I have been on locations in the middle of the night, miles from anywhere after the boys were unwinding with a bit to much to drink and always kept "something big" in my hands at all times and didn't encourage the cat calls and come-on's did my job and went home.
Most of the time I actually found the opposite of what women fear, like big lumbering knuckle dragging, foul mouthed sorts, I found my coworkers treated me as their little sister kept good tabs on me and generally watched out for my safety. Granted, I did have specific people I worked with everyday and saw on a regular basis from being regional, the feeling of being a family member out on the open highways has long since waned in our society.
 
Because my moniker used to be Wild@heart, but because of some Google foolishness we had to take it out ;)
I have three little girls, and when the time comes I hope at least two become nuns, LOL!
Congrats!

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Flying Nuns?

696-the-flying-nun.jpg
 
What do you think needs to change in order to draw more women into the trucking industry? What challenges do women continue to face?

P.S. I am writing an article on this topic. Please advise whether I may quote you on your response. Thank you.

Now look what you have started.

Four pages, thirty five posts, and the usual straying off the original topic.

By the way, are you just gonna be a "One Post Wonder" or will you be coming back to engage in the intellectually stimulating conversations here at Truckingboards?
 
I'm still in love with Sally Field(s). Hot news story in Philly is 26 year old doctor forced into her home and ***** at 2AM or so. Have to wonder about the world and what women have to do to survive these days.
 
I'm still in love with Sally Field(s). Hot news story in Philly is 26 year old doctor forced into her home and ***** at 2AM or so. Have to wonder about the world and what women have to do to survive these days.

Doctor shoulda been armed. I don't go anywhere anymore without protection for myself and kiddos.

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Because my moniker used to be Wild@heart, but because of some Google foolishness we had to take it out ;)
Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk

Google has been playing games with my printer's ability to print from the web.

i have to use IE for web printing many things.
 
That pink mitsubishi truck is U G L Y !!

I like pink too.
I have a couple of pink shirts as well 1 or 2 pink ties.
I would wear pink pants but NOT at a truck stop.
I would wear pink shoes if I could ever find male shoes offered in pink.
- - - -
Saw a woman truck driver this a.m. at a pilot in Saluda, NC (I-26) and the clothes she wore did not do her justice.
I did like the name of the company: DEMON'S EXPRESS.
Some women truckers seem to believe they look good in any attire when a tire or 2 with straps may well suffice (and it doubles as a swing).

CHEERS!!
 
aww God, don't get me started on pink shirts...

as a typical trucker (and a typical guy) that does not separate colors from whites, i had quite a few pink t-shirts......

now to alleviate that problem, i wear colored t-shirts and color underwear, and gray socks...

go ahead....i say...try changing colors on me ever again.........:LMAO:
 
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