See Original Post Here> Why Women Still Can’t Have It All
By Debbie L Kasman

In 2012, Princeton University professor Anne-Marie Slaughter wrote an article that attracted attention from all around the world. Why did her article attract so much attention? Instead of spreading the falsehood that women can have it all, Slaughter boldly told the truth. She said women can’t have it all.

As women, we tell ourselves that we can have both a family and a career if we are committed enough, dedicated enough, hardworking enough, have a partner who helps out at home, or if we delay having children. Slaughter says while these aren’t lies, they are partial truths at best. They are partial truths because barriers and flaws exist in our world that continue to hold women back making it impossible for women to have it all.

Slaughter believes we must clear stories like these out of the way in order to make room for more honest and productive discussions. Instead of spreading myths that keep barriers and flaws intact, we need to talk about real solutions to the problems faced by women who work today.
As women, we are blessed to have been born when we were. Our mothers and grandmothers were expected to get married, stay home and raise their kids. Those who wanted a career outside the home faced many challenges including overt sexism. These women knew the only way to succeed in their career was to act like a man and to never talk about their children while at work.

While we’ve seen many improvements since these early days of feminism, we still have many challenges ahead. While women today are paid more than in previous generations, graduate from university in record numbers, hold more leadership positions and enjoy more prestige than ever before, men continue to dominate the highest paying jobs and most top-level leadership positions. Many women today are single mothers and others struggle to find jobs. Some support husbands who cannot find work and others struggle to find quality daycare they can afford. The very few women who make it to the top of their organizations have to be superwomen to get there. They make enormous personal sacrifices and work extremely hard in order to overcome the barriers and ceilings that stand in their way.

Companies are beginning to realize that when they make changes to enhance work life for women, these changes actually improve work life for all employees. Studies show that when companies have good family-friendly policies like flexible work hours, job sharing, on-site daycares and the ability to occasionally work from home, they are able to attract better talent and this raises productivity. Creativity experts say that connecting play and imagination in the workplace is important too, in order to unleash creativity in employees. Companies like Google have embraced this idea. They encourage play with Ping-Pong tables, light sabers, and policies that allow employees to work on whatever they wish one day a week.

Economists Justin Wolfers and Betsey Stevenson report that women are less happy today than they were in 1972. They call this the paradox of declining female happiness. They say this “unhappiness difference” creates a new gender gap that isn’t measured by salary but is measured by well-being and happiness instead. They believe the best way to improve the lot of all women is to close the leadership gap. They say that only when women hold power in ample numbers will we create a society that authentically works for all women. And a society that authentically works for all women, they insist, will authentically work for everyone.

We are all out of work-life balance. We are busy and stressed beyond belief. There are never enough hours in the day and we find it impossible to do all the things we know we should. We don’t sleep enough or exercise enough, we have significant demands from our jobs, we feel the pressure that comes with raising children, and our children themselves lead increasingly busy lives. We know there are huge emotional and health costs to this lifestyle, yet we keep running hard because we don’t know how to stop.

In an article called The Great Burnout, author Maryam Sanati writes that the 12-hour workday used to be the exception, but now it’s the norm. Sylvia Ann Hewlett and Carolyn Buck Luce, both of Columbia University, say we have become “extreme workers.” Jeff Muzzerall, former director of the MBA Corporate Connections Center at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, says that a devotion to endless workdays has become culturally ingrained.

Because we are out of balance, our world is out of balance too. Gaps continue to grow between the rich and the poor, and food and water crises are rising. More than a billion people are starving, yet a billion and a half adults are overweight and half the food produced in the United States is thrown away. Our current methods of mass food production through factory farming, along with an overuse of antibiotics and pesticides, are making people and the environment sick. We are in a time of worldwide economic meltdown. We are increasingly dependent on oil, have experienced a massive erosion in public trust, and our planet is ecologically imperiled. Our weather patterns are intensifying as we experience hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, droughts, snow, ice storms, and floods of unbelievable severity. Violence, war and terrorism are “normal” ways of life.

Slaughter tells us that seeking a more balanced life is not a women’s issue, it’s an issue for all of us. Change is possible but we need to rethink how we live, work and even play. We need to create new structures and systems that are balanced, practical and grounded, empowered and empowering. For example, Deborah Epstein Henry, a former litigator for a large law firm says that the billable hour, the way the legal system charges for its services, has “perverted” the legal industry, leading to excessive work hours, massive inefficiency and highly inflated costs. The answer, she contends, is a combination of alternative fee structures, virtual firms, female-owned firms and the outsourcing of certain legal jobs to other areas. Women and younger lawyers are beginning to push for these changes. Clients who are tired of inflated legal fees are demanding change as well.

If women are going to achieve real equality and help to create a better world for everyone, we must stop accepting traditional male behavior and traditional male choices as the ideal. Slaughter reminds us that our behavior and our choices as women matter too.

In order to create a better world, men will need to begin to ask how they can manage a better work-life balance just as women have always done. They too will need to figure out how to balance active parenthood with their professional careers.

If we have these conversations and if we encourage women to take on more active leadership positions, together we’ll create a world that will properly focus on how to help everyone lead happy, healthy and productive lives.

Then and only then will we be able to rebalance ourselves and the world.
Then and only then will women (and men) truly be able to have it all.

Debbie L. Kasman is author of the book Lotus of the Heart: Reshaping the Human and Collective Soul and she blogs weekly about topics that pertain to spirituality, education and female leadership.

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She was born a Tennessee slave but became a legendary freight hauler in Montana. She loved to fight, drink whiskey and smoke cigars. She didn’t like having anyone tell her what to do.  She is Mary Fields; People called her “Stagecoach Mary.”

Mary Fields (c 1832 – 1914) was freed from slavery following the enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1865. She left her employer who formerly owned her family and had sold her Father. Only after the death of her employer’s wife did she leave, but she remained dedicated to the family.

Mary’s journey from oppression and bondage to becoming a self-regulating woman began when she delivered the 5 Dunne children of her employer to their Aunt, Mother Mary Amadeus Dunne in Toledo, Ohio. Mary remained in Toledo lived and with the nuns as their protector. Mother Mary Amadeus was later sent to Montana to teach Native American girls and it was there that she became gravely ill. Mary’s deep bond to the Dunne family compelled her to travel to Montana and nurse Mother Amadeus back to health.

Mary was six feet tall and weighed over two hundred pounds; she was a powerful woman of many skills, she became a forewoman of the St. Peter’s Mission outside Cascade, Montana. She did everything; laundry, carpentry, masonry work, chopped wood, gardening and hauled freight. One night when Mary was on a supply run, her rig was attacked by Wolves which caused her horse team to overturn the wagon she was driving, those horses broke free. Mary was thrown along with her load of freight into the darkness.  Legend has it she spent the night fending off the Wolves with her guns until dawn and then she turned the wagon upright, gathered up the missing horses and delivered her freight.

Upon arriving to her destination there were no greetings that she made it back alive though she was charged from her salary for a cracked keg of molasses that fell out and hit a rock when the wagon overturned.

Mary was later fired after a shootout that started over her pay being more than a hired male hand at the mission where she worked. A stray bullet hit the man in the buttock but it also pierced the Bishops laundry. Mary found herself unemployed while the man who started the ruckus got the raise he was after.

Her next occupation as a restaurateur and it was short-lived; she was an average cook and too often gave food away for free. Mary was courageous and independent, at 63 she began a new career, she was the first African-American woman employed as a mail carrier in the United States.

With her mule “Moses”, Mary delivered the mail on a precise schedule regardless of the extreme weather conditions of Montana.  Though Mary never really was a stagecoach driver, her reputation for being on time despite the elements earned her the name “Stagecoach Mary”. Mary died at the age of 80 in 1914; she is buried in Cascade, Montana.

Mary should be revered by women in the transportation industry. Freight hauling takes dedication, courage and selflessness; Mary Fields stimulates our imagination on the many challenges she endured due to her race and gender yet she was able to reinvent herself to do things HER way.

Additional Reading:

19th Century American Women ~ Mary Fields

Stagecoach Mary Old West Legend

Mary Fields – Female Pioneer in Montana

Riding Shotgun in the Old West, Annie Box Neal (1870–1950) accompanied her husband on his stage coach run through the Tucson, Arizona region when his freight was high security gold bullion. As he drove the team of horses with escorts by his rig, Annie sat next to him holding a shotgun which she had the ability to use quite well. The phrase “riding shotgun” that we use today originates from this type of stagecoach load security.

Annie and her Husband, William “Curly” Neal had at least a 21 year age difference but they had a great deal in common. Both were of mixed heritage that included African-American, Native American and for Annie, white blood from her Father’s side. Like Curly, Annie was born in Oklahoma; both families had come to the west through force, enduring the 1,000 mile “Trail of Tears” walk. The brutal “ethnic cleansing” as it has been called that was implemented by the U.S. Government’s Indian Removal Act. The act required indigenous people to be removed from lands of their ancestors and to be forcibly housed on western reservations. When Annie was six her family left the reservation and headed to Arizona, likewise for Curly who came to the southwest near Tucson when he was seven. The couple met, married and settled in Oracle, Arizona.

Curly’s occupation was “freight hauler” throughout the Tucson territory. Annie managed their 160 acre ranch. She developed the property into an impressive desert health resort that attracted upscale guests, one such notable patron was Buffalo Bill Cody.

Though the Neal’s, specifically, Annie are credited for bringing class to their corner of the frontier and they were generous with contributions to the community, she was rarely recognized by the “elite” class despite their equivalent wealth.

Additional Reading: African American Women of the Old West

Horse drawn freight wagons were transitioning out of service by the early 1900′s though by 1910 it was not uncommon to see the new “horseless” freight haulers docked alongside their hay eating predecessor. The photos here depict the scene at loading docks when horses dominated the transport of freight.

As trucks began to evolve, every conceivable design was tested during the first quarter of the century. Over 300 companies “came and went” according to Robert F. Karolevitz in a book called “This was Trucking”

World War I began in July 1914, trucks were being introduced to haul military equipment and the race was on to test vehicles that could provide the durability required for unpredictable terrain and travel long distances. Long haul trucking was in its infancy and testing the new equipment for cross country travel was not just a man’s job.

Miss Luella Bates was just one of six female drivers selected by the “Four Wheel Drive (FWD) Auto Corporation for a publicity campaign to show how well the steering system operated. Miss Bates handled the three ton vehicle for a transcontinental trip from Wisconsin to New York City in 1919.  

Female truck drivers during WWI are hardly known of today but the fact is, these able women endured harsh working conditions and proved they could handle the work long before the WWII “Rosie the Riveter” propaganda machine was launched.

Women that were given the chance to contribute in what were deemed “men only” jobs COULD hold their own. As we are all well aware, being smaller in stature or fragile in appearance has no impact on a determined able individual. In a time when trucks had no comfort amenities some women were already proving that they had what it takes.

In the photo to the left women are working together to turn a crank on a truck from the FWD corporation based in Clintonville, Wisconsin. The photo, circa 1919, possibly earlier was before women finally won the right to vote which took over 70 years!

The right to vote for women came in 1920, two years AFTER Luella Bates became the first woman professional truck driver with mechanic ability. Working women were seen as “taking men’s jobs“ however, WWI and WWII changed that tone temporarily. Women held trucking jobs delivering mail in Europe as well as in the United States.

During this era the dialogue was changed and objections of women in the workforce who worked in male dominated fields was portrayed as doing a patriotic service to the country.  When the war ended this “patriotic” service extended by asking women to go home. Society and the government asked women to leave the jobs that made them feel pride in themselves and make the men returning from the war “feel like men” by becoming happy homemakers that would be helpless and subservient to the man of the house.

Volumes of photos exist that can be searched through the Library of Congress archives. These photos were government propaganda media campaigns that fed images to the public of women working in male-dominated jobs. At first these media campaigns were instituted to encourage women but later they were used to discourage them.

One such image shows a woman cutting a dress pattern with a caption that in essence says that the skills she learned from cutting steel in a factory could now be applied to sew herself a dress as she resumed her role in the home.

Wasn’t it only “natural” that women would be happy to stay home?  OR was the genie out of the bottle? After all, if you give a man a fish he can eat for one day, if you teach a man to fish he can eat for a lifetime.  What about a woman? Shouldn’t she be able to learn how to sustain herself too?

During the 1940′s, Rusty Dow drove the Alaska Wilderness in dangerous weather conditions and on an undeveloped road system. Originally from Texas, Rusty was the first woman to drive the Alaska Highway.  Her rig was a Studebaker 6×6 with 10 wheels that had bald tires, broken gauges and a 40 gallon tank. In later writings from Dow she tells of an incident that occurred while she was working under her truck. She had overheard some men talking about having a woman in their domain. One told the other she wrote “…if it becomes so tame that women can drive it then it’s time to roll our sleeping bags and move on to the next job…” Dow realized she was seen sometimes as a trespasser in a man’s world, though she says for the most part she was treated kindly.

Before they were famous,  Singer/Actress/Minister Della Reese and Actress/Comedian/Singer Bea Arthur were both truck drivers.

Della Reese spoke of her early driving career with fond memories however it remains a mystery why Bea Arthur, who was a truck driver during part of her time serving with the Marines during WWII, never spoke of her skill and denied her service to our country. Watch the videos below.

Women working as truck drivers in the military

It is important to understand that images of smiling women working as truck drivers do not present a full picture of what women may have experienced from serving in the military. In a document called “Women and War: What Physicians Should Know”  an overview is given of occurrences and perceptions that women who served as nurses were seen as angels but women  who served in male dominated areas such as truck drivers were seen as lesbians or sluts.

Some of these women may have been unable to deal with the humiliation campaigns against them and could not see the value of their honorable service to our country.

Today we must remember that although acceptance of women in the military has grown, physical attacks and sexual assaults do NOT occur from enemy sources but instead from members of the same units. 

Sexual harassment and sexual misconduct in truck driver training has many similarities to the issues that affect women who enter the military. The problem is a few bad apples that are not dealt with by those in leadership positions. The problem of rape, sexual misconduct and sexual harassment in isolated atmospheres is not solved by making excuses.

Separating women and men does not provide a solution for competent women who are affected by poor leadership. This approach only serves to send a message to both men and women that the accomplishments of the women mean nothing and that they can be stripped away in a moment by the very institutions the women have devoted themselves. 

The fight to be recognized for achievement by women in the military and the women of trucking should be seen as comparable. Encouraged to enter without intelligent support from those that they should be able to trust the most.

Additional Reading:

PDF: WACS Tackle Man-Sized Jobs

Women at War

US Foods ~ Keeps Kitchens Cooking ™

US Foods, U.S. Foodservice is one of America’s top 10 largest private companies and an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to promoting diversity of thought, ideas, perspectives and people.

US Foods, U.S. Foodservice Altoona and Greensburg, PA division encourages qualified CDL holders of both genders to learn more about their driver local driving opportunities.

Basic Purpose:
The primary function of the position is to drive a tractor trailer interstate for the purpose of picking up and delivering various products from vendors and company distribution centers. All functions must be completed in a safe and timely manner and in accordance with DOT regulations.

Pay is Hourly, Union

Qualifications: Minimum 1 year commercial driving experience required or six months foodservice or food and beverage delivery experience required. Experience delivering food products preferred.

Education/Training: High School Diploma/GED preferred. Must be able to read, write and communicate in English as it relates to the job and to the safety regulations. Must have basic math skills (add, subtract, multiply, divide) and ability to work with money collected from customers to ensure the amount collected matches the invoiced amount. Must have a valid Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), Class A issued by the state of legal residence with the necessary endorsements and be DOT qualified.

Convictions: No more than two convictions in the past two year period for traffic violations. No more than one of these may be a serious (as defined by DOT) violation or result of an accident – company or private vehicle; No DUI convictions within past three years, regardless of type of vehicle operated; no driver’s license suspension within past three years (insurance and overweight tickets are excluded); and no termination by previous employer for failure to comply with safety regulations or for accident involvement for the past three years.

Lifting requirements: must be able to frequently lift 10 to 50 lbs, and occasionally up to 100 lbs (i.e. boxed beef or frozen cases); hand trucks are provided (two wheelers with hand brakes) to all of our drivers. Product from the trailer must be lifted onto the cart, and then off and into the customer’s storage facilities. There are trailer ramps on all trailers, and typically the trailers are 28’ to 36”. The ramps are stored under the trailers and can be pulled out and set on the end of the trailer for use. Some routes do also include pallet jacks for use at the customer site.

**Most delivery routes are loaded as a two-way split, with frozen and dry goods in the front, and then cooler products in the back. The two areas are split by buns, but are loaded so that both sections are accessible to unload out the back of the trailer.

A Doubles endorsement is required – either at the time of hire or within a reasonable time after hire. Both on-the-job and on-site training for the doubles endorsement is provided to help drivers obtain this.

Routes run Monday through Friday, with occasional overnights for DOT hours of service requirements or for backhauls/two-day delivery routes. However, most of our routes dispatch early morning and return in the afternoon/early evening. No weekend deliveries unless needed for an emergency delivery or due to holiday delivery changes on occasion.

Typical delivery area is central Pennsylvania – east to Harrisburg and west to Pittsburgh, and then south to Hagerstown and Frederick, MD. Run north to the New York border and south down into Maryland as noted.

For more information please read “Delivery Driver Requisition”

To search current driver openings visit the US Foods Job Portal and type in the Altoona or Greensburg division. Follow the prompts to apply on-line. If you have a problems or need assistance with the online application process please contact the Job Application Accommodation Division located in the US Foods Career Section.

EOE Race/Color/Religion/Sex/National Origin/Protected Veteran/Disability Status

Click the US Foods Logo Above or this US Foods Link to visit the career portal and submit your application.

Our objective is to create a RELIABLE resource for qualified drivers to locate products, services and driver jobs. We aim select carriers that are transparent about what the job will require to eliminate misleading recruiting that has become a problem in trucking.

Stay tuned to our Women Truckers Network for other US Foods driver opportunities as they become available or visit www.usfoods.com to create a personal driver job profile and job alert.

By Jonathan Reeder, Marketing, DAT Solutions

If you have a smartphone with a camera, you essentially have a mobile document scanner—one you can use to scan and submit invoices and other paperwork to companies you work with, including Advance Business Capital (ABC), the preferred freight factoring provider of DAT.

Whether you use a document scanning app on an Android, iPhone, or a Windows Mobile device, the process is nearly identical. Scanning apps work by using your phone’s camera to take a picture of your paperwork and the software converts the photo into a black-and-white document, enhancing it to make it as readable as possible. So if you want to expedite your factoring process, scan and send the invoice to your freight bill factoring company as soon as you can while you’re out on the road.

There are important differences between taking a picture and making a scan we can use to process payment quickly. Follow these tips to make the most of the technology at hand:

Choosing an app
We don’t have a preference for the app you use as long as it converts the image into a black-and-white document and not a photograph. All things being equal, your choice should probably come down to support. The developers who built the program want you to use it correctly and effectively. Are the settings and instructions clear? Is the web site helpful? Are there videos available?

ABC is part of that support network, too. Virtually any new smartphone can produce a great picture and run an app that will convert it into a scanned document. The key to good image quality—and speedy payment processing—rests with you. If you have questions about submitting electronic documents, let us know.

Composing images
Start with a good original. Is it legible and complete? Problems with a paper copy will transfer to the electronic document.

For best results, place the document on a flat, well-lit surface. Turn off the camera’s flash and shoot straight down. The app should allow you to straighten and crop the image so nothing but the document is in the frame—no table edges or dashboards.

Practice using the app’s settings to produce a crisp, clear, black-and-white document. Zoom in and judge the results yourself: if you’re having trouble reading the document, just delete the file and try again. It’s always faster to take another image than to submit a poor scan to us and have us ask you to retake it anyway.

File types
Most apps let you save your document in different file types. We prefer TIFFs and PDFs: TIFFs can be converted to other file formats without losing quality, while PDFs tend to be smaller files and make it easier to organize multi-page documents. Avoid using JPG, PNG, and other file types used for photos.

Multipage documents
Compile all the paperwork for a load into one file. Some apps make a separate file for each page you scan, but it’s easier when all the documents associated with a load—rate confirmations, bills of lading, and so on—are grouped together.

Sending documents
Most of our clients send paperwork electronically, which you can do straight from your phone. If you use TMS software, see if it supports FTP or some other type of electronic file transfer to automatically submit invoice information (freight bills) and shipment status updates.

Keep the original
An electronic copy is just that—a copy. Keep the original paperwork and file it away in case you need it later. There are cases where we do request originals for loads where originals are required by the broker.

Image by Simon Yeo via Flickr

Real Women in Trucking partners with DAT to offer a special on the TruckersEdge load board to its members. Sign up for TruckersEdge today and get your first 30 days free by signing up at www.truckersedge.net/promo584 or entering “promo584” during sign up.

About TruckersEdge®, powered by DAT®

TruckersEdge® Load Board is part of the trusted DAT® Load Board Network. DAT offers more than 68 million live loads and trucks per year. Tens of thousands of loads per day are found first or exclusively on the DAT Network through TruckersEdge.

Note: This article was adapted from DAT’s blog post on www.DAT.com. It was first published in

March 2014

By Scott McCollister, Product Manager, DAT Solutions

Half of U.S. mobile subscribers now own smartphones, according to Nielsen, compared to 36% in 2011. Furthermore, given a choice between a smartphone and a conventional phone, more than two-thirds choose the smartphone.

If you’ve relegated your trusty flip-phone to the junk drawer, you’re already wise to the true costs of smartphone ownership. The expense isn’t the device as much as it is the data plan, which can set you back $35 to $90 a month depending on your carrier and how much data you expect to use.

It begs the question: can one free, well-conceived business app for truckers make a smartphone worth the added cost?

Our answer is My DAT Trucker Services, introduced in May 2011. This is a free app for iPhone and Android devices that displays nearby loads that are posted to the DAT Extended Network — the same network our truck stop monitors use. Truckers can also use the app to find nearby truck stops, scales, truck washes, and fuel prices, plus other local points of interest.

There are lots of apps for truckers out there and several for finding freight. If you’re an owner-operator, or you manage drivers, here are four ways to to evaluate which ones make the most sense to recommend:

1. Does it play to mobile’s strengths?

Great apps use your phone’s location information to make it easier to find important things around you. For a truck driver, that means truck stops, fuel, CAT scales, Walmarts, truck washes, and rest stops with maps and directions.

It also means loads. My DAT Trucker Services looks for loads posted to monitors at nearby truck stops. Tap the state where you want to go and the app will suggest up to 25 loads headed toward your destination. These are just a subset of all the loads that you can find on DAT Load Boards, including TruckersEdge, displayed for your convenience. Instead of having to go into a truck stop to find a load monitor, you can use your phone to search a selection of local loads on the DAT Extended Network.

The results show the type of load, how long it’s been on the board, the number of deadhead miles to the pickup point, and the name of the broker. If you think the load is right for you, you can phone the broker with a single tap of the screen.

2. Is it intuitive and simple to use?

Before you recommend an app to a driver, check it out yourself. Does it feel fluid and look like it belongs on the phone? Is information neatly labeled and well organized? Is the navigation quick and obvious? Do you have to log in and type a lot of information in order to use the app?

Here’s a test: Count the number of touches it takes you to find what you need. My DAT Trucker Services delivers load results after two taps of the screen and shows nearby services after just one.

3. How much space does it take?

In September, the average iOS (iPhone Operating System) app size was 23 MB, while the average Android app was 6 MB. Storage capacity on smartphones and tablets can’t keep pace. If your device has 8 or 16 GB of storage, you need to be aware of app size. My DAT Trucker Services’ footprint is a streamlined 1.7 MB. It performs just fine on “entry-level” smartphones with slower processors and less memory.

4. Can an app improve day-to-day life on the road?

We’ve had more than 120,000 downloads of My DAT Trucker Services, but perhaps more importantly we have more than 80,000 active users. That’s remarkable at a time when roughly one-quarter of all downloaded apps are used just once. It’s a good indication that the app can help truck drivers save time, money, or both. As technology has evolved, drivers don’t need to be in front of a screen at a truck stop in order to find a load. They can use their smartphone as their own personal load monitor—and spend more time resting or driving than waiting at the truck stop.

5.  What do the other users say?

Last but not least: what do fellow users think of the app?  Look for the ratings. MyDAT Trucker Services has consistently scored around 3.5 (out of a possible 4) since it was launched.  Considering that 80,000 people are actively using the app, we think the high marks speak for themselves.

What do you think? Do you own a smartphone? Do you have a “go-to” app that makes the expense worth it? Do you use My DAT Trucker Services?

Real Women in Trucking partners with DAT to offer a special on the TruckersEdge load board to its members. Sign up for TruckersEdge today and get your first 30 days free by signing up here or entering “promo584” during sign up.

About TruckersEdge®, powered by DAT®

TruckersEdge® Load Board is part of the trusted DAT® Load Board Network. DAT offers more than 68 million live loads and trucks per year. Tens of thousands of loads per day are found first or exclusively on the DAT Network through TruckersEdge.

Note: This article was adapted from DAT’s blog post on www.DAT.com. It was first published in November 2012

Who says you can’t get a truck driving job if you live in Florida?

Qualified Female Class A, CDL Holders for regional driving jobs are being encouraged to apply with DTL Transportation a family owned company that has been in business for over 30 years.

Now Hiring

Solo Drivers ~ Orlando (Sanford), Florida & Columbia, SC (Requires 2 Yrs. OTR Exp.)

Team Drivers ~ Florida: Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando (Sanford); South Carolina: Charleston, Columbia; Georgia: Savannah, Atlanta (McDonough) (Requires 2 Yrs. OTR for 1st seat & 1 Yr. for 2nd seat)

** DTL Transportation Has Guaranteed Weekly Home Time, Solo Drivers should live within 75 miles of Sanford, FL or Columbia, SC. Team Drivers should live within 100 miles of the terminals listed above.**

DTL Transportation is one of the nation’s leading transportation companies for perishable, refrigerated, and time-sensitive shipments, specializing in perishable goods such as pasta, tropical foliage, fresh-cut flowers, and fresh seafood.

Consistent miles & dedicated routes, drivers are out every week with no downtime.

DTL Transportation runs lanes East of
I-35, to the Northeast and Mid-West with some routes to Texas (Teams primarily go to Texas). NYC area ONLY to cross the bridge to Long Island.

Hiring Requirements:

- Must be at least 25 years of age
- Valid Class A CDL
- Clean MVR
- Satisfactory Background Check

*Felonies are looked at on a case-by-case basis; however, major dis-qualifiers are any sex crimes and recent felonies within the last 7 years. No DUI/DWI, within the last 5 years.*

Pay Package:

- Paid weekly, .34 cpm, plus stop pay
- Paid by Practical Miles
- Average miles per week 2400 -2900
*Most drivers average $825-$980/week GROSS for mileage plus stop pay*
- No Layovers
- Local Driving Routes: Drivers will earn a combination of hourly pay for dock work and local deliveries at a rate of $12.00 per hour. When drivers have pickups or pre-loads at the cooler in Miami, they are either paid a flat rate of $150/$200.
*Local drivers are grossing $700-$750/week based on 40-45 hour work week.*
- $500 Sign-On Bonus!
- Referral bonuses
*Drivers get paid $50 after their referral works 30 days and $200 after their referral works 90 days. There is no cap to the number of referral bonuses a driver can receive.*

Benefits, Perks and Conditions:

- Medical/Dental/Sick Time after 90 days.
- Vacation: 1 week vacation after 1 year, 2 weeks’ vacation after 2 years.
Terms: BLACKOUT DATES > DTL moves fresh flowers; therefore busy season is between Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. Employee handbook has specific guidelines which drivers should understand.
- Pet Policy: Pets are allowed from day one with no cost or deposit
Terms: Drivers are required to sign a disclaimer agreement for their pet to acknowledge responsibility if their pet causes damage to equipment.
- Rider Policy: Spouse only after 90 days, $250 rider insurance policy required.

Equipment:
- New, late model, clean equipment ~ Freightliners, Peterbilt, Kenworth
*All of trucks are certified clean idle, No APU, Does Not charge drivers to Idle
- All drivers start on paper logs and transition to E-Logs, PeopleNet System
- Fuel Card, EFS

Qualified drivers are invited to apply directly online at www.dtltransportation.com. To apply click on: Job Opportunities.

If you need assistance or have additional questions, contact
Shannon Britton: 321.257.1948 or send an email to sbritton@dtltransportation.com

By Michael Tupper, Product Manager, DAT Solutions 

The growing consensus is that trucking is now facing a truckload capacity crunch. For carriers, that means driver recruitment and retention is even more crucial to their business.

One simple way to keep drivers happy, while also providing useful and cost-effective tools, is to provide a smartphone or tablet, or help them pay for a data plan if they already have one. While this may seem like a big investment, think about the cost of recruiting a new driver, which averages $5,000 per driver, not to mention any lost revenue from unutilized assets.

There are a multitude of apps that drivers can use on the road that will make their lives easier. For example, our free app, MyDAT Trucker, provides fast access to nearby truck stops, fuel prices, service stations, Walmart locations, CAT scales and trucker-friendly hotels.

Other apps can provide help with navigation – for example, Google Maps now includes real-time traffic reporting. Google recently purchased Waze, another app that allows drivers to report traffic incidents, and Google Maps is now taking that data into account. This could help drivers foresee traffic problems. MyDAT also incorporates Google Maps in-app for easy routing to any of the listed amenities and waypoints.  For owner operators and smaller trucking companies, MyDAT provides the added bonus of the ability to find nearby loads on the DAT Network. Some drivers may even use this free tool to work with dispatchers to identify potential back hauls.

Mobile devices can also help with one of the biggest challenges for any OTR driver, staying in touch with their family and friends. Apps like Skype, Google Hangouts, Apple’s Facetime on iPhones, Facebook and other social networks can help long-haul drivers stay more connected with their home life.

Other beneficial applications include:

• Driver Workflow: It’s getting easier and easier to get business done on the road as technology improves. Document scanning apps and cloud-based document storage can help keep paperwork issues in-line.
• Health: Health is a top concern among drivers, and there are plenty of apps that can help, including fitness and nutritional apps.
• Entertainment: Entertainment options are endless, with music, movies, TV and more to keep drivers entertained in their down time.

The number of drivers using smartphones (instead of “dumb phones”) has been growing steadily as carriers and drivers realize the benefits. If your fleet isn’t part of that growing segment yet, take some time to investigate; it could help you keep drivers around, which in this day and age is the most important challenge facing the industry.

Real Women in Trucking partners with DAT to offer a special on the TruckersEdge load board to its members. Sign up for TruckersEdge today and get your first 30 days free by signing up at www.truckersedge.net/promo584 or entering “promo584” during sign up.

About TruckersEdge®, powered by DAT®

TruckersEdge® Load Board is part of the trusted DAT® Load Board Network. DAT offers more than 68 million live loads and trucks per year. Tens of thousands of loads per day are found first or exclusively on the DAT Network through TruckersEdge.

Note: This article was adapted from DAT’s blog post on www.DAT.com. It was first published in March 2014

Another trucker has been murdered during his federally mandated sleep break. (Read: 30 Year Old Michael Boeglin Murdered) Another working man that did not have safe truck parking available to but was required to comply with federal “hours of service”. His young pregnant wife has been left a widow. Meanwhile, the House and Senate went home for 4th of July holidays and before they adjourned they did nothing to continue transportation funding which has a section for safe truck parking named “Jason’s Law“.

Since the murder of trucker Jason Rivenburg, Hope Rivenburg has worked tirelessly to have safe truck parking recognized. It is now included in the current transportation bill. The completed 2013 national truck parking survey gave an overview that was presented on Slideshare and additional comment questions were gathered into PDF format for download at the bottom of the post called “Truck Parking Special Report.”

These sections included thousands of truck driver responses that had to be formatted for publication. Over the past two weeks I have been completing question 42, the final open comment section. There are over 90 pages of comments. I have always felt that it was important to publish the remarks drivers took the time to make in the survey that allowed them to vent their frustration on how safe truck parking affects them daily.

Although I cannot predict how fast I can finish this project due to my schedule I wanted to share this preview of the first 7 pages of remarks.

Violence against the people who are moving America’s freight should not be happening. Given the recent news I felt it was important to publish what I could today.

I hope people that read the driver comments below will call their elected officials to tell them to take action for transportation funding and especially safe truck parking.

A Preview of the Final Comments from the 2013 Truck parking Survey

• I was in Alabama picking up a high value tire load. I was on time but they took over 6 hours to load my trailer, leaving me with only 1 hour left on 14 hour clock. I asked if I could take break there as the nearest safe parking was over 2 hours away. They hemmed and hawed and finally agreed I could as long as parked in a vacant field at end of DC (distribution center). But I was not allowed out of the truck being as I am a female driver. Male drivers are allowed to break there with no problem, use the bathroom and break room. Exactly 10 hours later a manager was banging on my door and asking me to leave or else he would call the police. The next time I will park on a ramp or field in an unfinished industrial park rather than put up with this harassment.

• There was one incident where I had waked up and my trailer doors were open and 3 persons were inside asleep. I called the local police and they were arrested. The rest area where this happened is no longer there. I’m and old truck driver and I know there is no way I could defend myself against one young adult much less three.

• Drivers at rest areas are so packed in they often block the road to exit. I only needed to use restroom but couldn’t park legally to do so. Instead I stopped in the street to pee and then had to wake up two drivers’ to have them move their trucks so I could exit the rest area. I thought I was going to have to fight them to move their trucks.

• I had a prostitute soliciting drivers at a truck stop in Ohio. She kept knocking on my door and disrupting my sleep. I had to call the police and they had her arrested.

• Memphis Tennessee truck stops always have shady characters roaming parking lots, begging for money, hell they even advertise drugs for sale on the CB radio very frequently.

• I find it hard with the new HOS (hours of service) to find safe comfortable parking now. You have to stop at places you don’t feel comfortable because your load is “hot” and you have to push it on the hours. I try not to park at the pilot or TA in Chicago area because I’ve witnessed trucks getting broken into by young thugs in the area.

• I’m not on the road overnight much. In Connecticut I drove through 3 rest areas, newly renovated with LESS truck parking, bus parking more spots and all empty. I-95 rest areas are not set up correct for the size of the vehicle.

• I have often been under load and not been able to find secure, well lit parking. My company dictates no unsafe parking, on shoulders etc., sometimes I drive under/over my hours to find a safe area.

• Shippers and receivers that take 2 to 3 hours to do a job that should only take 45 minutes… I have on numerous occasions have run out of hours at these shippers and receivers only to find out that they don’t allow parking on their lots. Mainly due to a few bad apples out there. So I have been forced to find a “SAFE:” location to park which at some times have taken up to an hour, when I have already ran out of hours at the shipper/receiver.

• Mine is an unusual situation involving an equipment truck used by the company on remote sites. If out of hours, I have to get a hotel room (no sleeper cab). Biggest problem is that with the changes in HOS rules, the truck is getting too expensive to operate so we are getting rid of it.

• Houston TX down town in a Loves truck stop… scary place. People walked all night long up and down, around and around that truck stop. Just looking for trouble. In Ft Worth TX on the rail head, no trucks allowed into receiver before 1 hour of appointment, Trucks park on the streets there. Crack daddy makes the rounds about every hour. San Antonio, TX, I don’t feel safe in that town ever no matter where I have to park.

• I was parked at a small truck stop in Tenn. and at about 2:30 am the gun shots rang out and then the law show up making all kinds of noise and kept me up the last 6 hours of my rest time.

• Out of time around large municipalities resulting in poor choice of overnighting.
At the time I ran load’s to Boston MA, I had a load that delivered at 4 am of swinging lamb… I drove for FFE out of Lancaster TX at the time they also had electronic logs. I parked down town at the receiver and at 3 am I was woke up to a woman telling me she worked for the place I was delivering to. She then asked for my phone number so she could call me when it was time to back into the dock… As I got up to grab a pen she then got up into my truck on the passenger side and sat down in the seat. I handed her my pen she wrote my number down and the grabbed my leg saying you want some company. I replied no I’m married… She then gave me a story of how she will get hurt if I didn’t pay but I really didn’t have any cash I always use my card she finally left but I then got calls that night saying I was going to be sorry… Nothing ever happened after that but I never took that load again…

• I got ticket in City of Industry, California for parking in explicitly permitted area. Could go to court, but the travel cost of it would be greater, than paying the fine.

• In San Jose, California, I spent a half hour driving in an industrial area, looking for parking. Desperate, I called parking administration and asked them, where I can find appropriate place. “We don’t know, but you sure shouldn’t park where it’s forbidden”…

• DETROIT is a horrible area, both for Safety and for having absolutely no truck stops within easy reach.
• Most rest areas/service plazas have designated truck, bus, RV & car parking. If a commercial vehicle is forced to park in an area not designated as such, the driver is often cited with an overly expensive parking fine. When cars park in designated truck, bus or RV parking it is ignored by law enforcement and therefore, encouraged. The same can be said for RV operators who park in designated truck parking and put out slide rooms and awnings that hang over into adjacent parking spaces, as though they were in a camp ground or RV park. Again, no one says anything.

• A couple of years ago I suddenly felt ill on the CT Turnpike during rush hour and needed a Rest Room. Knowing that truck parking would be full in the Darien Service Plaza I opted to park out front rather than take a chance of not being able to park at all out back. I was immediately confronted by a CT Trooper and told to move the truck. I explained that I was sick and needed a rest room. He told me to go ahead and he’d take care of me when I got back (his words). When I returned I was issued a $75 parking ticket and informed that the “correct response” should have been, “Yes Sir, I’ll move the tuck Sir”. No sympathy and no use of discretion. The truck was out of the way and not blocking traffic. Just not ‘legally” parked.

• Thank you for taking the time to do this. It has been a long time coming. I parked on the on-ramp in New Jersey with three other trucks. A State Police officer pounded on my door and told me to move. I said that I was on my ten (10 hour sleep break) and I don’t know where to park. He said move it now or I will give you a ticket. I drove for 1 1/2 hours more until the next truck stop.

• The big thing is the off ramps. You can be asleep and then you get woke up told to move so now we are back on the road sleepy and out of hours.

• When delivering to Amity St. in Jersey City, NJ, I end up parking on that street because unloading takes so long, and e-logs prevent me from leaving to search elsewhere. It’s a quiet street, but it can’t be the best of neighborhoods. I avoid the Vince Lombardi service plaza because it’s crowded, dirty, and has reports of crime. Even though it is large, this one spot cannot contain the parking needs of all North New Jersey.

• If I could not find a safe spot in rest area or truck stop, had to put my truck on the on ramp shoulder, of very busy freeway.

• It is unacceptable that Walmart DC in Bentonville, AR, world headquarters for Walmart has no truck parking close to facility. Got a two lane farm road to location and closest gas station is a mile down the road and you can’t park on the side street by the gas station if no other traffic is around were you can maneuver thru the gas station parking lot and park on the side street. I will never go back to that location. Baltimore has a TA but got to pay. But only two truck stops in that large metroplex? You got to get there real early in the day to get a spot. I usually plan where I am going to park by noon for a two or three o’clock shut down. I run early morning and afternoon. I try not to run in the evening during rush hour. You can pretty much forget about getting a spot to park after 5 pm in any city truck stop.

• Whenever in a downtown area in any city and you find yourself out of time and have no choice but to park in a strange area I am never able to sleep always have to stay awake and watch things most areas in downtown areas trucks should not have to be Little city trucks should be only trucks to go to these areas There just accidents and murders and high jacking waiting to happen Outside of downtowns usually ok

• I found a lot in Miami to park one night while waiting for delivery and was told I had to pay for month to park there. That sucks for drivers coming out of town especially when drivers that live there have the truck stops packed. 595 truck stop helps I guess, only been there once. I just don’t go into the area till about 9am -11am and just deal with traffic.

• The new 30 minute break law adds 2.5 hours to my week, and working dedicated in the northeast there needs to be more truck stops.

• Parked in a fueling station and was out of hours. They had 3 spots for truck parking and I was an hour away from dropping my load. Woke up the next morning to find my bar on the landing gear gone and my tool box broken into. Place had no security cameras, so I was out $1,200.

• The one that comes to mind was 6 years ago at an abandoned truck stop on hwy 51 in west TN. Nothing happened, but I had a bad feeling all night and did not rest well. I was glad when sunrise came and I was finally able to go make my pick up.

• I was ticketed 130 dollars for parking on an entrance ramp in Indiana to take that stupid 30 minute mandatory break!

• Parking at a shipper’s dock on a few occasions, I have been awakened by homeless people. One time I was awakened by a noise, looked in my mirror, and found someone trying to steal my spare at the same dock. While I never felt terribly unsafe personally, I have felt very annoyed.

• The problems I have seems to be when you get loaded later in the day and you drive into the early morning hours or really anything after 9 or 10 pm you will have trouble finding a place to park so without a safe place to park you end up driving when you should be resting.

• Road rage at tight quarter truck stops. Trucks rolling out of full rest areas.

• Most nationally recognized trucking companies, i.e. Swift, Werner, J.B. Hunt, etc., have offices and parking areas in most cities but their drivers won’t use them. All these company trucks have e-logs and they are shut down wherever they are, leaving nowhere for anyone else to park

• During a snow storm in Upper NY I was forced to drive in unsafe conditions while looking for a safe haven. Everything was full or closed leaving me no choice but to keep going till I finally found a spot.

• I was parked in a truck stop in TX and they robbed my whole fuel out of my tank. Prostitutes inside the parking lots of truck stops knocking at my door at any time and insisting on making you uncomfortable, drug dealers offering drugs for sale and thieves walking around to steal our equipment. Very unsafe and dangerous line of work not only on the road but even when you are supposed to rest to keep on working.

• They just need to realize we move freight all over and nobody wants trucks around there neighborhood. We need a place that we can let our hair down a little and rest and relax and not fear for our safety and security. Thanks for showing some interest in a lonely and thankess profession.

• It is hard to find anything in Chicago I have delivered to the Sysco Des Plaines location and they will not let you on the lot for a 6 am apt. prior to 5 am and they tell you a few spots you can park but you either get a parking ticket or you get woke up at 3 am by a guy claiming you’re in his spot and then he says you can stay but just sits there in his car waiting.

• In many truck stops if you do not get there before dark you have to park in the entrance, on the sides or on the street outside and I do not feel safe doing this as I could easily get hit.

• I had to park at a container yard in Newark N.J. There were homeless and questionable people about all night long. I was nervous and did not sleep all night, then had to drive a full day the next day, all the truck stops were full.

• I have seen prostitutes step out of one truck and up into the next truck regularly. I have waked up to a lot surrounded by police and a dead body against the fence behind me. I have watched and given a police report on an attempted hit and run against another truck….the list can go on and on…

• SCAMS GOING ON IN TRUCK STOPS

• I have been driving for over 30 years, and when I break my own rules I feel extremely unsafe. When I break my rules, I have extremely limited choices. I had to park in the meat packing district of NYC overnight, and a driver behind me was beaten while I was doing my paperwork between 2am and 3am. Beef was stolen from that driver’s trailer. When I realized what had happened and tried to help the driver, the thieves were gone before the police arrived. Truck drivers are employees and therefore we should be provided with a safe haven each and every rest period. We are not serfs.

• I’ve never felt that state rest areas should be utilized for 10 hour breaks. Hard to make use of the restrooms, or snack venders if you can’t find parking. 2 hour limit.

• While trying to take the mandatory 1/2 break it very hard to find a legal parking place, so therefore I risk getting a parking ticket to do so.

• I was in a rest area on I-40 in Arkansas when I woke up and tried to leave there was another truck blocking me in so I knocked on his door and asked to back up so I could get out and he pulled a gun on me and I climbed up on his truck and tried get his gun but I could not get out of his hand so I told him to just shoot me or get the hell out of my way so I could leave and fired a shot over my head and then he backed up and let me out.

• I try to never drive tired but when there is no were to park you keep pushing till you find somewhere and hope like hell it’s not too late and if I don’t feel safe there I will keep going till I find somewhere safe even though I’m on e-logs hours be damned my safety is more important, having to drive extra hours to find parking is aggravating and illegal

• I drive a straight truck and at night, some drivers do not look at a space and almost back into me.

• At a truck stop in Lake Station, IN I woke up with someone I didn’t know yelling at me who was sitting in my driver seat. Luckily they meant no harm but told me I forgot to lock my door. I could have been robbed or killed if it were anyone else.

• I always have people asking for money. I give them a couple bucks to kind of “buy” my safety there, so to speak. I do not get out of my truck after I park it in “iffy” areas.

• Going to Montana was running out of time and couldn’t find a truck stop or place to safely pull over for the night. So I wound up parking on a shoulder of an off ramp where no one was around and truck was barely off the road due to short shoulder. But this had to be done because the 14 hour rule was about to be gone over. Could have been hijacked or killed and no one would have known.

• If not in a proper safe parking place, it is always dangerous, regardless of where it is, and we are supposed to protect ourselves and equipment. How do we do this, and rest???

• I have caught (on a number of occasions) someone trying to hide on or break into my truck. There have been 5 times I had to forcibly protect my truck and load. I could go on but it seems like I’m beating a dead horse. We are out here and must protect ourselves and those around us that may be victimized; nobody else is in a position to do it.

• The biggest problem is parking where I feel safe. All around truck &, safety for me as a female; there are so many times I have needed or just want to get out of the truck but can’t due to the safety for myself and truck or the safety of load.

• Being in a rest area or parking area when trucks are parked in a wish bone most spots were made for 40-45 foot trailers not 53 foot

• When you are tired, parking is hard to find and nothing feels safe.
• I been very lucky so far to stay away from anywhere I don’t feel comfortable but it’s getting next to impossible to find a safe place.

• As a female driver, it’s not safe for any of us to be in an abandoned lot, truck stops, anywhere we don’t know. How about some security that doesn’t stay inside the truck stop?

• I can honestly say that for the most part I’ve been very fortunate with parking, when I find a spot! Usually I park in secluded areas (abandoned strip malls, closed gas stations, or behind shopping centers) and “test” my luck with whether not I’ll be harassed by authorities. For the most part no one bothers me; I keep a low-profile. In PA. I find myself grabbing off-ramps a lot despite “No-parking” signs; so far no one has bothered me. Maybe they know it’s getting harder to find a spot? Westbound PA. 7/2013 has closed (2) rest areas at the 247 & 89. This will definitely make my breaks harder to come by. Besides that, NJ/NY is too congested to even think about parking so I always head for the hills and roll the dice. Truckers are avoiding rest areas now because DOT is making it the “Anything-but-rest-areas” with Creeper Vans and mobile scales. You want scale? Build a scale. Don’t interrupt my lunch, dinner, or nap. It’s getting out of control!

• I am team now and will not go back to solo because of no parking. Have to use a make shift toilet because none are available or scared to leave truck.

• When you need to stop late at night ,chances are you will not find parking, unless you double park ,park in a place where your truck might get hit or keep driving when you should be stopped resting. Nobody wants a truck stop in their area. Parking on highway ramps is DANGEROUS and illegal in most states. Many states will not let you take 10 hours in a rest area.

• Depending on the time you would be stopping you have to start looking for parking several hours before you plan to park. Sometimes even cutting your day short just to find a safe place to park.

• About the worst thing is having to park in an unknown area with little or no lightning.
• The main problem with parking is the police harass us when we are sleeping in a REST AREA. They wake us up and want to do inspections while we are on our mandatory rest breaks and some shippers and receivers won’t let drivers stay on their property making us have to take unnecessary risks to get some rest.

• The USDA does not allow us to park at the packing houses, and there’s no spaces left after dark at truck stops, so we are forced to time the load delivery time to drive straight in for an appointment. If a driver needs an unexpected break, you’re out of luck. My truck has been vandalized for parking at a crowded truck stop because my load of livestock made too much noise for the other truckers too sleep.

• As a former OTR driver, now local delivery, I’ve found many times planning ahead doesn’t always work. Many spots on the east coast have you parking on on/off ramps or rest area ramps. As a local driver with the new mandatory 30min off duty break before my 8th hour, some routes have me in dangerous areas within Detroit where robberies are high risk… but I don’t have a choice… I have to remain compliant.

• Parking almost anywhere in or around West Memphis, Arkansas area has a severe drug and crime problem. Most commercial drivers are harassed by drug peddlers and prostitutes.

• When you only have the off/on ramps available. The ones in Florida are the worse because most of them don’t have any shoulders to allow you to get your truck out of the road. I’ve seen trucks parked and would have half of their truck or more still on the ramp.

• Truck stops are not safe. I was in Lancaster Texas at pilot truck stop, watched about 15 prostitutes and drug dealers beat up a JB hunt driver, security did nothing at all and it took police 37 minutes to arrive to the scene. No one was even arrested, they did nothing at all, very upsetting driver was rushed in ambulance, after that I left the truck stop and will never return. Security is there for a reason not to watch thugs beat up the working man, very sad.

• I’m the night time driver of my team. At times I need to park it I can’t due to no place to park so I go to the fuel island grab more coffee or walk around thinking I’m ok to drive again I go ten miles down the road and I’m done again I have had to wake up my partner to help me find a place to park…

• I sometimes stop at/near the TA (Travel Centers of America) off I-10 just west of Jacksonville, Florida. Two incidents occurred that I remember. Around 2010 – 2011.

1) Two criminals tried to rob a truck driver, the truck driver shot a bow arrow into the head of one of his attackers and the other attacker ran away.
2) A truck driver was held up at gunpoint by three criminals, pulled from his truck, tied up and left him in an empty building, they stole his entire tractor and trailer; these men were caught and arrested.
Both men (truck drivers) were seeking parking.

• When I’ve left plenty of time on my run and allowable time for incidents, I have begun looking for parking at times an hour before my shift would end only to find 3-4 truck stops/rest areas full and forcing me to drive direct to destination to find I’m not welcome to park their overnight.

• In general there is just not enough quality parking. Parking at shippers or consignees usually not allowed and in my case when I do park at one it is usually in desolate area and no security. It’s hard to get any rest when you don’t feel safe

• I usually try to avoid parking in places I don’t feel comfortable with. My biggest problem is lack of truck parking places, late night what little parking is always full, if your sleepy this is bad.

• Prostitutes, drug dealers, thieves, and peddlers eyeing what you have in your cab through the window and standing on your step to do so, reaching in trying to push the product in your face.

• I personally have not had an incident happen to me because generally try not to put myself into that kind of situation. When I park I close my curtains and don’t go looking for trouble. But with that being said, something needs to be done by law about Shippers and Receiver providing us with safe and adequate parking and the ability to take or finish our break at their location. We did not make the HOS laws, but we have to abide by them, and they should too.

• I have one to many stories…sad but true. I will say this, get in the truck and work 1 month OTR running 48 states and let me know how you feel about it. You will learn the meaning of second class citizen and you will also learn to appreciate a toilet and running water to shower or clean up.

Successful owner-operator Chad Boblett (right) created the Facebook group “Rate Per Mile Masters.”

Facebook Group Chases Best-Paying Loads

By Joel Weiler, Marketing Content Developer, DAT Solutions

Most drivers will face challenges when they make the transition from company driver to running on their own authority. DAT customer Chad Boblett faced many challenges, too, in his journey to becoming a successful owner-operator.

While working as a company driver, Boblett underwent a series of surgeries that left him unable to drive. He lost his job and, unable to make ends meet, was forced to rent out his house, sell off assets and move his family in with his in-laws, who live in Japan.

When he was finally able to drive again, he decided it was time to make his own way—under his own authority.

“I had to get my life back,” says Boblett, “I always wanted to be an owner-operator but every time I would talk to someone about it, it was always negative and no one ever makes it. At this point it couldn’t get any worse though, so I put my plan together and got it going.”

He took a chance, buying his own rig and trailer on credit cards. Now, three years later, he and his family are back in their home and his truck, trailer and credit cards are paid off. “I’m loving life as an owner-operator,” he says.

Now Boblett has found a way to share his success and encourage others to take the leap themselves. He recently started a private Facebook group called “Rate Per Mile Masters,” and the group has grown to nearly 1,400 members in just a few months.

“I have always talked to other owners and tried to provide advice to them to get them where I am, and I found that starting a group would be a better way to connect with those people that I would try to help,” he said.

Boblett believes communication and education are critical for owner-operators to succeed. “Lack of communication between owner-operators is the biggest struggle in the business,” he says. “For years, owner-operators had little negotiating power regarding rates. We hope that by having open dialogue on the topic, we can better educate one another and become more successful in our operations.”

Unlike many other online trucking forums, the group makes a point to keep members laser-focused on the business of trucking. Boblett has gotten help from other successful owner-operators to moderate the discussions, including Rico Muhammad, who hosts a podcast that many group members participate in. His weekly AudioRoad Rates & Lanes podcast is affiliated with Kevin Rutherford’s Let’s Truck.

The group focuses on understanding market supply and demand and how to research information on spot market rates, using services including DAT RateView, free weekly DAT Trendlines reports, and other available resources, like the USDA’s Fruit and Vegetable Truck Rate report.

They also talk about how to establish more effective relationships with brokers. “We focus on building solid business relationships within the trucking community, and with brokers specifically, and how we can be more successful owner-operators in terms of better financial management and providing excellent service through better communication,” says Boblett.

That includes discussions about how to leverage the best load boards, such as DAT’s, and tools and features like freight rates, broker credit scores, and Company Reviews, where drivers can read about others’ experiences with brokers and shippers .

By tapping into the knowledge of the group’s experienced membership, new and veteran owner-operators alike are learning from each other. “Having truck drivers work collectively towards any goal until now has been an impossible task, yet here we are helping ourselves by helping each other,” says Boblett.

You can find the group by searching Facebook groups for “Rate Per Mile Masters” and owner-operators can request to join. Group moderator Rico Muhammad’s weekly podcast is every Wednesday at 7 p.m. Eastern on Blog Talk Radio. You can call in at (347) 884-8327.

Real Women in Trucking partners with DAT to offer a special on the TruckersEdge load board to its members. Sign up for TruckersEdge today and get your first 30 days free by signing up at www.truckersedge.net/promo584 or entering “promo584” during sign up.

* This offer is available to new TruckersEdge subscribers only

About TruckersEdge®, powered by DAT®

TruckersEdge® Load Board is part of the trusted DAT® Load Board Network. DAT offers more than 68 million live loads and trucks per year. Tens of thousands of loads per day are found first or exclusively on the DAT Network through TruckersEdge.

Note: This article was adapted from DAT’s blog post on www.DAT.com. It was first published in May 2014

Dear Mr. Heine,

I am writing to you in response to your July 30, 2014 piece on the “Overdrive’s Most Beautiful Contest” winner, in which you begin your article with “It’s probably a safe bet there’s not too many slender women drivers that drag around heavy hoses …” The article was brought to my attention by a female driver who had a lively Facebook discussion thread on the topic and a request for an apology from you.

Although I frequently share news items from Overdrive magazine into my social media network, I have specifically avoided posting or promoting this contest since its inception. I did so only briefly as a courtesy to a few entrants from the REAL Women Truckers on Facebook who asked me to share their link and I refrained from giving my opinion until now.

The reason I did not promote the contest is because I was embarrassed that a magazine I have otherwise respected, manipulated women who are hungry for recognition. The Overdrive magazine beauty contest incited a knock down drag out between women truckers who are more than overdue for some mature recognition for their vital contribution to the trucking industry. A “beauty contest”? WOW! How does that apply to working as a trucker?

A beauty contest for women who work alongside men is a weak and inappropriate way to give recognition. To say that a demographic of the driver population is validated for their dedication if they can look good in lipstick is revolting.

If the premise of the contest was not absurd enough, the comments you made in your article drove the point home that this is still very much an industry with a mindset that belongs in the 1950’s

Women who work as truck drivers are rarely recognized except as a token diversity photo opportunity. So belligerent is the atmosphere on this topic , few will speak out knowing that their opinions will be effortlessly dismissed by making a declaration that anyone who does protest the contest or your thoughtless remarks as dehumanizing, demeaning and sexist, are simply jealous and should be labeled as “sour grapes” to them.

It is a short sighted assessment and much too easy to utilize.

I say this as a person who modeled and made a nice living from my looks before I entered trucking but when I became a trucker I wanted to be valued for my work ethic and ability, not for my appearance. This is the pride that I and other women truckers feel about having the ability to perform a job function that most people have no ability to perform.

Don’t get me wrong Mr. Heine, I think it is important to take care of yourself and maintain a decent appearance even when you are out on the road. The reality is though when you are being pushed on a daily basis and you have little access to health care, decent food, time for exercise or even shower facilities, it begins to catch up with you.

I couldn’t even begin to estimate how many male drivers I have seen who will wear stinky stained sweatpants, day after day and clearly without undershorts, they are unshaved and wreak to high heaven as they stand in line at a shipping office to check in for a load. Often offensive, rude, dirty, late and they still get treated better than the women who are working twice as hard to be considered bottom of the pile.

To create a “beauty contest” just for the women drivers who have to meet the same standards if not more than the men is degrading in itself without your article that takes it a step further by degrading all women, including Emily.

It is understandable that women and men desire to have positive recognition, especially in such an under recognized sector of the trucking industry. I feel that Overdrive Magazine truly low balled the thought process on this contest and you Max Heine have illustrated something very ugly in our culture which is that Women and their bodies are on display for spectators regardless of their ability.

I agree with Ms. Patti Hales who has asked for an apology to all Women Truckers from you and Overdrive magazine. I feel your article in Overdrive has used Emily in a way that has pitted her into unnecessary controversy and during GATS she will be used by the magazine to lure people to the magazine booth. A public spectacle was created around her for the infantile male fantasies which you validate with your article. This contest panders to a very low form of recognition for the women who have served in silence for so long.

The image of a woman trucker is a powerful one both individually and collectively, it is too often exploited simply because the women themselves have been so devalued by their own industry. Overdrive magazine and specifically your article reinforce this issue. Media and organizations twist the intention of these women who allow themselves to be photographed for the benefit, for the selfish gain to sell whatever it is being sold without improving the constructive recognition these women deserve.

To make any commentary on Emily personally and physically in any way degrades all women who work to the best of their ability as professional truck drivers. We don’t pick apart men for their physical appearance when they are featured in magazines, we don’t hold “beauty contests” for their physical appearance or compare them to other men. Women who work as truck drivers DO wish to be recognized for their contribution to this industry that requires ABILTY regardless of gender. How can this be done without creating a circus?

I stand with Ms. Patti Hales in asking for an apology to the women of trucking for your remarks. I will honor the request that this letter be posted publicly on our blog in hopes you will respond.

Sincerely,

Desiree Wood
President
REAL Women in Trucking, Inc.
www.realwomenintrucking.org

Our vision has always been to collaborate to create a reliable resource for drivers and new CDL students.

REAL Women in Trucking, Inc incorporated in the State of Florida in 2013, so it only makes sense that we begin building our resource database with information on CDL training that we feel is suitable from this state.

Our ultimate goal is to reach out to new entrants to the industry BEFORE they sign a contract with an expensive, low quality training “CDL Mill” type school.

We recommend that ALL new and prospective CDL students read the post on our website called “Female CDL Students Frequently Asked Questions” including ALL the linked post content and ALL video content. The information has been put together for both Men and Women to help them recognize scams in entry level driver training and avoid being set up for failure.

Even if you are already a seasoned driver you should realize that you also need education on this subject. Too many veteran drivers judge new students because they see how poorly they are performing out on the highways but they are not educated themselves on how these students are being pushed through training programs and pulling freight before they are ready to do so. No One wants to pay $10,000 to go to CDL School to learn how to be an UNSAFE truck driver.

If you do not have the time or patience to read and watch the video warnings about poor CDL training, you are off to a bad start to become a professional driver OR to become a credible mentor for someone seeking your advice as they enter truck driver training. Learning to drive a big rig today should not be compared to how it was 40, 30, 20 or even 10 years ago.

Completing, or Not Completing the task of doing this preliminary fact finding will set the stage for how you intend to take charge in the future, so think about that.

Whether you are a new CDL student or a seasoned driver giving advice to another, once you have completed the tasks above you should be more prepared to identify preferable CDL Schools in your state.

WARNING:
STAY AWAY FROM ROADMASTER! and other like type “CDL Mills”. You can get BETTER and CHEAPER training at a technical school or community college!

Be Alert: Tuition Reimbursement is a sales ploy used by many CDL Mill type schools.
Figure it out yourself > You Paid $10,000 to a CDL Mill and the Training Carrier will pay you a Monthly Tuition Reimbursement. Sounds pretty Good Right? But if the monthly payment to reimburse you is only $118.00 per month, how many months would you have to work to be reimbursed the $10,000?

$118.00 per month x 12 months in one year = $1416.00 reimbursement
$10,000 to be reimbursed in total / $1416.00 = 7.062 YEARS to be reimbursed!

Remember This! Training carriers are low wage carriers. They are the place you START driving to get experience to go to a better paying carrier, they are NOT where you want to work forever. So why would you commit to work for over 7 years at a low wage carrier to get back $118.00 per month for your tuition that you grossly overpaid in the first place?

If the carrier is being vague about the exact terms of the tuition reimbursement this should be a red flag to you.

CDL Mill Clues:
* High cost tuition over $3000.00
* A short training program that is less than 8 weeks long.
* A website is extremely vague and wants you to call them rather than having a detailed curriculum available to read on the internet.

Technical Schools and Community College Programs are less expensive and they offer longer training programs so you will learn more before you are put out on the open highway moving freight. Many offer night class schedules.

2014 Florida State CDL School Recommendations:

Northwestern Florida Panhandle:

Washington Holmes Technical Center
Address: 757 Hoyt St, Chipley, Florida 32428
Phone: 850-638-1180
Direct Program Link: Commercial Vehicle Driving Program

Northern Florida:

Florida State College at Jacksonville
Address: 101 State St W, Jacksonville, Florida 32202
Phone: 904-633-8100
Direct Program Link: Commercial Vehicle Driving

Bradford Union Area Career Technical Center
Address: 609 N Orange St, Starke, Florida 32091
Phone: 906-966-6764
Direct Program Link: Commercial Vehicle Driving

Central Florida:

Pinellas Technical Education Centers
Address: 901 34th St S, St Petersburg, Florida 33711
Phone: 727-893-2500
Direct Program Link: Commercial Vehicle Driving

Ridge Career Center
Address: 7700 State Rd 544 W, Winter Haven, Florida 33881
Phone: 863-419-3060
No Direct Program Link: All Program Information: See Transportation Section

Flagler Technical Institute
Address: One Corporate Drive, Suite 1B Palm Coast, FL 32137
Phone: 386-447-4345
Direct Program Link: Commercial Vehicle Driving CDL Class A License and Refresher Courses

Indian River State College in partnership with SAGE Schools
Address: 5900 Tedder Road Ft. Pierce, FL 34947
Phone: 772-462-4255
Direct Program link: Commercial Vehicle Driving

Mid Florida Tech Center
Address: 2900 W Oak Ridge Rd, Orlando, Florida 32809
Phone: 407-251-6047
Direct Program Link: Commercial Vehicle Driving

South Florida Community College
Address: 600 W College Dr. Avon Park, Florida 33825
Phone: 863-453-2250
Direct Program Link: CDL Skills Test and Refresher Course

South Florida:

Sheridan Technical College
Address: 20251 Stirling Road, Pembroke Pines, FL 33332
Phone: 754-321-3900
Direct Program Link: Commercial Vehicle Driving and more Class A, Class B STC Program Information

Miami Lakes Educational Center
Address: 5780 NW 158th St. Miami Lakes, FL 33014
Phone: 303-557-1100
Direct Program Link: Commercial Vehicle Driving (Class A)

Read Our August 2014 Newsletter for More Information on Preparing for Entry Level Driver Training

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has launched a survey to collect information to better understand whether drivers who are paid CPM ( Cents Per Mile) rather than for the time they work has any relationship to safety.

A Federal Register is now open for public comments until October 28, 2014. Alas, there are only 19 comments that have been made so far on this regulation docket for consideration on the matter.

It seems like common sense that if you only pay people when the wheels are turning but you expect them to do lots of other work when the wheels aren’t turning they are going to be tired people. Tired people who will have incentive to drive tired so that they can get a decent paycheck.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who work in the supply chain who don’t know much about what it takes to be a truck driver and often they have the desk space and time to make remarks on a topic they really know nothing about. Here are a few remarks from a LinkedIn discussion thread on the FMCSA study on truck driver pay and it’s potential relationship to safety.

The Trucking Recruiter Said:
“An interesting idea. Is the hypothesis that if they’re
paid in cash they are more likely to drive erratically to get home / to the pub faster?
Or that being paid by bank transfer feels more professional and therefore encourages more professional attitudes towards driving?”

The Freight Broker Said:
“I agree with you, Is this really where they think the problem lies…..with HOW drivers are paid? Are we grasping at straws for reasons behind unsafe driving?”

Drivers, you are your own worst enemy when you allow people that are not truck drivers to comment more frequently on regulations that affect you personally. You are part of the problem.

I am including the link here for you to make a comment on the regulatory docket.

Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: The Impact of Driver Compensation on Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety

Use the link above to go to the Regulations.gov website and read the text. Think about what you would like to write. Try to write it in simple terms in order to explain to someone who has no knowledge of what it means to be paid only when the wheels are rolling.

Your firsthand experiences are powerful but they cannot be heard if you do not take the time to express them. I suggest writing out how being paid “cents per mile” rather than hourly or guaranteed salary has placed you in situations that cause you to drive fatigued. Give examples and type them into a Word® document if possible so that you can use spell check before you post your remarks. Do not use foul and abusive language, just make your point.

When you are ready to post your comments, open the link I have created for you to go directly to the docket. At the upper right there is a button that says “Comment”. Click that button and you will be given a place to cut the words you have written in your Word® document and paste into the comment section.

You can always write directly into the comment box but you give yourself the chance of losing your work if your computer crashes or WiFi signal goes out and you may have some words that are overlooked for misspellings. I encourage you to not only make your comments but use the “share” buttons on the regulation docket to share your comments into your social media networks and ask your truck driver friends to make comments as well.

The following are my comments made to the official docket:

“Low pay and misleading recruiting is a huge factor in turnover and safety. A recent female who made contact with our group made $18,000 for her first year. She left her fast food job and children to go OTR at one of the big training fleets. She, like so many others believed she would be paid a starting range of $45,000. There are no “truth in recruiting” policies in trucking. Lying about wages is the first problem. Experienced drivers and entry level students sign on with a certain expectation that is not delivered to them when they agree to go in good faith out on the road, away from their families.

Many become stranded at truck stops and bus stations with no way to get home after being lied to by recruiters or have an unethical carrier shave their pay to nearly nothing.

The hidden fees and charges in addition to low “cents per mile” (CPM) equation are indeed factors that push drivers to keep going when they are too tired. They have to eat on the road and this is expensive. More and more truck stops have taken away limited truck parking spaces and are charging drivers to park between $11.00 and $25.00 per night. This is not reimbursed by the employer and can mean missing meals in order to pay for it. People who work in the supply chain booking freight often have no clue what HOS even means. They should have to be certified in order to book any truck freight. They have unrealistic delivery expectations and the drivers bear the brunt of this with retaliation if they don’t deliver that “hot load” not matter what it takes.

The pay is also too low to justify the work conditions even if you LOVE over the road trucking.

This is simple math to calculate. A huge majority of truck drivers are receiving a paycheck each week that is under $500.00, many would see a check of that size HUGE!, More often they are getting one that is less than $400.00 per week and this is for 70 hours of work but not limited to the off the clock work that is performed and not logged. This is taught by the employer in log class. To log only 15 minutes once at the shipper/receiver and then go up to the off duty/not driving line even if you are on the dock counting freight, having to unhook your tractor, slide your tandems. These things are work and drivers should be paid to do them.

$500.00/ 70 hours = $7.14 per hour of the hours you are paid to work and this is on a good week!
$400.00/70 hours = $5.71 per hour, this is lower than minimum wage in many states!

The ATA claims drivers want to work 82 hours a week without addressing pay, this is a total lie.

Drivers want to drive more because they are convinced no one will look at the low pay and in order for them to survive they have to drive more, safe or not safe!

I suggest the FMCSA and the labor department look at the wages being paid at government subsidized carriers who also get FEMA contracts or any other special considerations like Werner, Covenant Transport, PAM, Swift, CRST Van Expedited, CR England and SO many more. Look at the wages they are paying students who are not graduating, look at the wages they have cut from experienced drivers and the one sided lease programs being offered that are basically designed to have the driver pay them to work!

We are Proud to Announce Reddaway as a Gold Level Sponsor:

Reddaway is committed to building a relationship with the REAL Women in Trucking organization!

Founded in Oregon City, OR, Reddaway has served the Pacific Northwest since 1919.

Reddaway provides direct, regional delivery in eleven western states and one Canadian province.

Reddaway is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer Minorities/Females/Persons with Disabilities/Protected Veterans are encouraged to apply.

NOW HIRING: Local and/or Line Drivers for Portland, OR, Seattle, WA, Spokane, WA. , Salt Lake City, UT, Denver, CO, Burlington, WA. Reddaway has 54 service centers to choose from, visit their career portal with this link. Reddaway Driving Careers

Types of Driver Jobs Available

· Local Straight Truck Driver:
(Class B CDL or Class C License)

Class B CDL drivers are given the opportunity if interested into going into a Class A CDL driver position with additional training and experience.
Pay: Straight Truck Drivers are paid hourly plus overtime after 8 hours worked

Click Here for PDF Job Description for Reddaway Local Straight Truck Driver Position

· Local Pick Up & Delivery Drivers:
(Class A CDL w/ Hazmat, Doubles/Triples, Tankers & TSA Clearance)

Experience Required:
Recent trucking school grad or 6 months of tractor trailer experience
Pay: Hourly plus overtime after 8 hours worked

Job Description:
· 8 hour shifts, 15-25 deliveries & pickups (depending on terminal)

· Most deliveries are trailer to dock

· Lift gates for pallet deliveries

· Pallet jack and hand trucks equipment on truck

· Will pull 28, 48, 53 foot trailers

· Driver will hook & unhook their own sets (doubles/triples)

Click Here for a P & D Driver PDF Job Description

All new hire drivers classified as Straight Truck drivers and P&D/Local drivers will receive the following 5 day training program.

Reddaway Policy and Procedure Training
· 5 day driver training plan

· Entry level driver training

· Smith system training

· Winter Driving

· Collision reduction series

· Forklift certification

· Hazardous Materials & Hazard Awareness Communication

Line Drivers:
(Class A CDL w/Hazmat, Doubles/Triples, Tankers & TSA Clearance)

Line Drivers will receive Reddaway policy and procedure training under the guidance of an experienced driver where they will be evaluated and trained on Reddaway Culture and Procedures.

Experience Required: 1 year of tractor trailer & doubles experience
Pay: Hourly & Mileage (0.4102 per mile)
Mileage rate for box & dolly

Job Description:
Terminal to Terminal dispatch:
1 night dispatch/ layover/ back the next day
Maximum 3 days out
Terminal:
Drop and Hook
Driver hooks their own sets, Must be able to use converter dolly: Doubles & Triples
Doubles: 3 axle/ 2 pups

Inbound Line:
Park, Unhook trailers, or back into dock/ move to zone yard, maneuver converter dolly to the dolly pool.
Reddaway Utilizes the Following Equipment Types
1,550 Tractors: Volvos, Internationals, Navistar
· Single axle
· Dual axle
· 3 axle
· 5000 Trailers: 24, 48, 53 foot (mostly pups)
Lift gate service available at all service centers

Click Here for Line Haul Driver PDF Job Description
General Qualifications

Background:
Driver applicants must provide a past employment record, criminal background check and ability to pass TSA Security Threat Assessment will be evaluated as consideration for employment.
Review Period:
MVR- Last 5 years
Criminal- Last 5 years
Physical Requirements:
Driver must have ability to lift up to 70lbs and push or pull 148 lbs.
Driver eligibility standards:
Must be at least 21 years of age

Apply Online with this link “Reddaway Driving Careers” or Contact the hiring hotline 1-866-582-1320 for more information

A recent student trucker started a thread on the “Truckers Forum” called “Jeff Foster Trucking Abandoned Me at a Closed Bus Station”, the thread included a short video of the last few minutes the student had on the truck with the trainer. According to the student, the trainer had decided he didn’t want to be trainer and that was the reason he was leaving the student at the Greyhound bus station.

The student stated that he was left at a closed bus station and expressed disgust that he was basically stranded for 5 hours in a strange town. He says he posted the thread and video to warn others and wondered if it had happen to anyone else.

The answer is: YES and it happens often. It is a pretty common practice for trainers to dump students and sometimes not by a bus station. It is an irresponsible practice but it is a fact of this industry. The truth is that this student trucker should understand he or she is actually lucky by comparison to some of the stories of students being dumped by their trainers and carriers.

The student wrote that once he was left at the bus station he had trouble getting anyone from the company to take his calls. The station was closed, he had nowhere to go and he was in a strange town. Sadly, all of these and more are common parts of the dirty underbelly that exists in entry -level driver training.

A huge reason we advise students to demand being taken to a company terminal is so they are not separated from the liability of the company. Only when a student is in an urgent situation where their life is in danger from violence and/or sexual misconduct should they allow themselves to be separated from the trainer or co-driver. If violence, rape or sexual misconduct does occur you must call the police immediately! Make a report of the incident with as much detail as possible, get the report number, the officers phone number and name. Advise the company you have done so and DO NOT BLUFF! If you are just doing the drama mama routine you are on your own!If you have gotten off the truck and said it was an emergency but have no police report it will be turned against you that it wasn’t really an emergency and YOU were really the problem. Otherwise, demand to be taken to the next company terminal to be re-assigned or sent home from the company terminal with a transportation ticket in your hand.

Here is the reason why you should not leave the liability of your carrier unless there is an absolute emergency as described above: Many training carriers will stop taking your calls once you are off their truck but if they know you have a valid police report they will stay interested in you getting transported safely home or into one of their terminals to resume your training. If you have not made such a report and are left behind in a strange town they will often ignore your calls and frankly many will not help you get home. Knowledge is power but most student truckers have no idea that their new employer would allow them to be dumped somewhere. Well, I am telling you right now YES THEY WILL!

You should have emergency funds with you from day one to your last day of trucking because there is always a chance you will become stranded and your company will stop taking your calls. There is a population of training carriers where this could go on for days, sometimes weeks. NOW YOU KNOW!

I shared the link that this student trucker created on both our REAL Women Truckers Facebook page and my personal Facebook page. While the majority of drivers agree that dumping a student anywhere buta company terminal is unprofessional, a rather aggressive female posted on my personal page the following:

It is important to note that this female who defends the dumping students stated she is a “Master Trainer” which means she is like considered a “good one” at the carrier where she works.

I understand that there are many students entering trucking who lack ability, have been poorly prepared by the CDL mills they have attended and honestly there are some who have no business whatsoever putting their hands on the steering wheel of an 18 wheeler, but the fact remains that the carrier hired these people and therefore they are responsible for them.

We do not tolerate a bus driver who would dump passengers on the side of the road because they got tired of transporting them, we would not tolerate a teacher who left students behind who were misbehaving on a field trip. So why is it an acceptable practice for training carriers to allow their trainers to dump student truckers anywhere except back on company property if it is not a life threatening emergency? THEY , the carrier has cleared this student as safe enough to be hire-able and to operate their equipment, therefore they should follow through with these individuals until they are fully trained to become qualified drivers or let go and transported safely home in a timely fashion.

This idea that the company has no responsibility was lost on the female trainer who posted on my page. It just goes to prove another point that recently came up in the New Prime, Inc discrimination case. A judge ruled in August 2014 that New Prime , Inc. same sex training policy violates federal law. The fact is that , just because you are with a same sex trainer does not mean you are safe! A carrier that has no intelligent training or enforcement of a sexual harassment policy , hires more students than they are able to safely train and has low standards in recruiting for students and trainers invites litigation. There is no excuse!

Good trainers are in shortage of both genders, accountability at some carriers is lax and too many students are recruited who really have not been properly filtered for aptitude.

There are many drivers who are cajoled into training when they really do not want to train at all. This is the reason the student trucker claimed his trainer dumped him in the first place. This is not unlikely, it happens often.

It takes a very special person to teach someone how to operate a commercial motor vehicle and it is unnerving to trust a stranger to drive safely while you sleep in a moving 18 wheeler. If the company is hiring unqualified students who are a threat to the trainers safety, the company must be held accountable. If the trainer is dumping students for whatever reason, the company must be also accountable. Either way, a student has a right to a safe training experience, they should not be left stranded in some strange town. This issue must change in entry-level driver training and I am glad the student trucker took the time to expose this practice.

Desiree Wood
President
REAL Women in Trucking, Inc

The REAL Women in Trucking Inc. is a 501 (c) 6 association that was formed by REAL professional truck drivers that promote safety and wish to improve poor and unsafe entry level truck driver training.

**This post was originally written for our October 2014 newsletter. You can read it in our “Media and Past Newsletters section**

In September we had our first face to face Board of Directors meeting in South Florida.

Though the event was intended only for our 5 board members to discuss 2015 objectives, a day of learning was scheduled that was open to other lady truckers who might like to attend.

We did not promote this event widely because it was our first time doing it.
This inaugural event was a way we could test the waters to gauge response and needs. We all learned something new and I learned that there is so much more we can do to help one another in the future.

Building communication skills is imperative to gain the type of recognition seasoned women truckers desire and deserve.

Since I entered the trucking industry I have been perplexed about the public misconceptions about the kind of truckers I come have come to know and admire. This is especially true of the under recognized women of trucking.

The public fear of truck drivers seems to have been born from media and organizations that have the power to limit what imagery of professional drivers the public is allowed to see.

Few working drivers have the time to refute negative and offensive stereotypes such as this image to the left. A sexy women trucker? Yes, there are many, but the image, tagline and the movie this poster promoted is the often re-told story of a women trucker who operates a cat house on wheels.

This is what sells in mainstream media and too often our own industry helps encourage this belief. It is also true that there are women who enter trucking for the wrong reasons believing this stereotype and that trucking will accommodate them even if they are not qualified to perform the job function. This is not the image we wish to promote.

Seasoned drivers who are out on the road pulling freight, often for decades have not had any opportunity to learn basic computer skills that could help them with their business as well as improve communication to the world outside of the trucking bubble. These are the faces of the unseen , and unappreciated. They carry with them the real stories of the deterioration of an industry , the driver shortage myth and the work conditions that require a higher standard of students than the ones graduating from the CDL mills of today.

In order to capture the true experiences of the seasoned female driver population our organization has begun to introduce learning sessions that are free of charge. The first one was held at the Bienes Museum of the Modern Book ceremonial room in Ft. Lauderdale. We thank them for their gracious hospitality.

Split into four sessions, we covered Microsoft Word ®, Microsoft Excel ®, Facebook and Twitter.

The first obstacle was finding out that not everyone had Microsoft Office properly loaded on their computers. Often we make assumptions that everyone that has a computer or a tablet knows how to utilize the features it offers. Our learning sessions uncovered very quickly that some of us did not know that we had some very powerful tools at our fingertips that we really never knew were there.

Computers that we use primarily to visit on Facebook and play games have the power to communicate our words and pictures to the public and send a representation of professional drivers that has rarely been given exposure.

One of the exercises in our morning learning session was to use the computer application Microsoft Word® to practice writing letters and creating documents. After practicing some of the basic skills to create and save documents a short essay exercise was assigned that asked participants to do the following:

“Write a few paragraphs explaining to a non-trucker what it was like the first time you drove solo. Do not worry about misspelled words or grammar. Just think about your memory of that first solo run and how you felt and write it now. Start your story with: I remember the first time I drove a big rig solo …“

It was an awe-inspiring moment for me to see eyes light up in the class when these seasoned female drivers were given a few basic skills that could help them express how they feel about something they love and cherish.

I have uploaded the PDF links for our Microsoft Basic Word ® for REAL Women Truckers and Microsoft Excel ® for REAL Women Truckers learning sessions to our blog to be used as a self-help tool for those who wish to use them.

As we move toward 2015, our goal is to develop more virtual learning classes and schedule another face to face learning event with a variety of other topics so that we can develop as an organization and bond with one another. We hope to attract more like-kind women truckers that have a desire to improve themselves and the imagery the public perceives as the person behind the wheel of the big rigs.

As always, we welcome your thoughts and comments as we move into the next chapter of our grassroots driver movement.

Our mission is to empower the women of trucking and those entering the industry through outreach programs, continuing education, advocacy, mentoring, networking, and ongoing support to promote retention, encouragement, and unity between both new and seasoned female drivers.

By Jorge Sanchez, Product Manager, DAT Solutions Loads have been plentiful this year, with freight tonnage records set in August and freight volume surging well above expectations in September. From January through August, spot market freight availability as measured by load posts was up by more than 55% year over year, which indicates that a […]

The post Find Loads on the Go appeared first on Real Women in Trucking.

By Don Thornton, Sr. Vice President of Sales & Business Development, DAT Solutions Once again this year, DAT Solutions is doing its part to help support Wreaths Across America. This non-profit organization coordinates wreath-laying ceremonies on Dec. 13 at Arlington National Cemetery, as well as veterans’ cemeteries and other locations across the country. Last year, DAT […]

The post Help Honor Veterans: Support Wreaths Across America appeared first on Real Women in Trucking.

Best Practices: Sexual Misconduct Training for Entry Level Driver Training

The post Sexual Misconduct Training for Entry Level Driver Training appeared first on Real Women in Trucking.

Here is some insight on why there is a sudden 2015 “image” of Women in Trucking campaign targeted at women truckers. Perhaps the “image” that needs improvement the most is industry executives, including the women who colluded to cover-up sexual harassment and discrimination in entry-level driver training carriers. 2014 was a year of milestones for […]

The post The “Image” of Women in Trucking appeared first on Real Women in Trucking.