I'd Like Some Advice On Becoming A Truck Driver....

I am a 27 Y/O female who would love to become a driver I only have 2 things holding me back

1st thing is I tend to freeze up when I get yelled at and my friend who is a trucker says when he got trained to drive a truck he had an instructor that yelled at him and called him names when he got something wrong. i worried that i'd get that same treatment.

2nd. is more personal ( but i am working on it )

I been studying like crazy on this web site and it has been a huge help lots of good tips and advice aboout what one would need to know for getting the permit.

Both my parents were truckers at one point in there lives ( my mother didn't stay a trucker for long 3 years ) but a trucker

None of them will give me any pointers or advice about it then i ask one of my friends for advise since he is also a trucker and all he says is its not made for women trucking is a mans world. so no matter where i tried to seek advise i keep getting shot down I know i want to have drop and hook trips. other then that i dont know where a good starting place would be i dont know how to drive a stick shift , so i dont know what school would have good patients with me on that., i dont do well at all with someone yelling at me when i dont get it right i freeze up when i get yelled at, so anyone have any kind of advise ?

Welcome to the Forum Amanda! you've definatly come to the right place if your seeking good advice. theres def plenty of experienced drivers on here to help ya out. Im not a trucker yet im currently in the marine but am looking to get into trucking when i get out just like your looking to get into it. soo good luck and hope you find what you're looking for!

Welcome aboard Amanda!

My first concern is whether or not you have the personality for trucking. It takes someone who is very, very tough. You need to be fiercely independent with a thick skin, especially if you're a woman. For example, there are a lot of obnoxious jerks out there that are going to spew garbage at you over the CB that will make you sick. You have to be able to ignore it and not let it get to you.

Also, you're going to be put in a lot of high-pressure situations with heavy traffic, tight schedules, terrible weather, and nobody around to help out.

I don't agree with your friend that trucking is a man's world - there are tons and tons of female drivers and there has been for decades. But I'm quite concerned that the people with trucking experience who know you best aren't interested in helping you get into trucking. Do you think they're basically saying that they don't think you're cut out for it?

Almost anyone can learn the basics of driving truck. Shifting, steering, and backing aren't rocket science. Millions of people do it just fine every day out there. The hard part is the lifestyle. Most people are not cut out for it. It takes a certain type of person to be able to handle the stress and the solitude of life on the road.

So I'm wondering if you honestly think you have the toughness to make it out there in trucking? If so, teaching you the information and skills you'll need isn't a big deal. But for everyone, even those who are truly cut out for trucking, handling life on the road can be very, very difficult, especially that first year.

Thank you both,.... Brett,- I am not concern to much about the cb bs men will and/or womenn will spew at me i pretty sure I can spew some s back at them I don't let that bs get to me. Ihave a cb in my car and some times on a road trip I turnn it on lots of bs talked on them things,

I can't really answer th question about bad weather I have never drove in fog let alone snow ice or hurrican winds the most i have driven in is extreamely bad rain (pooring so hard you can hardly see the car in front of you )

Am I tough skin'd I say so to a point but if I need to get tougher I can.

Thank you for the advice Brett.

Ryan Thank you for serving :) and when you get out and become a trucker I wish you the best of luck :)

Well the best place to get started here at TruckingTruth is our Trucker's Career Guide. It covers every topic imaginable that pertains to getting your trucking career off to a great start and will lead you to all of the various types of content we have on the site.

Thank you ,.... you have been a great help Brett.

Amanda,

Before I started trucking I had no driven on ice or snow and never mountains. I had a small Lancer and never drove anything bigger than that, not even pickup trucks. I had never ever driven a stick shift. I had never had to use a Clutch petal in any vehicle. I had never drove anywhere that was over 100 miles. Born and raised in CA - I had never in my life even been outside of CA.

And I'm currently a solo driver for Central and I love my job and I think I do well. If I did it then so can you. I'm also 21 so I have that ignorance that comes with my age lol. I'm not trying to boast, I just want to let you know that you shouldn't doubt yourself because if I can do it then so can you!

My dad always laughed about the idea of me driving a truck with 53' trailer. He always pushed me to be an electrician. I had the same thing as you do right now, people around me telling me I can't do it. Take it as motivation to prove them wrong!

Daniel- 21 wow your young good for you though driving a 53' I have always loved driving all over CA. I until recently had a 2005 dodge ram with a lift on it so height definitely doesn't scare me nor does driving for long hours at a time what does is weather plus a few others ... I hear driving stick is easy once you get it down. Its learning with an instructor that yells is what will be my biggest fear.

Hehe, once you start driving a truck you'll hate CA. I hate it lol. 40' kingpin setting is awful when the shipper doesn't know how to load a trailer properly.

And yes, driving stick is pretty easy. It becomes natural. When I sit down in a 4 wheeler I instantly use my right hand to grasp my shifter. You'll struggle in the beginning but with each mistake you'll learn from it. Downshifting will probably be your biggest obstacle.

And to be honest, I don't think your fear of having a trainer that yells is much to worry about. I've had nothing but positive experiences with instructors. They know and understand that's its very stressful to drive a truck when you hardly know anything, I'm pretty sure they know that yelling will do no good.

Schools will do whatever it takes to get you the CDL you pairs thousands of dollars for. They'll treat you like a customer. At company sponsored schools they do the same, based on my experiences. Listen, when I was in training at the Central school I didn't know how to start on an incline. The truck shook like an earthquake and I injured two people's necks from the bouncing I caused. I didn't get yelled at for that, nor did I get kicked out. The instructors simply explained to me and everyone else what went wrong and how to correctly perform the procedure.

And about the weather, it's part of the job. I've had to drive on ice before. I drove 45 while everyone else drove 60. I saw 11 vehicles in the ditch. I wasn't late for my appointment and I delivered safely. Remember to take it slow, a Hot load will get cold real fast in the ditch. You're the captain of the ship and you drive what you feel is safe, you won't get yelled at to drive 62 mph in the snow.

They'll treat you like a customer. At company sponsored schools they do the same, based on my experiences.

I worded this wrong. At company sponsored schools they will treat you right but they'll only have so much patience. They aren't there to work with you for months, it's either get your license when we say to or they'll send you packing. It's much faster paced also.