Many women truck drivers and I have talked about the problems we face when trying to get served a meal at a truck stop. But the problems don’t seem to stop there. It seems that women in general have problems getting served regardless of whether or not they are truck drivers, even at regular restauants.
One night when I had finished with traffic counts, before I had become a truck driver, I decided to eat at this nice place and have a good sit down, home cooked meal. I walked in and took a table as instructed. For 30 minutes people came in and ordered while the staff kept looking at me, but I never got waited on. Others around me got their food and ate, and still they kept watching me. Finally I had enough and walked to the door. The greeter asked me if everything was ok with the meal. I let her have it and reminded her that she was one of the ones who kept walking by me too. I left without the meal I was looking forward to and ended up at a fast food place again. There are many examples of this being done to me and to others that I have witnessed.
Now on to the trucking part of trying to eat. When I do enter the For Professional Drivers Only section in my uniform no less, and take a table, a waitress almost always comes to me and asks me to leave because it is for Professional Drivers Only. I ask her if she thinks I wear this uniform for kicks and why aren’t you saying anything to those two men who just sat down? They look like they just came out of the barnyard from doing chores?? And if sometimes we get a little bit taken off of our bill for being a professional driver, often times it is not done to the woman’s bill. I asked my server about this and was asked “Are you a truck driver?”
“No, I just wear this uniform for pleasure.”
After this is done to you several times you pay attention and watch what happens to others as you sit there and wait. And if you do get waited on ASAP and given your food ASAP, then there is another problem. The server will not come back to see if you need more water or anything else you may want.
On day I decided to stop again at a fast food joint on I80 in Illinois on my way to Chicago. It’s a good place to stop since they have parking for tractor trailers. On this day I followed two other truckers in who had been talking on the CB and the comments they made implied they were new to this area and they decided to stop at the same place. At the counter they placed their order and I placed mine. As I reach for my money so that it was ready when my food arrived, I hear their waitress say, “Here is your order, and with your trucker discount your bill is___.” I looked at my server and asked “Does this price include my trucker discount?” Again I get the “Are you a truck driver?”
“No, I just wear this uniform for everyone’s amusement. Why did you give these 2 strangers a trucker’s discount when you have no proof they drive a truck, and I’m in uniform and you ignore me? And on top of that, I’ve been stopping in here at least 3 times a week!”
While I was having my tantrum, I see that the fry person is bagging my order and she filled that sack half full of fries for me to make up for the treatment I was given. I got my discount, the extra fries, and out the door I went.
I do not understand this kind of treatment. I always wear a clean uniform to be professional and this is the treatment I get? Does the public not understand that women drive trucks too??
One day I pulled up to my shipper and stopped in front of this huge window. The office staff watched me get out of the truck and when I walked in I said hello to all and signed in at the counter where the truckers sign in. One of the staff told me not to do that because it’s for truck drivers only. I was dumbfounded for a few seconds and then my blood pressure started going up. I so much wanted to say something! I didn’t say what I had wanted to say, but I did say in a very nice tone, “You watched me get out of the truck from the drivers seat. I am here to get my load.”
These are a few examples of what has happened to me in the last 20 years both before I drove truck and after I became a truck driver. I found myself asking other single women drivers if I could join them for a meal so we can get waited on and make new friends. This was never a problem for me when I did this because the women I asked all wanted to eat and be waited on too. In time, after more money started coming in, I bought a lunch box cooker and re-heated the meals I had made at the house because it was cheaper than eating out.
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I useta get those same kinda looks and stupid questions back when I was younger.
But, I understand why that was on my account. See I have long thick hair on my head and full beard, I would braid things into both. You know like beads,bones,dice,teeth,pickles, and sometimes small rodents.
I’m a BIG MAN too, so I guess I kinda looked like this crazed Viking!
I scare hell outta anyone who don’t know what I’m about.
Sure is funny though when there’s trouble, I’m the one person, people come to for protection.
Now, I’m older, I’m married, and more mature. My wife has softened my image a bit, she don’t let me braid pickles and rodents into my hair anymore. My children have shown me that not all people are useless.
But, It puzzles me that a woman would be picked on like the way you are describing.
The only reason I could think for such treatment is…please forgive my chauvinistic pig question but…
Are you like some really too hot babe that people think should be sleeping in the Playboy Mansion?
I’m just askin’ Rhonda cause some women would think you a threat and most men think with their dick.
LOL! After reading that comment, I think I could use some children of my own! I live alone way up on a hill in the middle of nowhere – and not by accident!
I’ve wanted to walk out of a lot of truckstops because I was tired of waiting for service – but damn I didn’t want to move that rig a few miles down the road when I was already sitting comfortably and reading my newspaper. I can’t eat without a newspaper to read. I think my jaw is connected to the reading portion of my brain.
Brett
Kinda makes me feel better knowing it did happen to you,but it should not happen to a paying customer.
I eat my meals in front of the computer!
I enjoyed your comments. I am the farmgirl/outdoor type. I am not one to go “yew!!! I got dirt on my hand!!!!” And there is no way I could be considered for your other question.
I think because most servers are women, they would rather flirt with the men. All I know is when I sit down to a meal, I do not care if it is a man or woman that waits on me, as that is their job and I want to eat and be treated properly as paying customer.
I know exactly where you’re coming from, Rhonda! It’s happened to me more than once as well.
I can’t remember the place, except that it was a truck stop, and did the same as you. I followed the “Professional Driver” signs. I made myself at home and studied the menu that was already on the table. It was late at night and there weren’t many people in there and you could hear every word. After waiting for 20 minutes, a waitress came over to my table and said that this area was for professional drivers only.
I dug out my wallet and pulled out my CDL. I held it proudly up for all the world to see and asked VERY loudly, “Is this my picture on this license?”
“Yes, ma’am”, she answered.
“And what does it say at the top of the license?”, again very loudly.
“Class A CDL, ma’am.”
I then said to her, “I can read a sign and I know this area is for Professional Drivers. If I wasn’t a Professional Driver, I would not have come in here. Is this your section of tables?”
“Yes, ma’am,” came the reply.
With everybody watching, I moved to another section where I had seen another waitress waiting on tables. She happened to catch the entire exchange, as did everybody else. That waitress immediately asked what I wanted, I gave her my order and had my meal (done to PERFECTION, I might add) in 15 minutes. She was right there to refill my glass and asked if I would like to order dessert. I had my full belly and was ready to go, so I declined dessert, but I asked her to stay right where she was. I stood up next to her and pulled a ten dollar bill out of my pocket. I held it up in the air and, again VERY loudly, told the “other” waitress that this tip could have been hers if she had been a “professional” waitress!
I just wish the place had been packed when I did that.
Thank you Tumbleweed, this is how you should have handled the situation. As a woman who is a local driver and likes to stop and eat at different resturant to treatment myself. I have usually gotten the same response the first time I visit. I have found that leaving a great tip will keep you in mind when you next visit. They will fall over themselves to get you in their area. I also like to read when eating and likes to be left alone, so I have trained most of them to know that If I reading i don’t want to talk, they found out the less they bother me and just keep my glass filled with tea and water. They will get a great tip and a return visit.
Wow. I am planning to go through CDL training and I am female. I had wondered how the industry was treating women nowadays… It sounds similar to how women were treated before this new millennium started. I hope that at least most of the truck stops offer showers for both men and women… I noted in a guide book I have that there are some that still only offer showers to males… though I have not yet been to one of those locations.
Back on topic. I really liked Tumbleweed’s response to the situation. It was much more tactful and efficient than how I may have reacted. I seek to be professional… but I don’t want to be a pushover, either. I respect women like you all.