Profile For Anastasia B.

I read about it last week, and spoke to my mentor about it. As a 48 year old woman who recently earned my CDL through a company sponsored program, let me give my two cents.

With the companies I contacted, there was absolutely no hindrance about me driving a rig with them. In fact, they were all encouraging. There are no barriers. I believe that the trucking lifestyle is not attractive to most women, meaning that most women do not want to drive a truck.

Most want a family, attend social events, and such. With that being said, I decided that trucking would be a worthwhile career, because I don’t have family obligations, no significant other, and I don’t have a mortgage or rent.

The barriers are not set by the companies, but the choice of lifestyle a “typical” woman desires. There is nothing the government can do to promote more women in the trucking industry. After all, once I get my own truck, I’ll get the same cpm as my male counterparts, and my pay will depend on how hard I run once I get my feet wet, the weather, and staying out of the Bronx!

Hey, there! I joined several months ago when I was trying to decide whether or not to get my CDL. The shutdowns last year hit the food industry incredibly hard, and the restaurant where I was working as a director could not recover. Hence, I decided to conserve my savings and move back home with my brother to reset.

I have friends in the trucking industry who encouraged me to get my CDL, because they thought I’d be good at it. I was like, um, no! Driving an 18 wheeler down the highway, let alone backing it, seemed just to intimidating. I just never saw myself as a trucker. Yet, the seed was planted and spent a few months researching the industry and company sponsored schools.

All the information here on Trucking Truth gave me the insight and understanding to take the first step. I am now a rookie driver out on the road with my mentor. I am doing well and impressed my mentor with my knowledge. (Although, my backing into a dock needs a lot of work! Hell, I didn’t care that the other drivers were laughing at me when I docked in Oakland yesterday. I bet they sure are happy I didn’t hit their truck!!). I did not tell my mentor that y’all are my secret arsenal of knowledge that calmed a lot of my anxiety before even heading out to schooling!

The second time driving, I drove from Barstow, CA back to Salt Lake through the night, found myself getting tired as the sun rose, and was finally able to call it a day with less than 20 minutes on my DOT clock. I was exhausted and I couldn’t believe I did it! Then, I slept for 10 hours. It was empowering for this l’il 5’1” country gal.

This is a great site and I was to personally thank all you veterans for giving great advice. I am excited for this new adventure!