What Do You Think Are The Main Obstacles Keeping Women From Entering Trucking?

I am curious as to what women think of as the main obstacles female truckers must over come or prevent women from entering trucking.

I am curious as to what women think of as the main obstacles female truckers must over come or prevent women from entering trucking.

Having kids at home, but once they are grown and gone, there is no reason not to get a CDL.

However, the females I've talked with are intimidated by a truck's size and engine...they feel they aren't mechanically inclined, so won't be able to maintain a truck.

Of the females I have talked with, only one brought up it being a man's world and may be harassed by them. I've never had a problem, but I'm the oldest of five brothers, was married and divorced twice and married and widowed once. I also was in the military for 14 years. I've never had problems with men treating me less then themselves.

Laura

Thanks!

Would you believe I asked 5 women and they all said "backing"

I found this hysterical because none of them considered that backing is also an issue for men. That makes them sexist lol

I agree it is kids. I have also seen some.veryq small, physically weak women who could not crank the handle or had problems.closing the doors on the trailers. A few in training said the 10 hour breaks prevented them from "normal makeup, hair and hygiene routines"

A few in training said the 10 hour breaks prevented them from "normal makeup, hair and hygiene routines"

Gotta get that beauty sleep. If I don't get my 12 hours each night, I'm a fright to behold in the morn.

First off....Hi, Ladies! Just joined TT and this is my first post/reply..... I grew up around trucks but never been behind the wheel. I’d been a passenger many times and I always had a blast, being out there on the open road, chatting with drivers on the cb, at truck stops, wherever. I first went on “vacations” with my uncle when I was little, then went out with a boyfriend. It was never a dream of mine to be a trucker. I liked the traveling every now and then but I had a home life and that’s what I always wanted. Well, in 2000, I was involved in an accident that resulted in a fatality. A woman pulled out in front of me and was killed instantly. I, myself, suffered no injuries, at least, not until I ran over to see if I could help her. Believe me, what I saw when I reached her has haunted me every day since. I NEVER wanted to see anything like that again! So...in my unsettled state of mind, I decided to drive the big rig. Why? First, the unprovable theory that the woman committed suicide, because all circumstantial evidence pointed that way and, final, I decided, if I was ever in an accident again, at least then a semi wouldn’t leave behind the horror I had seen...it would decimate everything from sight. Yes, it was a very morbid way of thinking, but, I wasn’t thinking straight. I got my CDL and I went OTR and I loved it! No, never got into another accident. But...99% of the male drivers out there are very respectful to the lady drivers. That 1%? After 10 years of driving, 1st-OTR, 2nd- REGIONAL , 3rd- LOCAL, THEN ENDED MY CAREER DOING SEASONAL. That 1% has no business being loose on the open road, ready to degrade and insult any woman they see. Just because she’s solo, doesn’t mean she’s a lot lizard. I’d had enough. So, while some women may be intimidated by the size and power of a semi that prevents them from giving it a try, size and power were the exact reason why I went for it! No one would dare pull out in front of a semi! And vile men were the reason I stopped trucking.

When Ive talked to women about trucking they always bring up the bathroom issue. Not everyone is willing to use a SheWee or walk all the way across the parking lot at 2am to go pee lol. It was a struggle for me when I went OTR with my boyfriend at first because I didnt have my shewee yet and it resulted in me getting a nasty UTI because of holding it so long in between stops/ not running across the lot to pee after sexy time. Another struggle that I think some women are worried about is hygiene around that time of month.

I have a porta commode. Which I cant use with student lol