How is life on the road for the solo women drivers?

What kind of solo run do you have? Check in our sub forum, "The Ladies Room", we have docked threads with this information.I drove for 3 years and had very little problems. I kept myself safe by doing what I had to do in day light hours (showers, laundry, shopping. I did not come out of the truck, at a truck stop, at night. I kept myself under the radar as much as possible. Good luck with your orientation. Start a thread about the company that you will be driving for, or add to an existing thread so you can keep us posted.

 

TCG most of it is common sense. Be aware of your surroundings and such. There is two things that you should be aware of. The first don't let be known you are alone.The second is don't let anyone in your truck that you don't know and trust.The vast majority of drivers are good people, but there is always a small minority that will try something.

 

Please do. Will be following since they are a company I am considering as well......................

 

Woman make great drivers and are very welcome to the industry. Don't let some individual intimidate you. Life on the road is tough but rewarding. You lose alot of conveniences of home. The places you see and people you meet are great. It's a stressful job so you have to have a calm demeanor or you'll go crazy, lol. Everyday is different, not like your 9 to 5 job. Trucking isn't for everyone. People quit everyday. So don't think badly if you don't like it. I think you will because you show a strong interest.

 

I am in the same boat as you. Orientation is about 2 weeks away for me at Watkins & Shepard. Getting scared too, but this is what I have wanted to do all my life. So I am just going to go for it and look back some day and laugh that I got scared! Positive attitude accounts for everything!

 

Well I thought there would be more posts on here from the 'bad perspective'...doesn't seem like there are yet. But I might as well add my two cents.

Go to a truck stop and look out for US Express trucks (red tractors)...they have automatics and they have a bunch of female drivers. Get their two cents.

The following is simply advice I have heard from other female drivers and what they do / recommend.

*park close to the building at night...better lit...closer to the building.
*carry a flashlight (aka a big ##### maglite) and whatever else you need to protect yourself.
*make sure when you go to bed, that you run the seatbelt through the door handles and buckle them...makes it harder to get into the truck.
*ive heard of lady drivers parking at a truck stop...eating / showering...and then driving to another truck stop to park and sleep...that way nobody knows that a gal is there.

As far as other stuff....make sure to get a XM / Sirius subscription ASAP for your truck so you can listen to the radio on the road. Get an MP3 player or Iphone so you can listen to podcasts...etc. Having something to listen to / to keep the mind busy while you drive helps the day go faster and helps you feel less lonely.
*get a laptop or a small dvd player so you can watch movies when you are done driving for the day. Redbox is only a buck and is at most McDonalds locations (along with a ton of other places). Netflix might be a good idea...get a higher package so you can get a bunch of movies at the same time...watch them while on the road and send them back so you can have new movies waiting when you get home.