Being Sued

It is interesting that the suit does not say that women would not be hired. But were put on waiting list due to lack of female trainers. As a male I was put on a waiting list due to lack of trainers.

Ya know My instructor had the front windshield curtains. I mentioned that they were nice. He said he had to have them since he would take out female students/trainees as he had to have two separate private changing areas. I told him I thought that prime only allowed women to train women. He said that it was up to the student/instructor to agree or not. He said most males will not open themselves up to the possible accusations thus there are very few women able to get CDL though prime.

 

What a lose-lose situation.

Company allows competent, trained, authorized male trainer to train new female driver. Things get a little tough over the course of the multi-week training program she complains, company misunderstands or reacts to avoid, um, "negative contact" with EEOC. Driver's life changes.

OR

Company requires only same-sex trainer/trainee in the tractor except for married couples. Company has above-mentioned "negative contact" with EEOC for discrimination.

Oh, how many times have I seen this movie...!

 

heard report on Road dog on XM. Prime's stance is the suit is without merit according to the report. The suit according to the report says the female was placed on a waiting list not denied a job. Discrimination would be no job. Waiting for a conducive training relationship would be protection for the three parties. Trainer, trainee, company.

 

Training policies at Prime change weekly. A few years ago there was absolutely no training of females by males... the policy has moderated a bit since then.

I have no desire to train in the first place. My thoughts are why open yourself up to a potentially career ending situation? When I did electronics instruction years ago, I had a woman approach me who would do anything to stay in the program because she was loosing her VA educational benefits due to poor grades. I had to report that to the school administration just to protect myself. All it takes is one sexual harrassment complaint in todays workplace environment to end your career.

Then there is the problem with ye old neanderthal male who can't separate the fact that the cab of the truck is a work place and not a meat market. There was a case many years ago of a male trucker who forcibly raped a student for a week before she managed to get off of the truck. We sent security and the FBI (it crossed state lines) to meet the guy. Another fella had to allow his wife to run through PSD on a different truck - he was going to do the TNT end with her. It didn't take more than a couple of hours for the PSD instructor to start with the suggestions about what to do when the truck stopped moving.

The fact is, I really don't blame Prime for ending the situation with having unrelated male/female situations on the trucks. It leads to unfortunate situations - and frankly the attorneys at the EEOC have their heads in a dark, damp, smelly place on this one.

 

My thoughts, too. I've spent almost 45 years in aviation as a flight instructor, airline pilot, FAA inspector and training manager, and classroom teacher. I've seen the effects of good and bad instruction, super and horrid curricula, and the diversity of people in training environments. I have raised and trained my own children to be good people and I have done enough. I filled that cup.

I want to do this to be alone "out there" somewhere different every day, driving alone with my thoughts and music, waiting at a receiver or for a shipper, sitting at a truck stop or rest area, arguing with idiots who don't understand what I do, and rewarding those who do. I want to see the mountains at daybreak, the ocean at sunset, and miles of pavement in front of me.

And I want to do it alone in the cab of a truck, not responsible for training another human.

 

The reason for issue is that Prime has a set policy men train men women train women UNLESS they have a prior relationship with one of the trainers. The result is this.
No female trainers or very few and no new females hired because their are no female trainers. What a way to get around the rules of equal opportunity

 

It's akin to what I imagine is the smoker/non-smoker policies I read. There are fewer and fewer smokers in the population in general, so if you are one and want a trainer who smokes, you'll wait.

 

You did the right thing in reporting the female in question. Don't you see that Prime found the perfect solution for equal opportunity? No female trainers available so no females are hired unless they have a previous relationship with a male trainer.

There are many vocations where men and women act like adults and work closely together. I think maybe trucking needs to move forward into the 21st century.

 

I've been waiting for 2 1/2 years to get a trainer. Long time don't ya think?

 

Please!!!!!!!!!!! A large majority of the trucking companies have men train women and women train men. You make it sound as if male truckers are all animals. LOL For the most part They are respectful of their female co workers. As it should be. There are so many vocations here in the 21st century where women and men work closely together. Maybe some of these trucking companies should back up the term professional driver and get rid of the phobia associated with women in trucking.