female needing advice on where to start

My husband worked for Melton flatbedding, I helped, including lifting the tarps, it was hard at first. Together we "got in shape" ( actually just say in better shape) I could if need be lift the tarp to the deck and I'm just as short as you. Nothing else was as tough, chains, straps. . . not easy but lifting the tarps was the hardest part and as the gentleman said forklift drivers will most of the time put your tarps on the deck or top of the load. We ran into one female driver that worked for them, solo, she had worked for them for a while. She wasn't in a happy mood the day we met her. . . .soooo I didn't chat.

Their are more and more women getting into trucking. Just do your research on the company you "train" with. Just because there can be misunderstandings I wouldn't except a male trainer for other than "day" trips. Thats just me though.

Talk to the recruiter and ask for names and numbers for a couple of their female trainers and drivers. The trainers at least shouldn't mind you calling and asking questions. It might be a little harder to "run into a couple female drivers" to ask questions of in person.

I watched a "petite" female driver horse a big ole pete into a space several men gave up on and it took her less time to get in that space than it did for the others to give up. I wanna say it was a step deck, but coulda been a flatbed ( over a yr ago) I DO remember it had two cargo containers on board, short ones, hazmat, radioactive.

Good luck.

 

http://www.realwomenintrucking.com/Check out Real Women in Trucking

 

in other words. your lazy and afraid of exercise.

 

Of those two, I would choose Swift. Werner trainers have a bad reputation around here, pooping their pants, stopping at strip joints while having a trainee, etc.

 

Now useing the words start with not to stay with. But covenant transport is very women friendly.

They have women trainer that will show you what you need to know at woman point of view.

They are a team company. so your never by yourself. Covenant transport has clean house and is got a lot of bad thangs out & have bought a lot of good thangs in.

Thier is a lot of womwn drivers a covenat transport & I know afew of them and love it.

The training is about 40 to 45 days. even tho they said 35 . While training your paid salary about $375.00 a week.

extra if have hazmat for hazmat loads.

After training with hazmat you are guaranteed 700.00 aweek for the first 90 days.
after that you become a otr driver paid by the miles.


Which has changed, somewhere around 19cpm. for all miles the truck runs. in other words you get paid for your team miles .
So if the truck runs 5000 mile that week you get paid for 5000 @ ,19 cpm=950.00.a week. But each year of driving you get a raise.Not much 1cent or 1/2. but they keep you hoppen. makeing those miles. all 48 states.

There are some thangs that i dont like. But after 3 yrs or two you can go anywhere you want.One thang is dont beleive everythang the recruiter tells you

Just be careful obey the law an dont speed over 15 ,miss a randem ua,roll over, plow in a ditch.ticket for no seat belt or get in a fight or they'll fire you.

One thang about covenant is that if you fill unsafe in hazerd weather they will let you stop. snow, fog,wind & what ever. if your to tired to drive. tell them. Just dont make a habit. remember with you wreck in bad weather. They'll ask why didnt you stop..

Thier are people at covenant that will listen if you have a problem. The #1 thang you should do is ask question to whom ever you need to.Even stupid ones.It just might save your job. Understand the rules & regulations.

They have very new trucks every 3 yrs They would have replace all trucks. Its not hard. listen & learn & you'll do just fine. Just replaced all trailer with new ones still some old ones.

Dont beleive everythang the recuiter tells you. or any recuiter for that matter. they'er salemans.

But covenant has what they call family plan after a year,you could train a family member to be your co-driver,allows pets.

Anyway go for it. Lets get those highway wheels a roll'en. Lets go truk'en

 

nice informative post for SMC but i shuddered to think that w/1 year of experience you are/were training others.please tell us that you have much more than the 1 year your avatar declares-

 

start w/a local company and pull an end dump.you'll make ends meet financially while being home nightly and gaining the experience that you'll need to drive otr IF you indeed still have the desire to do so.

regardless of the direction/company that you take,best of luck to you.some of the best driving women that i have ever encountered and had the honor of running with were petite,feminine,relentless,and classy all rolled into one female package.the sad part is we had to run another channel as we passed our male"super trucking" peers because of the comments made by them.i felt bad for them,the lady truckers, but they handled the quips rather well.

just don't drive a slow truck please.you won't be happy all bunched up in the cluster of "super truckers" that clutter our highways as they drag race each other.aim for at least 70 mph(and still have another gear or two to go!)

 

Flatbedding yes,those tarps are heavy.But with my job it's everything but relaxing.I'm in an out of the cab 20 plus times a day and drop/hook 12 plus times a day.So actually im far from being lazy,just for flatbedding.Besides the tarp pay isn't impressive enough to even consider it.

 

Charlie Tuna, (big wheels), beat me to it, Covenant, based out of Chatanooga, they have a lot of women drivers...

 

living where you do check out epes if you don't mind pulling a box.....they hire students if your school is on their list. good trinaers and i'm pretty sure we've got some female trainers as well.

they've been pretty good to me i'm still here after 2 years