Ideas for staying safe -- as a truck driver

One word........NO

 

Lual, what do you think? What do you do? I imagine most if not all blokes have no idea really what its like for a female.

 

1st, I think this was a very helpful video. I didn't listen to all of it, I didn't have to. I learned the hardships early on, and this guy is telling me nothing new, but today, in this non-interaction world, this needs to be said. I doubt any school is going to shoot themselves in the foot by telling you the bad things. 2nd, my old GF, who I'm still friends with, has been a FEMALE trucker her whole life. In the 80s and 90s, the stories she told me of the abuse she took, would curl your hair. Her ex-husband had a trucking company in Wis. and she drove one of his large car Petes cross country. Women truck drivers were practically unheard of, and the ones that were out there, I wouldn't tangle with. Several times I saw women running out of a warehouse crying. My friend recently got off the road, with an office job, but she helped pave the way for women, whether she realized it at the time, or not. The things I learned to avoid, don't apply today, but the common theme, is to be aware of your surroundings and over cautious. Someone staring at you probably has ill intent. Trouble starts when those things are overlooked, and a scofflaw is just waiting for that. I never felt the need to carry any kind of weapon in my 35 years of trucking, but today, might be a good idea to take Smith & Wesson along,,it's a shame it has come to that.

 

Your learnings of yesterday are still relevant today I Imagine. Safety in numbers, lighting, reading the room so to speak, proximity to....,etc. But I don't really know as I'm not long haul. I imagine because its a mans world, most if not all of us are largely ignorant to female experiences in general. Funny how a male trucker can be a fat unattractive slob who stinks, or fowl mouthed rough and tough, but female drivers are expected or preferred to be........

Not sure about the gun and don't get it, but I don't live in a culture where everyone can carry one. Would think a high powered pencil beamed torch or a can of mase is a good threat stopper to buy time without the rest. In saying that twice in my life I have been asleep in a vehicle in a remote place and company showed. I have to admit is a sickening feeling, especially when there are multiple males outside and your waiting to become the main attraction. Thankfully nothing ever eventuated beside my own fear. My solution is don't do that again. Its a big call to come out swinging, and you have to be committed 100% to take all; but not sure I'm skilled or have the guts to do so. The movies are one thing, crapping yourself with intent to potentially kill and kill all is another.

 

What my friend said, was usually it was a major blow to the mans ego, and to be clear, years ago, trucking was not appealing to women, unless they had a vested interest. Once, in my asphalt dump truck days, maybe 10 trucks on a job, during a breakdown, we were told to "stock pile", a boring job, but needed to operate a front end loader to load yourself. Well, this one guy couldn't make it, and had his wife drive the truck that day. Normally not an issue with blacktop, but she didn't know how to run a loader. You should have heard these loud mouth jerks, laughing at her. "Should've stayed in the kitchen", they said on the CB. Terrible, so I got out, and helped her load her truck, she was very grateful, but never came back. It was just so unusual to see a woman in a cabover IH, a dump truck, or whatever, that was their domain. Like a man server at a truck stop, never saw one, if we did, we'd roll our eyes. We've come a long ways in that regard, as trucks can be easily operated by anyone, but at one time, it was definitely a mans occupation.

 

No such thing. The overwhelming majority are cowards. An attack of any sort will just result in new TikTok videos.

 

yes the term "real man" has shifted somewhat.

 

yes the sexism, masculinity, and ill considered comets for amusement still runs rife I suspect. The quarry companies around hear have put a good effort into attracting women to the vocation. Its worked to some degree but they are still thin on the ground from who I see driving, and that's going home each night. Its a tuff egg to crack and for a woman why should they bother. A male can piss in a bottle while driving but for a woman to use a she-wee is a little more complicated.
I suspect when manufacturers start putting a shower, toilet, small kitchenette, reinforced cab security, and AI camera monitoring as standard in long haul prime movers, and equal pay it may have some appeal to women. Being exposed at night or anywhere they don't feel safe is an unacceptable life experience few care to endure. Think many males would be interested in that kind of build also, but instead the industry is attempting to do away with the humans.

 

That is because humans are the problem, not the solution. Didn't you read the memo?

By your own posting the humans want more and more to feel like they are home away from home, and that costs a lot of money to set up and maintain.
Factor in the costs of training drivers and drivers not being able to work like machines, it makes a lot of sense to automate the process as much as possible.

The writing is on the wall in big bold letters. Not if, but when.
A 20 or 30 year old should not even consider making trucking a career choice.