When people think of a truck driver, they usually have a particular image in their minds: a man in his 40s or 50s wearing flannel and looking done with his job and life. In reality, though, different types of people can be truck drivers – and that includes women.
Even though men make up the majority of truck drivers, there are more and more women who decide to join this industry. And considering that there is a pretty big truck driver demand today, ladies are taking advantage of it and start breaking stereotypes.
Working as a truck driver involves a lot of responsibility and can be very dangerous. For example, Oregon truck accidents have been rising, with statistics showing that crashes have increased by 6.4% over the years. This makes more people seek a Portland OR trucking accident attorney.
Therefore, if you are a woman planning to become a truck driver, here is some advice that will help you stay happy and safe.
1. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help
If you’re new to the trucking industry, the chances are that you’ll have a lot of questions, and it will take you a while to learn everything and get used to it. At the same time, you may fear asking for help – because you think you’ll be discriminated against based on your gender or for a different reason.
But no matter what your anxiety may tell you or what hostile people think, you are not alone in this industry. There are many confident and brave ladies who have joined long ago and have been just as scared as you are now, but they didn’t back down and were able to show everyone what they’re made of.
If you think you need help, just ask for it. It will help you as a truck driver, but may also inspire other women who aspire to become truck drivers.
2. Consider Your Safety
A driver always has to think about their physical safety, but also about the safety of the other road participants and even the pedestrians. But as a truck driver, this responsibility is even bigger. You’re driving a massive vehicle that weighs a lot, and stopping it in case of an emergency will be more difficult than it would be to stop a small passenger car.
Make sure you have lots of training in driving trucks and that you respect all the rules of the road.
Also, before you sign on to start working with a particular trucking firm, you should consider the recommendations of their driver liaison. There are a lot of things that truck drivers do to stay safe, such as stopping the vehicle much earlier at night time to park in an area that is well-lit or wearing whistles around their neck.
3. Stay Confident
Losing your confidence is something that could happen at any moment. In the trucking industry, being a woman who drives a truck can be very challenging, because everyone may keep telling you things like “This is a man’s job”.
Men who drive trucks and have a lot of experience and skill are usually confident and aware that they deserve everything they get. But this doesn’t mean that women are less qualified. You are capable of doing the same things a man does – so, hold your head up high and don’t let anyone ruin your confidence. You’ll be welcomed to the industry and even praised.
4. Consider Going to a Welcoming Place
Before you start driving a truck, you’ll need to go to a training school.
If you want this experience to be good for you, try finding a school that has both women and men as staff members. This is more likely to be a place that respects you and will not judge you because of your gender. It’ll help you build confidence and learn skills that will come in handy later.
5. Find Automatic Transmission Trucks
Automatic transmission trucks are great. They help the driver navigate more smoothly through the gears, and will have other great features which make driving easier.
For a long time, the equipment was mainly manual, and the transmissions were quite rough. Men have the physical strength to operate the machinery, while women tend to have only around half of the men’s upper body strength. This is what may have kept women from joining the industry in the past.
But now, trucks with automatic transmission make it easier to drive these massive vehicles. Consider one of these if you want a smooth and nice experience.
So, are you ready to become a truck driver? We hope these tips will help you to become a female driver that other ladies will look up to.
