Companies That don't respect women drivers

by Beverly
(VA)

I have been in trucking for about 10 years and I have found that 2 of the 3 companies that I have worked for always treat men better than the women. This reason I am about to state only applies to single solo women in trucking because if they drive as a team with their husbands they get more respect because most husbands would not allow any disrespect from a dispatcher.

I feel as though men drivers get more respect and they also get the better runs. "The good ole boys club" I spent 4.50 years with a company where I was the only women and got less miles than the guys did. Why I stayed so long I can't answer that but I finally did leave. It was a small company with about 40 drivers. I was on a load that went from Kennett Square Pa to Atlanta Georgia every week that left on a Thursday and delivered on Friday. Every weekend I was sitting in Commerce Ga at Flying J until Monday before I got my back haul.

Now I feel like I was stuck on that load because the men wouldn't do that and I was taken advantage of because that was most of the time what my run was. Of course my yearly income wasn't good either.

So this is some of the stuff I believe women deal with out here from companies they work for. SAD but True.
There are many things within the trucking industry that is unfair not only to women but also to men. Detention pay, most companies claim they pay it but after you go on board with them and you find yourself asking for it they just ignore your request. Lay over same thing. A driver should not have to fight for this. Most drivers will just stop asking for it because it falls on deaf ears. I think the trucking industry needs a union to protect the drivers out here on the road. Home time is another big issue. When a driver is out here for a month and has put in for their home time, allow this to happen for them. They have been waiting a long time to get to go home to see their families. After all dispatchers get to go home everyday, sleep in their own beds and get to eat a good meal everyday. They need to show more respect to drivers.
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Anyway this is my input on trucking. Thank You for allowing me to share.