A Female Truck Driver has the same responsibilities as male truck driver. While many people think truck drivers are big burly men, the truth is Truckers Come In All Shape And Sizes.
More women are entering the trucking industry everyday, especially when you realize that truck driving is not as hard as men want us to think. I have been a woman truck driver since 1992. I can drive a truck as well, if not better, than the most men I have worked with.
Although the world pictures big burly men, driving a truck, Courtney Connely of CNBC, reports that the percentage of female drivers has increased to 6% over the last few years and is steadily rising.
Many women actually excel as truck drivers. I believe that women are more organized, on time, and dependable.
I will provide you with some of the main duties and responsibilities of any truck driver.
Truck Driver's Presumed Freedom
Truck Drivers and Time Management Responsibilities
Truck Drivers and Communication Skills
Truck Drivers and Electronics
Truck Drivers and Paperwork
Many trucking companies haul freight that is no touch to the driver. However, there is nothing that says a you can't unload a truck. I have unloaded and restacked freight throughout my trucking career.
If you think about it there are many men who can not unload freight or lift heavy boxes.
While you may think the life of a trucker driver revolves around driving 24/7, there are other responsibility that must be handled on a daily basis.
Truck Driver Freedom
One attraction that draws a lot men and women to truck driving is the presumed freedom that many people associate with truck drivers.
Once you climb up those two steps into your truck, you do more than just ride across the country, from state to state, and ocean to ocean.
While outsiders may assume that you are constantly behind the wheel, driving is not the only responsibility you have.
Most of the time as a truck driver, your only perspective is from behind the wheel.
As you drive down the road, the windshield of your truck is a television screen, a place to view the world.
You see first hand what is happening along the interstate or highway that you are driving across. Rarely do you have time to stop and enjoy the attractions.
If the truck is not moving, it's not making money.
Another reason why you can not stop just anywhere is because the tractor trailer you are driving is generally over 75 feet long, 10 feet wide, 13 ½ feet tall, and weighs up to 80,000 lbs.
There are not many attractions that allow a tractor trailer to park in their parking lots.
Even if the you could drop your trailer at a nearby truck stop, there are still security issues.
If you drop your trailer, then it is left unattended. There is always the possibility that another truck can back under your trailer and drive down the road, leaving nothing behind.
There are king pin locks and glad hand locks to keep others from being able to just hook up to the trailer and go. But these can easily be unlocked by someone who knows what they're doing.
After you drop your trailer in a safe place, you still have to find parking for the tractor at the attraction. Tractors can fit into some parking places designated for 4-wheelers, but it is rare.
Many attractions and businesses do not want the weight of a tractor or semi on their parking lot. The pavement is not constructed to hold up to the weight, eventually there will be cracks and potholes everywhere.
As a truck driver, especially if you are an owner operator, you may feel like your own boss. While this can be true, it takes a lot of skills be your own boss.
You still have duties and responsibilities, just like with any other job.
No you may not have someone looking over your shoulder every second of the day, or do you?
Many trucking companies now use GPS tracking on their equipment. Since the advent of Electronic Logs, many devices use GPS monitoring to track where, when, and how long a truck has been driving.
Truck Drivers and Time Management Responsibilities
Other job duties a truck driver has includes time management. It is your responsibility to find the shortest, safest and fastest route to your destination.
If you run into a snow storm, you should have been checking weather reports of cities along your route. If you become aware of bad weather up ahead, you have a chance to reroute yourself or inform your dispatcher that you will be late.
Your GPS can be hard to use when you need to quickly glance at a map to determine if there are alternative routes, this is a good time to have Rand McNally Atlas in your truck. Check out my post on Reasons Why a Truck Driver Needs a Road Map.
You have to be able to determine how long it will take you to get from point A to point B. This includes time for mandatory breaks, traffic, restroom needs, and other unexpected occurrences.
Truck Driver Communication Skills
Many women have good communication skills. Some trucking companies leave out this important skill. But working in the trucking industry, requires drivers to ask questions and get directions.
As an outsiders, you may see a truck driver talking to other truck drivers on a CB radio, but you also have to talk to shippers and receivers, dispatchers, and brokers.
It helps to know how to properly talk to customers and dock workers. You don’t have to be their best friend, but a dock worker can keep you waiting for hours if you make them mad.
While you don’t talk to people all day long, you still need to be able to preform the task of talking to someone on most days.
Truck Drivers and Electronics
As the world advances in technology, so does the trucking industry.
As of December 18, 2017, all trucking companies, including owner operators, must use electronic logs. You will need to be able to use a smartphone, tablet, or computer of some kind to keep up with your electronic logbook.
Many veteran drivers have decided it was time to retire, refusing to learn how to use electronic logs.
Other drivers argued and complained about having to change the way they have always completed their logs, and others love the idea of electronic logs.
Which group do you fall in?
With the implementation of electronic logs, it is even more important that you know how to manage your time wisely. As time passes, the job responsibilities of a truck driver continue to change.
Truck Drivers and Paperwork
Many people dream of becoming a truck driver, they view your job as freedom from management, they think all you do is drive a truck, but truck drivers also keep up with paperwork.
You have to keep up with signed bills of ladings, invoices, truck repair reports, any inspections, and trip reports, that must turned into to the office.
The reality of a truck driver's responsibilities include time management skills, communication skills, electronic skills, and paperwork skills.
Ladies you can be a successful Woman Truck Driver, wither you run team or run as a solo driver.
Over 27 years in the trucking industry, I ran as a team operation for about a year. The rest of the time, I have driven by myself. I have faith that if you wan to drive a truck, nothing will stop you!
I have only touched on a few today, truck driver task, I will continue to add more in the future.
Leave a comment below if you think of more responsibilities that an outsider does not see.
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