Driver Lifestyles
Women Owner-Operators of Expedited Trucking
Once a rarity in the male-dominated trucking world, professional female truck drivers have made serious inroads into the industry and likewise, women have increasingly become owner-operators in both general trucking and the niche market of expedited freight.
The number of female truckers is growing; government figures for 2004 indicate that lady drivers account for about 12% of the driving force.
The entrance of more females into the trucking industry over the past few decades has coincided with the severe driver shortages in the general trucking world In expedite, the opportunity to make a comfortable living while at the same time enjoy small business ownership has attracted many women from a variety of backgrounds to the fast freight industry.
Lady truckers have come to be regarded as a positive force in the trucking world. They receive high marks from the expedited carriers with whom they are leased as being professional, conscientious businesspeople who are serious about their profession.
These women fill all the categories in trucking - from single owner-operators to team operations to fleet owners. The ladies of trucking have definitely arrived and have made their mark on the industry.
Another sign of women's influence on the industry is the more domestic atmosphere of the sleepers available today: double bunks, hot and cold running water, built-in toilets/showers and microwave ovens to name a few. The ladies demand a higher level of comfort and the truck builders have responded accordingly.
The female owner-operators speak of a desire for personal freedom and a quest for adventure: "I love to drive and I've always wanted to see the country."
"But, no matter how lonely it gets out here, I'm always aware that I'm running my own business."
It hasn't been an easy ride for the feminine drivers. In addition to facing male hostility and being treated as sex objects, they have struggled to overcome strong doubts about their capabilities.
The stereotypes that these women have faced over the years seem to be changing. The ladies interviewed for this article report a softening of the anti-female bias of the past and say that they feel they are now regarded, if not always as equals, at least they are given an equal opportunity.
Maybe the times are a-changin'.
Diane Benjamin of Illinois is a 13-year veteran expedited owner-operator, running solo in a Sprinter Van with Landstar Express America. She was recently honored by Landstar System for reaching the million-mile mark, the first driver to reach that mark in a cargo van. Not long after that, she also won the National Safety Council Safe Driver of the Year award.
The reason for her longevity in what can be a lonely, demanding career?
"I love to drive and I love the sightseeing. I don't think being a woman in expedite is more difficult than it is for a man. In some ways it makes it easier."
"I like being my own boss and I love to drive. I guess I find it relaxing."
Before she discovered the expedite lifestyle, Cheri Heppner of Ohio worked in a factory, drove a limo, delivered auto parts for a warehouse, drove hotshot rigs in the southern U.S., drove a tractor-trailer OTR and was a Licensed Practical Nurse in the Trauma unit of a major hospital.
She says, "The stress of nursing didn't fit me. I always had a headache from worrying about if I would get sued or if a patient would die."
"I decided a while ago that I never wanted to work at another job that I dreaded. You know, calling in sick, taking personal days - any reason I could find to avoid going in to work."
"I went to driving school, got my Class A license and drove for Swift. I discovered that tractor-trailer driving doesn't leave any time for a life because you don't have the time or energy. The biggest difficulty I had with that kind of driving was finding a place to park at night."
"When I discovered expedite, I drove an owner's cargo van for around six months before buying my own and leasing on with Con-Way NOW (She is now leased with Panther Expedited Services). I've been in the business for two years now and I haven't yet dreaded going to work!"
What about respect from the men the ladies have to deal with on the docks?
Michelle Guerreri of Ohio drove tractor-trailer for four years before buying a straight truck and going into expedite. She runs solo with her small dog and after nine years with Tri-State Expedited Services she says, "The only discrimination I've experienced is on the CB or in the truck stop when trying to park for the night. Big truck drivers have asked me to move my smaller truck."
Michelle states that she finds dock workers are very helpful and that sometimes her gender is actually an advantage. They will often unload her before they will get to a male driver.
Diane Benjamin echoes Michelle's thoughts: "When I pull up to a dock, there are a lot of gentlemen in this world and they are more likely to help me than they would a guy."
"When I first started in the business, there were a few factories that when I told them I had a delivery, (this was when I was recovering from surgery and couldn't lift any weight) they would literally put their feet up on the desk and say, 'when you get it unloaded, I'll sign for it.' I was treated as though, if you can't lift it, why are you doing this job?"
She adds, "Things have changed, though, and they realize now that what I'm carrying is premium material and they want to get it off my van."
"They show me courtesy, politeness and respect. There have been a couple of times when I had to hand unload a shipment and a gentleman has come over and helped me.
Mary Pierce of Tennessee is the solo owner-operator of a straight truck who has been leased with Tri-State Expedited Services for three years. She tells us that when she entered expedite, she only intended to be an owner but her driver didn't work out so she took over the wheel duties.
"I love it," she says. "It's the easiest job I've had in my life!" She goes on to say that in comparison with her previous vocation as an extradition agent (prisoner transport) driving bus and van, there is no comparison.
She prefers the solo lifestyle because there's no co-driver to split the earnings with. She also wonders about the personality mesh of a "stranger" team. Diane Benjamin shares the same outlook: "It gets lonely at times on the road, but I don't know if I could handle having a co-driver. I've talked to other single drivers who have tried co-drivers and it doesn't seem to work."
What about that loneliness of the solitary driver?
"I think that an express driver (expediter) just about has to be a loner or you would go crazy," says Diane. "There are times when I want other people around and that's when I go to a truck stop. I have a cup of coffee and talk to other express drivers about how their business is going."
"Otherwise, I find a spot to park by myself because we all need that alone time."
"I like to stay at Pilot truck stops because they don't wake you up every five minutes with shower announcements and the coffee's worth getting up for," says Cheri Heppner. "I think women generally want to stay somewhere with quick access to a bathroom - somewhere that's open all night and busy."
What keeps you in this business?
Diane: "I love the sightseeing, that's the biggest thing I think. I'd never been anywhere before this job, so I love seeing the U.S.
Cheri: "It's always something different and I'm something of a gypsy - I like going to different parts of the country and trying different cuisines, being in different cultures, hearing different accents, etc.
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