What’s that you say? Hostile training environment in the trucking industry? Yes, and it is between Male trainers and Female trainees. This is a very real problem, that these trucking companies need to address at once. This is not right, women should be respected and not have to worry about going to work at the so called “man’s job”.

We are of course talking about sexual harassment, rape,etc.. This goes on in more places than you can imagine. Yes, even in trucking but it is not been publicized like with other business’s. There are lot’s of cases on the internet about this. But, yet it still is not getting covered well enough, because if it were not for these strong women standing up for what they know is right then know one would find out about it.

It’s bad when this does happen, and the woman reports it and the person she reports it too tells her that is not sexual harassment. There are a few cases where the wives of drivers, who were wanting to go teaming with their husbands, were raped or sexually harassed. I don’t know about you, but the hell with the job, somebody would probably be dead if that happened to my wife. Especially if the company tried to cover it up and say there was nothing going on.

There should not be male trainers for women trainees, not having to stay in the same truck. I realize there probably are not enough women trainers to go around, but still this should not happen. If this does happen to be the only way the woman can be trained, then it should be done locally and the woman goes to a motel every night.

I know also, I have seen this first hand a woman gets turned down for a job just because she is a woman. What does that have to do with anything? I used to be a truck driver instructor at a trucking school a few years ago, and my best students were women. They were much easier to train, and could drive a whole lot better than the male students I trained.

We recently had a woman apply at my company, and I am a trainer at my company. We only have two or three women that work in our company from other terminals. Well there is a total of four trainers at my terminal. Three are not married and are what you would say “Whore Dogs”. When this woman applied I kept asking my terminal manager (who is a woman) who was going to train her? She said if it is a problem with your wife, then I will find someone to train her besides you. I told her that this woman would be the safest with me. I been married for 15 years, if she don’t trust me now she ain’t never going to trust me. My wife said she would have no problem at all, with me training a female driver.

Intimidation is a big problem why more women don’t come forward about this. The attacker, yes I called them an attacker tells them they will be fired for the telling what happened. This is not true, and if you were fired for it, and if this was the only thing that has happened during your training period and you can prove the male trainer did do this, you may own the company.

I can only imagine this must be very traumatic for any woman to go through. I just wished more women would come forward, and not be scared to take action against these attackers. This is a job, and everyone should feel safe while working for a company. A man, and I use this term lightly here that would rape a woman, is just above a child molester in my book. Because basically you are committing the same crime. Child molesters pick children because they can intimidate them, and scare them into doing anything, just the same with a rapist.

That little saying that Fred (SilverSurfer) Schaffner always say’s applies here to all women. “STAND UP, SPEAK OUT OR ACCEPT WHAT COMES!!!”.

The last few days, I have seen these words pop up in several places all over the web. What do they mean?

1. Answer: Brotherhood - the whole body of persons engaged in a business or profession.
2. Answer: Truck - to exchange commodities
3. Answer: Drivers - one that drives

This is what I found for the answer. I do not see anywhere, where it says it must be one that owns and operates a truck for a business. I do not see where it says anything about joining an organization. But, it does say the WHOLE body of persons engaged in a profession or business. To exchange commodities, and one who drives.
Sounds like to me it would mean anyone who drives a truck, whether you are a company driver or an owner operator.

We are all in this together, whether or not you believe this to be true or not. If you drive a truck then you are part of this Brotherhood. The unions use this slang name as a form of unity, but it is not only for the union drivers/workers. We are all apart of one big Brotherhood.

I hear company drivers all the time saying, well it does not effect me any why should I be of concern. Well, brother you better be concerned, because it most defiantly concerns you. You are getting the same shaft as the owner operator and do not know it. We all have to play by the same rules, do the same pre-trip, do the same log book, and drive the same hours. The rules in this business does not play favorites.

I hear the small band of brothers on the CB radio sometimes while I am out on the road. When you see some trucker broke down on the side of the road, you will hear that small band of brothers ask that driver if he has help on the way. Or you will hear that small band of brothers call out the police, or a wreck or just something of interest.

We are a Brotherhood of Truck Drivers, and we must start showing people we can be of one voice. We need to drop all this well I am an owner operator, so I have more say bull crap. Company drivers have a say in trucking as well. Yes, I am a company driver, I have never owned a truck nor do I ever plan to own a truck. The way fuel is right now and freight and insurance and nobody having any money. Owner operators are lucky to make the same amount of money a company driver makes, plus without benefits. In the long run yes, owning the truck gives you more say, but more than likely you will being pulling the same freight I am, to the same customer.

Tank drivers and flat bed drivers are probably the most likely to help each other out, no matter what company you work for or if you own the truck or not. I know with my company, I pull a tanker I have given help as well as received help from other company’s drivers. When I pulled a flat bed, it was same thing. I will admit when I pulled a box trailer, what little I did pull of it. When I needed help there was always somebody around.

We have to pull together, and try to stop fighting amongst ourselves. We need to put the fight towards the ones that want to harm us.It’s our lives out there, our safety is on the line. We need to call our senators, we need to write them, email them if possible, drop them a post card. There are probably hundreds of Jason Rivenburgs out there.  But, if this bill does not get put into law there will be more than that. The hard part is over now we need to just do some talking on the phones. Your senator of your state works for you, you say if he/she stays in office. Maybe they need to be reminded of that.

This Virginia Boycott we are calling for, is another important issue that we need to make our voice heard on. The hard part is just beginning  on it. We need to start spreading the word, putting up flyers , writing on bathroom stalls, however you can help spread the word. Let’s hit them where it counts, let’s take the money away from them. They will soon see, we are a powerful voice we can get things done. Here is a link to the page for the boycott flyers, once the page opens look towards the bottom and you will see a green button says “printer friendly” click that and print off however many flyers you want to give out. One last thing before I go, you do not need to drive a truck to help with this boycott. If, you are going to be traveling through Virginia, you can do the same thing. If you need some trip planning help you can contact a truck driver they can help you. PLEASE help us spread the word!

This is all I see lately, in the news. Where are all these jobs the news stations say there is? This is very misleading, they (News Stations) catch people almost down and out, because they just got a layoff or fired from their $40.00 a hour job not knowing what they are going to do. Then all the sudden they read a news article about becoming a truck driver, make $40,0Ǡ.00 your first year. All you have to do is go to school, pass school and a driving test, and you are in! Well, this is not the way it happens nowadays especially.

Times are bad, and are badly for all us. The ATA still claims there is around a 20,000 driver shortage. Well this may seem to be true, with the way freight is short right now. Trucking companies are laying off, and or closing their doors everyday. Seems to me like right now, the best place to work would be in a trucking school training all these new drivers. Just about every trucking school is running at max right now, why? Take my company for example. I have hauled one load in two weeks. We are on a temporary layoff, because of the Michigan Frost law is in affect. But, my company is hiring everyday.

With, the way the economy is right now I would bet the best thing to do now is, if you have a job you had better keep it and do everything you can to keep it. I know. I know I have a crappy job, three years ago I would have told them to take this job and shove it. But, today I call in everyday to see if they need me to do anything today. I have washed my truck more in the last two weeks than I have ever washed it. I will have to say this, when I do go back on the road I am going to be driving one good looking truck.

Times have changed, companies used to hire anybody that could hold onto a steering wheel for ten or 11 hours strait. Now, it’s different they are actually starting to look at your past work history. This is one reason I stay right where I am. My past work history, would say I am a “job hopper”, or at least it looks like that. When I fill out an application, it looks like I have had a bunch of different jobs, and not lasted at any of them for very long. This is partly true, I worked for several companies, but I worked for them multiple times. The same companies over and over. Either work would slow down or completely dry up, or I would find something better. Then they would either call me back, or I would run into the owner in town and would be right back to work again with the same company.

My best advice for anyone now would be, even if it is a not so lovable job you better stick with it.

Howdy, I am just going to be straight forward here. I used to like to drive my truck, but I absolutely despise driving today. When I first started driving back in “96″ I drove for a local guy, hauling rock,coal,sand,mulch, etc pretty much anything that would go into a dump wagon I hauled it.

I did this for over 2 years, and it was the best damn job I have ever had! Believe it or not I made money also. Of course though when you run a bucket in KY hauling rock and coal, you work your ass off! and NONE of it was legal..I was always hauling 40+ ton loads no matter where I went.

I can only remember a couple times being caught..$250.00 both times were the overweight tickets. I was caught on RT. 7 leaving Grayson, KY heading to West Liberty,KY with a load of sand (38 1/2 tons) running 62 mph in a 55 on a little 2 lane black top road. Passed a KY DOT enforcement officer and yea he flipped and pulled me over..I was shaking like a dog sh!ttin razor blades.

He asked for my weight papers, “I said I really don’t want to show them too you” he again asked for them and added a c’mon show them to me…lol gotta love the KY DOT they are laid back. I ended up showing them to him, and he said,”Awww 96,000 lbs aint nothing I am looking for them 140,000 and 150,000 lb loads rolling through here”.

He told me to slow it down a little and have a safe day. What a guy! Why can’t all the DOT, cops and such be like him?

Anyway, back to reality here, (I was enjoying reminiscing) I hate driving today! I hate my company, I hate my dispatcher, I hate my terminal manager, I even hate about 3/4 of the drivers at my terminal!

Oh yea did I mention I HATE my job!

I am not making any money right now…I mean yea I am but not as much as I was when the season was right. Oh well, I guess I only got a couple months left and I will be busier than a long tailed cat in a room full of rockin chairs..

Until next time…Keep the shiny side up! and your foot planted on the floor!