My daughter wants to be a trucker

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chico-dust@reddit

She can't do interstate trucking until even later. As far as women in trucking its no different than men in nursing. It's dominated by one sex but anyone can succeed.

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Mindless_Pandemic@reddit

Tell her to try and study for other jobs while trucking. Exercise every day. Camping toilets are a life saver for woman on the road. I know some that keep one under the bunk for emergencies.

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Hi. Lady trucker here. It’s pretty easy to get in trucking as a woman. The only thing I have to say that specific to being a woman is not everybody she’ll meet will be a gentleman. Honestly that really isn’t specific to trucking but traveling alone does leave you a little vulnerable. I come from a rough area so I’ve had less issues on the road than I did at home.

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chocoholic24@reddit

Lots of women truckers out here. She should follow bison_on_a_bicycle on Instagram. She's an OTR driver out of Canada, started out driving a bus, now trucking all over the US, living her best life on the road.

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AsphaltPirate74@reddit

Look up Prettypeter48 on Facebook. She has half a million followers and doesn'tpost any NSFW bs. She's a bull hauler who owns her own truck. Maybe your daughter can ask her questions about being a woman in the trucking industry on there. Worth a shot, always good to have a mentor when you're young too.

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No-Cryptographer8370@reddit

I love her mindset & how she operates. “I messed up, I own it, I fix it” definitely rare in this day & age

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AsphaltPirate74@reddit

Definitely

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Riyeko@reddit

As a woman driver with just almost 13yrs xp over the road and two driving a yard truck....

Get her CDL from a school or college. Not one of the schools that are bought and paid for by the trucking company itself, I'm talking a community college.

Then find yourself a mega like Werner or Crete to train in. She will be put with a trainer and go out for a while and learn the ropes.

Make sure she understands that she needs to be able to handle high stress environments every day, places that she will go that won't let her use the bathroom, rotating shifts (usually if you run the clock down to 1 or two hours you'll spend a max of 3 weeks on days, 3 weeks on nights), and for the love of all that's holy in trucking..... Make sure she's witty, rude and blatantly assholish. She needs to be able to make gross and chauvinistic comments back to the 50yr old weirdos that will ask her to go have "a coffee".

She needs to have a good head on her shoulders. Good common sense to get herself out of shit situations with NO help (you can call the company and non emergency lines for the police, but 80% of the time she's gonna be on her own). Needs to be able to think 50miles down the road or a couple of days for parking, food, fuel and showering.

Make sure she knows she has a voice. Say no. That's a complete sentence. If she ever... EVER... Feels uncomfortable or uneasy about a situation, trainer, customer or otherwise, she can say NO.

Get her some practice. If you've got friends or family that have pickup trucks and trailers, ask for pointers on how to back, or have her jump in the driver's seat in an abandoned parking lot and back the trailer.... With guidance.

Read the FMCSA green book and CDL manual you can get at the DMV or the local highway patrol station. They give them out. Costs nothing.

There's a lot for her to learn when it comes to trucking. Little things here and there. Secrets that a lot of drivers won't let her know unless she asks about it.

Get into some Facebook groups, have her join this reddit, find some truckers on tiktok or Instagram and watch their videos. Listen to them. Even the ones where they're bitching and the content is littered with curse words (she's going to hear worse).

And one more thing. Shes going to come across religious extremism, racism and xenobphobia. Trucking is not the place to be a martyr. She cannot tell someone to stop saying the N word or try and give them a lesson in how the Sikh guys are different from the Muslims. All she will get back in return is aggression, which puts her safety at risk. All you can do is not respond, walk away, and never speak to that person again.

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No-Cryptographer8370@reddit

Yes! Trucking has definitely taught me to be an asshole to those who deserve it!!!!

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Mamatiger85@reddit

20yr driver here. ^^^ALL OF THIS^^^ The only thing I'd add is to teach her hyper-vigilance. Make sure her situational awareness is on point.

And to quote my trainer, another woman with over 2 decades in, giving advice about entering a truck stop at night: "Attitude is everything. Walk in like you're ready to stab someone, and walk out like you just did."

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Riyeko@reddit

That's a good point. I'll add that.

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Unique_Arm435@reddit

Best advice ever!!💥

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No-Cryptographer8370@reddit

Go for it! I got my license at 18 ten years ago from my local community college. I was able to find a company that took me on as a glorified yard jockey running trailers between 2 locations 25 miles apart hauling eggs. I lasted 2 years there between it being a generally shady company & sheer boredom of chasing my tail every day. Then I got on overnights driving a grain tanker to small farms. This taught me how to really drive & back. I was hazed & hit on a little at the egg company but not at all when I went to haul feed, it was just some shady characters & it stopped when I got management involved. Nothing too serious. I’ve been over the road since I turned 21 and haven’t had any problems, never felt unsafe, and most people I interact with are kind.

Trucking is different to everyone & mindset has a lot to do with it. It’s been great to me, it gave me 2 paid off vehicles, a house, and the ability to pursue a college degree part-time completely debt free. I love my job & think it’s a greatly overlooked career path for young men & women. It teaches RESPONSIBILITY, independence, quick thinking, how to interact with anyone & everything… so much more about life than 4-8 years in college will.

Until she’s 18, I suggest getting American Truck Sim on pc/laptop & playing around with that. Have fun - because trucking is a fun job! And there’s a bunch of truckers on TikTok that can give more of a look on the day to day aspect. Thank you for respecting your daughter’s decision & looking into it for her! My parents did NOT want me to drive but eventually they warmed up to it. Feel free to PM me if you or her have any specific questions!

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GumboPosts@reddit

Getting in is the easy part, keeping at it is the hard part. If she trains with a mega carrier at 21, she will probably start by taking the worst loads that no one wants at bottom tier pay. It's a quick way to earn money when you are young though, I was able to buy my first house at the age of 24 once I switched to a higher paying carrier and saved every dollar I could.

She likely won't be able to switch to a local or regional job until she gets at least 3 years of CDL experience, so she will have to be over the road for a while. That means very long hours, and likely she will have to be away for 3 months at a time and back maybe 3 days at most

Be warned, I wouldn't go over the road for much longer than 3 years. As I progressed into 28, I realized I had no life outside of driving trucks. I had no hobbies outside of gaming and reading. I don't really know or talk to anyone. My social skills have gone way down. She will likely get tired of being alone all the time, and holding down relationships as a trucker is basically impossible.

Don't be trapped in it, save up and go to school at some point. I am thinking about becoming a LVN and leaving trucking so I can train to be a registered nurse.

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DaytimeSudafed@reddit

She can work her way up at ups. But the rate of promotions depends entirely on the state of the economy.

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jabber1990@reddit

if my 16 year old daughter told me this i'd kick her out....my daughter is collegebound

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r0x_n194@reddit

As many people have already mentioned here, interstate drivers need to be 21 or older. Now, what I am about to say may be considered bad advice by some, but it is an option: Have her join the military. Some branches have jobs equivalent to trucking. By the time she gets out, not only will she be of age, but some states will also give her a military CDL skills test waiver. It's not ideal, but it's definitely easier and cheaper than going through trucking school.

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ChemicalWriting6225@reddit

Ask her wtf is wrong with her. If she wants to live poverty level blue collar work then yes trucking. I would say do anything else

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AustinLostIn@reddit

Yeah her the basics of baking up a trailer. When she turns 18, she can get a job as a yard dog, just moving and parking trailers. When she's 21, she can drive interstate over the road.

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CMDR-L@reddit

Boot up gta, connect to a semi and trailer, and start going through tight alleys. Legit, I did this before I learned, it was helpful believe it or not. Trucking simulator is a game as well.

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TubaCuba@reddit

Yeah I was going to suggest American Truck Simulator. Its not a perfect analog for driving a real truck but it can definitely help you figure out how a truck and trailer respond to certain inputs

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Agamemnon323@reddit

I’m an instructor and one of the best student I’ve had is a guy that had 500 hours on an American truck simulator rig.

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CashWideCock@reddit

My wife was a preschool teacher for 18 years. One day she told me she wanted to get her CDL. She signed up for truck school and passed her test first try. She got a job driving a “truck and pup” style dump truck. That was 3 years ago, she loves it.

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HM02_High@reddit

Well, when she turns 18 she can have an intrastate CDL and drive locally but she can't cross state lines until she turna 21 and has her license changed to interstate. I hope she bears a valid license or permit now so she at least has some practice. My aunt has been a trucker for I wanna say 25 years or so, and she definitely has some stories of back when she first started, but it doesn't seem too different nowadays. I'd say if anything, reach out to some friends and family and see if they know a female trucker and see if it's possible to set her up on a few ride alongs.

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GroundbreakingSir386@reddit

If the father isn’t opposed to it, the State National Guard is probably the best choice since that will put her far ahead of her peers getting her trucking experience if she chooses 88M motor transport.

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TactualTransAm@reddit

That's not a bad idea

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CartographerWest2705@reddit

It kinda is a bad idea. Those trucks are nothing like OTR trucks. I have tried to train 88Ms with years of driving those things and they cannot drive an 18 wheeler. Check out some trucking school. Ask if you can sit in on a few classes and driving days. Plan goals early. Plus it’s easier in some parts of the country than others. Best of luck!! Train on a manual because you never know.

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PraiseTalos66012@reddit

It depends on the unit they were in.

Active duty yeah your mostly right bc they mostly drive lmtvs and lhs which are straight trucks and rollback straight trucks.

National guard however has a lot of line haul units and if they were in a line haul unit then they drove a m915 which is literally a straight off the civilian production line 1998-2006 freightliner, the only difference is the paint and light switch. And those semis pull 48ft tri-axle flatbeds so they actually drove 22 wheelers technically.

National guard still has the other vehicles though so it does depend on what unit they were in. I've taught a lot of other 88m who never drove the 915 and yes they can't drive a semi for shit, but 915 drivers are fine.

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Kenworthsteve@reddit

Good idea.

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GroundbreakingSir386@reddit

Wouldn’t hurt to talk to a recruiter; joining would help her get more of an education, plus all the benefits that come along with that are the same as active duty. I would just oppose signing a full-time commitment. Part-time is the way to go.

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PraiseTalos66012@reddit

Speaking as a 88m who's served 8 years starting at 17 years old and who currently has their CDL, do not do this, it won't work out like you think.

There's a few issues.

You gotta be 18 before going to do ait(trucking driving training).
No one counts that class(ait) as a CDL/trucking school and no one cares that you went.
In the national guard your not going to get enough opportunities to drive, especially as a new soldier, for it to make sense. Over 3 years she'd be lucky to have 15k miles by the time she turns 21.
No one counts national guard experience as CDL experience even if you were in a line haul unit driving semi trucks. Some megas will partially count it but they'll still make you go through their accelerated training at a minimum.

She can simply get your intrastate at 18 and drive intrastate till 21, rack up 100k+ miles with real experience companies will count.

Also the fmcsa sdap program allows you to get an interstate before 21 https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/commercial-drivers-license/cdl-under-21-pilot/fmcsa-safe-driver-apprenticeship-pilot

One caveat: if she plans on going the sdap route 88m ait does qualify for the sdap program training, 88m soldiers were actually the original target of this program under a different name way back when it started. Still the guard won't give much real experience and no one will count it but it's great for this program.

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roundtwentythree@reddit

GL to her getting an actual job though, insurance rates are going to be astronomical, doubt anyone would be willing to take on that risk.

It's not the gender that's the issue, it's the age and the limited area she'll be able to operate in.

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GroundbreakingSir386@reddit

I was hired as a truck driver at 23 years old by XPO but you have to go through a self-insured company I was trained for over a month and was only a recent graduate from a Trucking School. I would probably look at National Guard and then working for XPO. We have a lot of women that work at my company.

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MantisShrimpUpTop@reddit

This is a great game to help understand backing from a birds eye view: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/my-u-s-trucking-skills/id1542771805

Look up Dot Foods. If she lives within 100 miles of one of their yards, they will hire her out of school and train her for an additional 8 weeks minimum, more if she wants, with a female trainer. My trainer said she went 14 weeks until comfortable. She’ll do intrastate until 21. Flexible schedule, no-touch 3 on 4 off, 4 on 4 off, 5 on 2 off, or 6 on 3 off. She can pick which days. Or she could do touch-freight. It’s tough but you make more and can go home most nights. We have a Women in Trucking chat and support group with regular meetings. I’m no-touch, 5 days. 94k my first year, 120k third year. Their safety standards are very high. When the time comes, pm me for a referral.

P.S. They also have a warehouse to driver program. 6 months in warehouse and they will pay for her CDL training.

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Starskigoat@reddit

Driving a school bus is an easy way to get local CDL experience and into the DOT regulated workforce.

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Canidothisthingucsc@reddit

5’2” woman hauling heavy equipment here and it takes learning not to care what others think. There are some physical constraints ( read I prefer ratchet binders vs regular binders for chaining up but rubber tired machines need the latter) and in some instances I wish I had more testosterone when things get tricky . I guess it depends a lot on what trucking she gets into… Good luck to her if she decides to go for it!

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1986silverback@reddit

Tell her to get at Job 18 and save up and pay for her CDL achool And graduate just B4 she turns 21... It will give her way more freedom when looking for a job. Also. Learn to drive a stick. And get a stick shift car / tuck for her right now to learn o and she will have a basic understanding for a 18 speed

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dragongamer365@reddit

Have her download the game my US trucking skills. This will help her with backing to start getting used to it. If you have a trailer that you can have her practice on then do that. One of the hardest things to get used to is turning the wheel the opposite way than you normally would with just a car. The skill will more easily transfer over.

Pepper spray is good to have for self defense, don't get mace as that is illegal is some places.

Basic tools are good to have so you can do your own basic repairs instead of waiting for roadside to come fix a mud flap.

Places like Schneider and Swift are alright to go to in order to learn the basics of driving but after 6 months to a year its a good idea to switch to a smaller company that won't treat you like a number. DON'T GO TO CR ENGLAND! They make you sign a non- competition agreement.

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FrontTelevision7261@reddit

My husband has been a trucker for over 40 years. When he mentions female truckers he does so with respect. I feel like they respect female coworkers because it is a very hard job that not just anyone can do. Best of luck to your daughter.

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GroundbreakingSir386@reddit

Have her join your state national part-time 2 days a month and 2 weeks a year. That will help kill a couple of years, and she can earn her Class A CDL free while getting trucking experience in 88M motor transport and then have her grab her degree too. With the experience she will get, she can work for an LTL company and be a local driver earning $35-$40 an hour, depending on the state. This was the exact situation my friend of mine took while using his health benefits from the military and earning a pension, collecting his full paycheck from a civilian job.

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GreyGhost878@reddit

This is the way, because it includes getting an education, training, and skills in things beyond driving. If she ever wants to change careers or do something different for a while (as life sometimes requires) it gives her other options. Even with a college degree I got pigeon holed into trucking after so long. (I got VERY lucky and scored a dispatch job at my company but most companies will not hire drivers into the office.)

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GroundbreakingSir386@reddit

Yeah, even if she decides to get married and have children, she can still work in the National Guard and earn a pension after 20 years of part time service. She will always still have little income coming in from that and can change career path to become a police officer since she went through boot camp once. Most police stations want either a college degree or military service.

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GroundbreakingSir386@reddit

If your against the military it will probably be best for her to get her license and try to apply for Yard hostler position or work for an LTL company on the Dock operating a forklift in the meantime.

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GroundbreakingSir386@reddit

I think it’s great she wants to go into a profession that is simple enough to not cost an arm and a leg. I think about my own family and my sisters that took out $70-$80,000 in student loan debt and don’t even use their degrees anymore… once you become a mother or start a family, all of that goes out the window. This would be a really good way she could make money and earn the money back that she would have spent on schooling.

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prayersforrain@reddit

https://www.womenintrucking.org/

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GreyGhost878@reddit

It's okay. I got tired of them basically being a paid advertisement for their sponsor companies. But may be helpful to some.

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Crwheaties@reddit

Most carriers have insurance policies around hiring drivers 21 and up. May be advisable to wait a little longer

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Seebs9@reddit

Cdl drivers under 21 are still pretty rare. You can’t leave the state till you’re 21 and insurance is always an issue.

She’ll run into the usual bs any female in a male dominated work place runs into. I’ve met plenty of solid female truckers who do well.

If she has a technical school attached to her high school, she could look into diesel mechanical. It gives a solid fall back job if trucking doesn’t work out where she can still use her cdl.

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TactualTransAm@reddit

I'm a fleet mechanic. We get paid more if we have our CDL because we can test drive the trucks. Out of my whole shop only me and 1 other guy have ours. Half my job is test driving trucks. It's such a blast. But just wanting to be a tech for a stop gap to trucking? I'm not sure if that's the best idea. The cost of tools, even cheap ones, can be surprising. She may be better off getting a non CDL driving job in the meantime like deliveries or something.

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