Lisa Kelly from ‘Ice Road Truckers‘ is a prime example of women breaking barriers. Lisa gained a legion of female fans while appearing on the “Ice Road Truckers” series. She also inspired women to get into the trucking industry and keep going in this male-dominated field.
** Kelly recalled in an interview with Trucking info. “I was told right upfront on the first season, ‘They picked me for eye candy,'” “I was like, ‘I’m going to prove that I’m more than that.'” That determination sure came through on camera as she tried to impart one major lesson to audiences.
“You don’t have to fit a stereotype,” she told TruckerNews. “You can just do whatever you like.” (Compliments of TruckerNews Interview.)
Indeed, she could be considered a modern-day feminist that all women need to know about. So yeah, she could be a good example for a woman truck driver.
* Did you know: Driving a fully loaded trailer across a ‘maybe not so frozen’ lake, ‘that takes Ba%$#*&ls.‘
Make no mistake, women will have challenges, but also be totally respected at the same time.
Women in the industry may face challenges such as a lack of respect from other drivers, difficulty finding clean restrooms and showers, and occasional or maybe a lot of sexist behaviour.
However, many women find ways to navigate these issues and feel confident in their ability to do the job as well or better than their counterparts.
Industry supports that claim by saying, there is a growing effort to recruit and support women in the trucking industry through initiatives and organizations that provide training, mentorship, and community for female drivers. Although there was much emphasis on drivers’ comfort, Hell, the truck manufacturers are redesigning cabs in favour of women drivers. It’s worth noting, comfort for long-haul or teams can not be underrated and most manufacturers are doing their best to accommodate long-haulers with the comforts of home.
I must also add, the industry claims that every year that goes by, there are more and more women wanting to be truck drivers.
So, yes, women can and do make good truck drivers, and by most reports, often excel in areas like safety and loyalty. Research also shows female drivers are less likely to be involved in crashes, and they have a lower rate of certain violations compared to men.
Many woman also reported being highly motivated and dedicated to their work, often viewing it as a rewarding career path despite potential challenges in a male-dominated field.
But to know the answer at face value, you don’t have to go any further than look into any history book of the war years. Who do you think operated all the machinery in plants, making bullets for the war effort? Welding and assembling army tanks! Who do you think tested those airplanes that just come off the assembly line?
“Does it fly?” one would say. Well, she says, we’ll find out. They kept the home fires burning on both ends of the candle. Would that be proof enough, or should we continue the qualification of why they would make a good truck driver??
Housewife one day and capable of building machinery the next!
So are women skilled enough to be a good truck driver?
* Well, I know for a fact most women are not nuclear-powered, ‘I think!’ But I would say yes to the truck driving and safety ability
Comments from Truck Drivers in the Industry
- Dan A. Long-haul driver with over a million safe miles.
Just today, I’ve watched no less than five female truck drivers wrangle fully loaded semis around our cramped little yard, and do so with great skill.
My dispatcher, Debra, drove for over 40 years. She’s so well known (and loved!) at the company that they actually put her picture, eight feet high, on one of our trailers. Five million miles without an accident!
There is absolutely no reason whatsoever why women can’t drive a truck for a living. Indeed, in my experience, women are better drivers than men: I’ve trained young and old, male and female, black and white and every shade in between, gay and straight and who knows what, and the only differences in skill and ability are down to the individual. Insurance premiums bear this out, too…women pay less for their insurance than men do because they’re just better drivers than guys.
- David for Tennase
First, if you don’t know what blind side parking is, it’s when a truck has to back into a slot on the blind side of the trailer. A very difficult procedure until you get the hang of it, which many never do.
One morning about 2 AM, my driving partner and I were sitting in a warehouse lot being unloaded. It a was particularly hard park job even from the “good side” with a day cab. As we sat there talking a KW 9000 with the big sleeper came in from the wrong side. The co-driver got out and took the paperwork in, and while we waited for him to return. We made bets as to how many times the driver would “Pull up” before he gave up and drove around the block to approach the door from the right side. To our amazement, the driver blindsided it perfectly into the hole on the first try.
Then the driver got out, and again we were amazed. She was a little Asian woman, no more than 25. My partner and I got out to congratulate her, and found out the co-driver was her father, and had made he learn how to do that before he’d let her even get her CDL. In 15 years of driving, I never saw a better maneuver.
As a previous fleet manager and truck and coach mechanic, I have seen these women drivers in action. I personally feel they think they have something to prove to their male counterparts, because they do an outstanding job and show many of them up. The mandatory safety circle check on their rig, in most cases, they take the job quite seriously. Personally, I don’t care what their motivation is, my estimation their nuclear nuclear-powered and have nothing to prove to me. They do an outstanding job.
- Truck driver/mechanic/trainer from Toronto
I followed this trucker for miles, and I noticed something different about the driving. I couldn’t put my finger on however, it was different! The truck was not weaving in and out of lanes, the driver looked to be courteous to other vehicles, right on the money as far as speed limit. I wasn’t grading this person, but as a retired fleet manager and I did entertain how I would grade this driver. At face value, I would have given that person 10 out of 10.
Finally, as I sped up and passed the unit, I looked up through my sunroof. It was a lady driver. She must have spotted me tucked in behind her, following her for all those miles, and as I drove by, she gave me a big smile and confident wave. 10 out of 10 “that’s what I would have given her.
Comment from Facebook.
Are Women Rising in the Trucking Industry and Are Breaking Barriers Along The Way? As a majority, I would say, a big yes.
My husband’s a truck driver. I’ve watched him kiss the kids goodbye, promising he’ll be home “soon,” knowing that “soon” could mean weeks. He’s driven thousands of miles through the night while we slept peacefully at home. Most people will never understand the weight truckers carry — on the road and in their hearts.
Conclusion;
**** Sometimes, people who are driven by a case or higher motivation will take extra care to prove themselves. They are drawn, like most drivers to the independence, freedom, and opportunities the job offers, which include travel and a steady income. In reality, there is nothing easy for a man or woman driving big truck, but …. ‘is it rewarding, you ask?’… they seem to think so. ****
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