Posts Tagged ‘CRST’
Practical Truck Driver Training Solutions: Part 1
This series of posts on Solutions for Ethical Truck Driver Training comes as a result of many long ignored suggestions made by actual truck drivers to their companies who train students and receive a good deal of government funding. The turnover rate in trucking is 125% which is outrageous and most of this turnover is due to predatory lending & poor recruitment. Poor Training & Support, Personal Safety & Harassment Issues, Retaliation by carriers & Industry to push truck drivers out of the industry who protest being mistreated and provoked.
Let’s cut to the chase: As predicted when the economy crashed in 2008 the phony truck driver shortage that the ATA and the carriers it represents rely upon to keep the government money coming in, also dissapated. Now it’s back right when the jobs bill is coming up and all the usual suspects are in high gear for recruiting, but have they corrected their ugly ways?
Sexual Predators and Control Freaks are drawn to environments where they can get what they want and operate without notice. Religious Organizations, Religion based dating sites, Pediatricians, Boy Scout Leaders, Girls Schools; even organizations like Trucker Buddy will attract a risk taking predator. Religion plays a part because denial provides a safe haven for such predators to utilize this fertile ground as a place to feed their illness. This is why these organizations should recognize they have greater responsibility in screening the people they give positions of power to dominate over another person.
“Shunning” is how a person is treated after they have complained about mistreatment or abuse. A sanction to isolate a person further is often associated with religious groups but the behavior is common in the trucking industry, which we refer to as retaliation for reporting abuse. There are many more extreme cases of retaliation that occur in the form of threats or intimidation. Most commonly a ruined DAC and/or telling prospective new employers that the driver is no longer hireable. This has effectively ended many truck driving careers. For Women, the misuse of lifting requirments or agility tests in a manner that is not equal to test given to men and in some cases making the weight inappropriate for the job has eliminated some veteran women truckers from the trucking industry. This is why few people hear much about Women Truckers, most want anonymity.
The ATA advocacy page I have linked says nothing about the recent outpouring of social media, investigative reports and lawsuits about abuse to student truckers by predators and control freaks. Still the media hype machine is hard at work to create the basis for the next wave of student truckers. Articles in Fleet Owner & Reuters ; describe a false image, those of us who have had pay cuts know these articles are complete rubbish. Moving on to more ethical companies is not a viable option because most are not hiring. Only the training companies are claiming to be suffering for truck drivers. Curious isn’t it?
In one manner or another, the government is funding the handful of student training fleets who will most benefit from this next wave of recruiting. The ATA has not acted responsibly when they have continued to ignore that many of the carriers it represents think nothing about hiding behind religion or skewed statistical data which makes it appear everything is fine in the world of training student truckers. This makes the ATA and the Organization “Women in Trucking ” nothing more than an accomplice to abuse. The flip-flop advocacy of what is a priority depends where they can get media attention, it is repugnent and obvious.
“Working behind the scenes” is no good. “Serving in Silence” makes a sinister undertone of a cover up to that which is unacceptable to protect something that is well-known. Partnerships with companies who have lost, settled or are in current litigation for rampant problems of sexual misconduct and discrimination look to be nothing more than a public relations recovery rather than a pro-active approach to correcting a fixable problem.
Many former female trainers from the handful of government funded mega-fleets have written suggestions to help but they have been ignored. There is no reason a $100,000 grant should be awarded in order to create a solutions code, or any other amount in my opinion when real truckers have written endless letters and suggestions to make a better training environment for all student truckers and they have been ignored.
Trucking Companies who train government funded students or receive favorable tax incentives to train workers should be held to a higher level of corporate accountability. Hiding behind religion should not be a factor to avert attention but rather make these companies held under a microscope more closely when it is well known this particular environment makes it easy for a pleasant liar to thrive.
Predators thrive in an environment where there is denial; just ask someone who was raped as a child by a Priest, Pastor, Minister or Deacon of the Church.
I recently had lunch with a Woman Trucker who I had met some months back, she dresses in a rather eccentric manner but she is older than I am. She is very animated and sweet but I could see most people would judge her by her appearance automatically. During lunch she said whenever someone brought up the “P” word meaning “Pedophile” she would go crazy. She never knew why, she had no recollections of her childhood. She had been abandoned by her Mother and raised but her very religious Aunt & Uncle. As a young lady, she got herself involved in troubles that lasted until she was in her 30’s and she came close to dying. A social worker suggested she talk to a therapist and she began to realize she had been raped her entire childhood by her uncle who was very respected in the community and a church leader. Most of the people in her small town already knew about the abuse but they said nothing. They only whispered behind her back. She did not know because she had blocked it all out. Even her childhood friend confessed that there were rumors in the town that her children were fathered by her uncle. She told me when she came to grips with these truths she became liberated and began living her life. She said she dresses in a manner she feels good and she does not care what others say because she feels like she is a teenager for the first time at 50 years of age.
She began driving a truck about 5 years ago and was thankful for the government voucher to have a chance for a new life. The trainer she was assigned told her she had to have sex with him in order to learn to drive the truck, when she refused he threw her off the truck. Her second trainer used her only as a second log book and did not teach her anything. This is a very common training experience for single women entering trucking. Veteran Women truckers may not be fully aware of this because many have become Owner-Operators and have never had to work for one of the Government funded fleets. This woman I met loves the freedom trucking gives her to live far away from that small town where she can be herself. She is not a highly educated but she is very astute in her perceptions. She is thankful she has found trucking but frankly, when CSA2010 comes into effect I feel many of us poorly trained students will be replaced.
It is very difficult to have a student insured obviously because they come from CDL Schools with barely enough experience to hold the steering wheel, PTDI certification OR NOT! NOTHING can prepare a Student Trucker for being in charge of a big rig on the open highway until they get out there and do it. I would also like to add a word of advice to single women who have been offered to learn to drive from a “Owner-Operator”. While this might sound wonderful that someone has taken a personal shine to you, the truth is they probably want a relationship or a 2 week sex partner. For insurance reasons like I said above it would not be possible for a veteran to take you on their rig and for you to receive the hours needed to be considered experienced. I have met many student females who bought this line only to be put off a truck after they refused sex. They often say that they never learned to drive but were only badgered for sex the entire time.
Student Truckers are funneled into a handful of Truck Driving Training Fleets where they are to be trained to drive and most will not make it. There is no shortage of truck drivers but there is a shortage of good trainers who are not Control Freaks and Predators. There is also a problem in poor recruiting which makes good trainers quit. This is especially true for Women trainers. Retaliation for reporting predators remains a problem and as one former CR England Trainer alleged in a June 2009 blog talk radio program for “Truth about Trucking “, sometimes groups of trainers will work in conjunction passing a female student around until she has sex with one of them.
Being a trainer for a student means you are risking your life at the hands of someone you do not know anything about. This is a huge risk when the quality of students is very poor and trainers often quit because of it. The quality of students has been poor because of the government money to foot the bill for anyone with a pulse thus creating predatory lending. The good trainer suffers the consequenses of this chaos which leaves predators who see student truckers as a ripe opportunity for additional company money and sex.
Contrary to the assertions by Ellen Voie in the Q & A about the CRST Sexual Harassment Case here on this site, the Women did not all want to be part of a lawsuit. Tracy Hamm for instance had filed with the EEOC prior and had never been contacted. She saw others being hurt by the same people and wanted change so no one else would be hurt. This is in her deposition and Ellen Voie had no business making such remarks at any juncture when she had never talked to any of these women at length. Another former Woman Trainer who sucessfully sued U.S. Xpress shared this ridiculous question she was asked when she was deposed for her case. “What color panties were you wearing?” her story will be in a future post about some of the unsafe training situations these companies put female recruits into. It becomes overwhelming when the companies are linked to “Women in Trucking” AFTER the lawsuits & allegations. Personal Safety is equal to Highway safety for this line of work. You cannot concentrate on the highway if you are afraid of your trainer or co-driver, or want to kill them as in a recent case from “Gordon Trucking “.
This particular woman trucker was able to go on to work in the industry because her settlement included not being blackballed which is most commonly done to women truckers who ever dare speak out about the treatment they receive. She later married a trainer and became one herself. They are no longer married but she told me her former Husband has had multiple complaints against him for sexual misconduct but he has not beenn taken off the training board except for short periods. He was eventually assigned to train only married couples but was caught multiple times masturbating while he was training, even kicking the students out to stand on the street while he finished! Why is he still a trainer at all?
She is no longer a trainer and like other women trainers I have met, they are given the problem students who should not be on the road at all but for some reason the company retains them. The clue to this may be that in order to receive the funding on each student they must be employed for a certain period of time, even if they are a menace to highway safety. That is the student trucker industry! These are the students who after a good deal of time are not learning and/or have many “issues” that prevent them from becoming good, safe truck drivers. It is because of this, Women trainers are scarce.
Tracy Hamm the Woman Trucker from the CRST Case who first made contact on the Trucker Desiree blog had offered solutions from her perspective after having been a student who had troubles and as a former trainer. We have all seen many competent truck driving students fail to succeed because of the system which protects predators. We have also seen many incompetent truck driving students succeed who should not be on the highway or go on to become predatory trainers themselves. This is why we are demanding solutions! If you read the entire Q & A of Ellen Voie you would have seen Tracy Hamm’s name brought up time and again. Ellen Voie contacted Tracy following a phone conference we had when I advised Ellen that her information was incorrect. Tracy also spoke at length with WIT Director Marge Bailey who took away a very different view once she spoke to Tracy. I am not at liberty to share the remarks that Marge wrote to me following her chat with Tracy, but I can say it was lengthy and Marge Bailey expressed a concern that indeed these issues are much more complex and need to be fully addressed. Tracy like many other Women Truckers provided Ellen Voie & myself solutions that have been suggested to carriers for a good deal of time. The problem is that the carriers ignore these suggestions. Recruiting seems to be a priority but not conduct to insure success.
Here are some of the Solutions from Tracy Hamm and other Women Truckers:
1. The trainer & trainee should spend at least 24 hours together prior to training. During that time, they should ask one another questions and talk about their expectations. The carriers should help by preparing a “Common Concerns” Checklist to help facilitate this interview process.
2. A general compatibility questionnaire would help determine the appropriateness of the match. This will also benefit the “Team Business Model” where some carriers require a team driving component to training: For Instance, Music Preference, Cleanliness, Personal Hygiene, Bathroom Stops, Sleep Patterns, Gambling Stops, Storage… answering these questions verbally will reveal personality traits such as inability to work together OR over accommodating behavior which can turn into “I gave you everything…” tantrum later.
3. The Student Company should be required to have a liaison that will be responsible for the trainee’s success. That person will have the trainee’s phone number and will call him/her once each day to inquire how the training is going. The trainee should meet the liaison in person during on site training. The trainee should be told how to make an S.O.S. via Qualcomm prior to leaving with their trainer and be given phone number that WILL be answered should they need assistance for an emergency to get off the truck. This should be discussed prior to fully understand what would be considered Urgent and what is NOT.
4. To avert retaliation or confrontation by trainer/co-driver for requesting to be removed from a “situation” the liaison and student should devise code words or phrases to indicate that there is something wrong that needs the attention. For example, “I need more vitamins in my water” could mean, “get me out of the truck immediately!” (something to that effect.)
5. The trucking carrier should supply the trainer and trainee with a code of ethics that they must agree to by reading, signing and keeping a copy with emergency numbers before departing the terminal. This should also be done for truck driving teams in student fleets. Any violations of sexual misconduct are grounds for termination.
6. A series of conduct films are very much needed in truck driver training because of the highly unusual training conditions. Two complete strangers from very different backgrounds, religions, political affiliations are expected to conduct themselves as professionals who live and work together without guidance?
I’d like to see my CEO teamed in a truck with the very outspoken 50 year old woman with a gold grill on her teeth. I’d like to see them work together to put a set of chains on at donner pass at 3 a.m. How about Clayton Boyce as my trainee when I’m PMS? We all have our daily issues but in this super intense environment in which we expect to teach and learn we should also provide more guidance before we hand out keys to 18 wheelers.
Other former Women Truckers have offered suggestions such as putting cameras in the cab which for training trucks might be fine if they were activated by a panic button rather than rolling constantly. This is rather impractical given the sleeper size, the reality of changing clothes, having to pee in a cup or bottle at times when facilities are not available. Cameras open up the door for too much weird behavior which is already a problem in trucking where abuse of power is an epidemic.
The first step in making solutions is freeing ourselves from denial and understanding that being a trainer for a trucking student who cannot drive can very well end someone’s life, including the trainers.
The trainer should not be put on team miles from day one which has been common practice. The reason why is that students who come from ANY CDL School ARE NOT prepared to drive an 11 hour shift. This is something you build up to and throwing students out on the road to move cheap freight puts every single person on the highway at risk! The trainer is there to train a person who has little more than a few trips around the city where they went to school. They have barely driven enough to understand lane changes , changing weather and how to manage traffic flow. The trainer is placed in a catch 22 if they must be in the sleeper for 10 hours by law. How can they ever supervise the student legally? That is a question I would like to ask Ray LaHood U.S. Secretary of Transportation. I know this man cares about safety because I follow his news closely on Twitter and I highly doubt he is being told the correct information about what goes on in the REAL World of training truckers and what female recruits have to put up with in order to learn.
The trainer should not be expected to break HOS laws to train students.
Putting trainers in unsafe training situations makes good trainers quit and leaves only the ‘Hot Dog” trainers and Predators who have another reason they take the risk. There is a shortage of good trainers because predatory lending brings unsuitable candidates into trucking. There is a shortage of good qualified, screened students. There is a shortage of proper & effective support from the carriers to teach conduct skills to recruits who are expected to live, work & learn in a truck the size of an elevator.
This is the first part in a series of solutions that have been contributed by various REAL Truck Drivers who care about Highway Safety & Personal Safety. These things should not be for sale , they are free and we hope ethical professionals in the trucking industry will recognize that it’s time to do things differently.
Correct the manner in which you train trucking students and your driver shortage will cease.
Not there ever was one…..
Additional Reading:
Tennnesse Sex Offender owns Trucking Company
ATA – Why is Everbody picking on me (The Clayton Boyce Story)
Center for Sex Offender Management
Rate your Boss – Hostile Workplace
Trucking Company sued by EEOC for Retaliation
Related posts
Ellen Voie answers questions about the CRST Sexual Harassment case Part III
In our continuing Q & A with Ellen Voie, President/Founder of “Women in Trucking” we present the final installment of the 32 questions including response from Heather.
30. Is CRST currently your sponsor? Why or Why Not? If not, who terminated the sponsorship?
Ellen: No, they have never been a sponsor. CRST is a member however. They should be given the opportunity to provide a safe environment for their drivers and that includes joining the association as a member.
31. You have contacted several people, asking them to submit ideas about creating a “Best Practices Policy”, some of these contributions, attributed to you, have appeared in articles. Why were the original authors of the contributions not given credit for their ideas?
Ellen: Who are these people who state that I have contacted them? Heather, please give me the reference you are citing. (Admin*** following an email exchange that still exists, some sentences were utilized in an article shortly afterwards. Due to the overwhelming response to these questions the persons do not wish to cause further embarrassment but the matters can be discussed privately)
32. Your “Friend” recently made phone calls to explain that your “Best Practices” White Paper you had your “Eye” on will require $100,000 to produce, Please Explain that price tag? (Admin*** this is in reference to Marge Bailey conversation days before these letters were exchanged)
Ellen: Heather, I have never made this claim regarding cost. Please identify who you are quoting and how they arrived at this estimate. This is another instance of “she said-he said” that was not attributed to me and I am not aware of the context.
I would like to clarify something about associations. I am a certified association executive. This means that I have undergone extensive training in how to run an association. I formed Women In Trucking through the process of legal applications, by-laws, anti-trust issues, non-conflict policies, employment law, etc. One of the first activities I did was to create a board of directors. I am legally bound to the collective instructions of the board of directors. The board is the governing body and includes a professional driver, industry executives, etc. When people criticize me for not being a driver, they don’t understand association management. I report to people who have over 300 years experience in the trucking industry and were chosen for their knowledge and experience. They determine my priorities and monitor my activities. If you or others have questions or concerns about Women In Trucking, feel free to contact our board chairwoman, Leigh Foxall, who I report to Leigh@womenintrucking.org (Admin*** original email CC:See Bio for Leigh Foxall Leigh@truckstop.com )
(Admin**** After receiving these questions a phone call between Ellen Voie, Marge Bailey, Char Pingel & Desiree Wood took place.
Ellen was reminded that Tracey Hamm had been involved in CRST Sexual Harassment case and was following Ellen on Twitter and Facebook.
Ellen was also advised that she had discredited Desiree Wood to filmmaker Beverly Petersen. Ellen did not recall this.
Tracy Hamm received an email moments after this short phone call and spoke to Ellen Voie. Tracy Hamm has read this Q & A and said she would be surprised if these answers above remained the same following her phone conversation with Ellen Voie.
A follow-up letter was written to clarify permission to post this dialogue due to the legal disclaimer attached to the email questions. This was due to the indicators present that Ellen Voie tends to be a “Litigious” person. ******
The following is the email by Heather Rose:
Dear Ms. Voie:
I appreciate you answering my questions. I would be lying if I said you have persuaded me. I am left with more questions about your experience level with Women’s Issues. You have left me to conclude that you are not proactive in searching for Women involved in the CRST case because I know there are many at your fingertips you have made little effort to interview.
You seem to be only satisfied with a management perspective of what is occurring. You state that you had to earn respect working in a male dominated industry but you fail to see that earning respect among Women Truckers when you are not one but aspire to represent them puts you in a precarious position.
I assume you know my questions will be made public to you and you state that you want transparency but you put a disclaimer in your responses so I cannot publish your answers for the public. This does not constitute transparency.
Many of your answers seem more inclined toward you rather than women truckers and despite the common knowledge that it was your organization that removed or deleted evidence of misconduct. I did not bring up the issue that your qualifications have come into question because of the handling of that Cyber-Stalking but you seemed to want to include this information.
I feel that you missed the opportunity to understand that if you cannot control a message forum and you have not experienced first-hand what it means to pick up a load, manage a logbook, dock a trailer, find suitable parking and you are continually dismissive of issues, you seem nothing more than a female corporate apologist.
You do admit to incidences to conceal and/or find fault with others who question you and I also find that you do not seem to be prepared to assert yourself in the Women Truckers need their issues raised properly.
I will make the questions public this weekend and I offer you the chance to give permission for your answers to be made public if you are 100% confident of your responses this should not present a problem.
Otherwise, I will make a disclaimer to say what I gleaned from your responses and allow other to provided supporting information to the contrary.
Sincerely,
Heather Rose
(Admin*** Permission to publish was returned by Ellen Voie with the following email:)
Ms. Rose,
I was not aware that you were asking me questions for publication purposes. Feel free to use my responses with the agreement that there will not be any alteration or editing. You may use them as written and without edits.
Please explain to me what you are referring to when you state that I removed “evidence of misconduct.” Please provide evidence that I have mishandled a cyber stalker. These are claims that are not substantiated. You claim that I am accountable for the WIT message forum, but there are people lying and slandering on sites which hide their identity. If there is one thing you can do to assist, it would be to tell me what you want in regard to what happened on the forum in the past. Why is this still an issue?
I am not aware of any CRST cover-up, if you have evidence to the contrary, please provide proof. You claim that I admit to incidences to conceal and/or find fault with others who question me, but this is not true. You are making assumptions about me. Stick to facts that you can prove. In regard to your assertion that I do not understand what it’s like to “to pick up a load, manage a logbook, dock a trailer, find suitable parking” you are wrong.
I accompanied my former husband on the road extensively. We strapped our son in the bunk in his baby seat and I traveled with him on many trips over 20 years. We owned three trucks and I drove them (not under a load). I also owned a consulting business for 18 years and audited log books, kept compliance records, completed compliance paperwork and more. I spent a lot of time at truck stops, in the truck, at shippers, etc. I have been honest about not having a CDL and have not misrepresented my background.
However, my role as an association manager means that I report to the population we represent. Only 20% of our members are drivers, and many of those are men. The greater part of my job is for those who are in the industry, not just drivers. That’s what the board of directors is for, to provide the insight into the industry.
Now I would like you to answer some questions.
Why don’t these websites say who is the owner/administrator?
http://www.facebook.com/REALWomenTruckers
http://realwomenintrucking.com/about/
http://twitter.com/Womentruckers
Why do you support slander and libel on your sites? Why do you feel that you must police our association? If you don’t support our mission, don’t join.
You have your own association called Real Women in Trucking or Real Women Truckers. Why are our activities your concern?
Why do you not hold OOIDA and other driver associations to the same level?
We are not a driver association, but OOIDA is.
There are women in trucking who do not drive. There are women in this industry who sell, fix, dispatch, recruit and lead companies. We represent all of them. Have you talked to any of our members to get insight on WHY they appreciate our efforts? Have you taken the time to find members who have been helped by our association? Why do you want to hurt these people who have joined and are benefiting from our services by continually questioning our activities and making false assumptions about who we are are and who we represent?
Ellen Voie CAE President/CEO
Women In Trucking, Inc.
***********************************************************************************************************
Note from Admin of REAL Women in Trucking:
This site was created as a safe place following the Cyber-Stalking that occurred from the “Women in Trucking” forum from 2008-2009. The need to dissect and attack other Women who were seeking answers as they embarked into the trucking industry is found to be part of the problem that needs to be corrected. Frequent retaliation for reporting abuse in Trucking makes it necessary to provide a place to speak without fear. Some of the Women who post on this site are engaged in pending legal actions and others are contemplating moving forward. Due to the climate in trucking toward Women Truckers anonymity is a must until REAL changes occur and are enforced. At this time we have only broken promises and very little representation we can trust.
R.E.A.L. stands for:
R. Reaching Out
E. Encouraging others
A. Achieving personal success
L. Leadership
Related posts
Ellen Voie answers Questions about CRST Sexual Harassment case Part II
The first part of the Q & A between Ellen Voie and Heather Rose was SHOCKING, to say the least! 64 responses and counting in less than 24 hours and more Revelations than….well almost as many as REVELATIONS!
That was for just 7 questions and there are 32 in total so Dag Gum It! Let’s see if we can hammer this mess out!
We sincerely appreciate Ellen Voie & Marge Bailey of “Women in Trucking” contributing and listening to what is being presented here. So far we have learned from Director Marge Bailey that “Women in Trucking” IS NOT A WOMEN’S DRIVER ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION. That means they should not make commentary or be asked to give expert opinions on cases and policies that affect Women Truckers as though they are the voice from Women Truckers.
Former CRST Truckers posted comments and I know a few are waiting in the wings. One Woman Trucker took the time to write her painful story that she has kept carefully tucked away but felt compelled to share it when she saw how dismissive the atmosphere was towards the CRST plaintiffs. I want to thank “Randy” for sharing links to the case so the Marge & Ellen can have the opportunity to learn more from another point of view instead of just what they have learned from CRST.
It has been helpful to clarify that the word “Obstacle” in the “Women in Trucking” Mission Statement means more of ergonomically adjusting trucking for Women. This may be a priority for “Women in Trucking” from an Industry Standpoint. This interpretation of the word “Obstacle” is considerably different from what REAL Women in Trucking would like to see higher on the priority list.
It is very important to remember that you will learn nothing if everyone always agrees with you. Always permit yourself access to those who might disagree with your opinions to help you view each problem from another angle. Otherwise you are cheating yourself of a valuable experience to grown and learn.
The Q & A between Heather Rose & Ellen Voie of “Women in Trucking”:
Part II
8. Do you agree with the ATA and its constituents (employers of truck drivers) that driving an 80,000 lb. tractor-trailer is unskilled labor and if so why?
Ellen: No, I believe it should be classified as skilled labor.
9. Do you feel that having written a book about your experiences with a tractor-trailer driving school which you attended, qualifies you as an authority on the conditions women face in OTR driver training situations? (Admin **for our Non-trucking friends OTR means “Over the Road” where drivers stay gone for weeks of months at a time, sometimes living year round in a truck to deliver freight)
Ellen: Not at all, I have never said that my experience at truck driving school qualifies me for anything other than understanding what it is like to attend driver training academy. The book is called “What to expect when attending truck driving school.” (Admin*** Link to Press Release of Ellen’s Book “Crushing Cones“
10. Would you support an industry wide standardized driver training curriculum?
Ellen: Yes, I support PTDI training standards and was trained within these guidelines. In my book I explain to potential drivers how to choose a school so that they don’t get scammed and not trained appropriately.
11. Do you, your organization, or anyone on your board, profit from the recruitment of women into driver training programs?
Ellen: NO, there is no financial incentive to recruit women drivers into any program or carrier. One board member owns a driver recruiting service where she earns a living but this is unrelated to Women In Trucking. (Admin*** www.ladytruckdrivers.com is owned by WIT Director Marge Bailey who is a recruiter and also owns www.truckercupid.com and has been answering many of the questions in Part 1 of this series.)
12. What kind of message do you believe it sends, to have a link to a dating site for women interested in dating truck drivers, which is run by a Director of WIT and also advocates the recruitment of women into the trucking industry?
Ellen: I am not aware of Women In Trucking linking or supporting a trucker dating site, please send me the reference. As far as a director having a recruiting site, it is only one of many recruiting sites that are members of the association. Feel free to contact Marge Bailey to discuss your concerns. Our board members are volunteers who represent various companies. (Admin *** Marge Bailey was contacted. She agreed that including a disclaimer on her Twitter feed @TruckerCupid would help eliminate misinterpretation)
13. As an advocate for women in trucking, have you ever taken it upon yourself, beyond what you may have been told at a corporate management level, to investigate the training culture of the industry that you and your organization advocate recruiting women into?
Ellen: Yes, that is why I went through driver training at Tri-C. I wanted to experience it myself. Also, I worked at the driver training facility at Schneider National where my role was driver retention. I worked with drivers at numerous Schneider facilities during my role there and I spent countless hours talking to drivers. I also work with NAPFTDS and CVTA to ensure that driver training facilities are legitimate and adequate. Next week I am speaking at NAPFTDS’ conference to educate the school executives on how to accommodate the driver and his or her family’s needs. If you are concerned that there are driver mills out there, so am I. They need to be closed. However, if potential drivers do not do their due diligence and investigate a potential school, these facilities will continue to exist. We all want them to shut down. We need to reach potential drivers before they sign a contract.
14. Are you aware of the amount of money that “corporate driver training mills” are receiving from the government to provide training, under the premise of job creation?
Ellen: Yes, it is due to the government’s goal to create jobs. I am aware of it. Whether I agree with it or not is another issue.
15. Are you aware that the Mega-corporations, who offer entry level training, are using trainees as low paid labor in team driver operations?
Ellen: Please elaborate on the carriers who do this and how they are forcing drivers to work for them.
16. Are you aware of and can you explain, the extremely high rate of turnover in these “driver training mills” where most students do not finish training or having completed training, do not continue to pursue employment within the trucking industry?
Ellen: We work hard to reach out to potential drivers and help them choose legitimate training opportunities so that they receive adequate training. That is an important part of our mission.
17. Colleen Morse, the Mother of the child from the “Trucker Buddy’ incident stated on a website called fairness.com that you responded to her that she was “over-reacting to the e-mails”? Have you had any training to work with trauma victims?
Ellen: I am not qualified to work with trauma victims. Colleen Morse did not have a child in the Trucker Buddy program, she was never involved in the Trucker Buddy program and I have never spoken to her. She claimed in an email that one of the Trucker Buddy drivers acted inappropriately with her son, but she was not in the program and she violated every policy that Trucker Buddy had in place to ensure the safety of the children. However, based on her allegations I contacted the driver and immediately removed him from the program. You can verify that with the driver or any Trucker Buddy executive. I suggest you do so. (Admin*** Click Link to See Comments by Colleen Morse )
22. In your recent article in Transport Topics Online you seemed to back track on your “Eye on Harassment” what changed?
Ellen: Please explain what you are asking me in regard to the article. It was about leadership.
23. You have impression in the recent Transport Topics Article that some women are perpetual victims. Are you aware that many women are coming from domestic violence and/or broken marriages, some having barely escaped with their lives, might take offense at that statement?
Ellen: The article wasn’t about women who ARE victims and it was not about drivers. It specifically states that this is about women leaders who take the victim role instead of trying to move forward into leadership positions. Here is the paragraph I believe you are referring to.
“Often, the resistance women leaders’ encounter is from those who see themselves as victims – not just men, but other women as well. They feel “picked on” by co-workers, the boss or the entire company, and instead of viewing the situation as a challenge, they blame others and refuse to accept any responsibility. Feeling powerless, they try to build themselves up by tearing down those whose positive vision they envy.”
Heather, this is not about blaming people who are, in reality, victims, and it is not about the driver population. It is about allowing others to keep from succeeding because we won’t accept the challenges ourselves. What I find interesting about this article is that so many executives sent me messages about how they could relate to the article because they had to move beyond those who want to tear them down and bring them to their level. If you go back and read the entire article about leading from a position of strength, it should be clearer. It was not intended to disregard real victims of any harassment, this is about “those who see themselves as victims and blame others instead of accepting responsibility for their situation.” The article was directed at senior level management and not about drivers. That’s why it appeared in Transport Topics, which is not a driver publication. (Admin*** Transport Topics Online Article )
24. Have you consulted with law firms and/or a private investigator such as www.compassllc.org with the intent of investigating the backgrounds of those who may voice questions concerning the motives and methods used by yourself, your organization or those involved in its day to day operation?
Ellen: No. I had lunch with some friends who were concerned about the character attacks on me and one, a private investigator, took it upon himself to do some research into public records. I never hired anyone or asked anyone to investigate anyone. I did not use the information he found in public records.
25. In the “Bully in the Workplace” Video you seem to cast aspersions on the moral constitution of women who claim to have been abused by their trainers, labeling them as gold diggers, have you personally spoken with any of the women involved with the CRST case?
Ellen: I would appreciate having a conversation with a sexual harassment victim from the CRST case. Please have them contact me. I have never labeled them as gold diggers, ever. Heather, you need to get the whole story here and ask these women how they were contacted and by whom. If you can find someone to give me their story, I would truly appreciate it.
26. Are you aware that your postings on Twitter, concerning the dismissal of the CRST sexual harassment law suit, due to gross mishandling on the part of the EEOC, appears to some, as gloating?
Ellen: No. (Admin*** @WomeninTrucking Twitter Stream Feb 13th www.twitter.com/womenintrucking )
27. Are you aware of any appeals that have been filed or any settlements that have been agreed upon, in the CRST Sexual Harassment case?
Ellen: Yes.
28. Why, if advised by legal counsel, not to appear on radio programs discussing Workplace Bullying, did you felt free to comment on the CRST Sexual Harassment Law Suit?
Ellen: First, I have never been advised by any legal council to not appear on a radio program. What you are referring to is when I told Donna Smith that I was not ready to participate in the radio show because I was working on anti-harassment policies with EEOC and legal counsel and was not prepared to discuss the process in public.
29. YRC, Ohio Pitt, CRST all have recent EEOC claims against them but are coincidently linked to WIT. Are you aware that it appears your organization is merely to ease the impact of litigation not to help Women overcome obstacles in the trucking industry as your mission statement indicates?
Ellen: First, there were no individual claims against YRC. http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/3-5-09.cfm This was a compliance effort and the EEOC included Women In Trucking in the compliance activities before we were even aware of the action. There was NO complaint from a driver involved in this compliance, it was an action agreed upon by both groups to reach mutual goals. This was a positive action, Heather, and I have talked to both the EEOC and YRC about the process. Again, this did not involve any driver.
Second, the Pitt Ohio case was initiated from events that started in 1997, which is 13 years ago. They have been working hard to change their practices and we are part of that effort. Is this not a positive action to create change on their part?
The CRST case has been won in court twice. Again, Heather, do you know of any women involved in this action that I can speak with? Are you aware of the activities involved in this case? I would like to speak to a driver who was a victim. Do you believe that CRST has the freedom to join an association whose mission they support?
(Admin*** I know there is much bad blood and feelings involved but please try to refrain from name-calling. I know it is hard because this should have never been permitted to go as far as it has. Everyone has a right to their opinion as long a physical threats of violence are not made. Make sure you have documentation before you make allegations also. Finally, do not waste time trying to go back to advise a victim how he/she should respond when you yourself have never been in the identical situation and cannot change what trauma that person is experiencing, you are only kicking them when they are down & that is why SILENCE is a Predators best friend. When you do this to a victim you are helping predators thrive.)
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Ellen Voie answers Questions about CRST Sexual Harassment Case Part I
In an attempt to clarify the position of Ellen Voie President of “Women in Trucking with regards to Women Truckers and her comments made in a upcoming Documentary, she was asked to respond to a series of questions to put the matter to rest once and for all.
The Q & A between Heather Rose & Ellen Voie is rather lengthy so it will be presented in 3 parts. Included in this post I have included the blog and video in question.
Febuary 22, 2010
Dear Ms. Voie,
My name is Heather Rose and if you are not already aware, I have just recently opened an account on Twitter under the user name @heatherrose2006. I am a second generation Trucker. I began driving when I was 16 years old. I came to twitter only seeking social interaction with people who are of a like mind and of similar interests and came with no axes to grind against anyone. In the short time that I have been involved with the forum on Twitter, I have become friends with quite a few very interesting people of varying opinions and temperaments. As you may or may not be aware, during the short time that I have been involved with Twitter, there has occasionally been a few vehement back and forth, concerning the role which namely you and the organization that you have founded, “Women In Trucking ” are playing, in recruiting women into the transportation industry.
I recently watched the video of you from “The Ought to be a Law” (Admin*** link is to blog and various video sound bytes including Ellen Voie’s & Ronald Fletcher, it has be titled “Bully in Workplace” on other blogs) Documentary. After viewing the short interview, I must admit I came away extremely disappointed at the thought that a individual, who represents herself as an advocate for woman in trucking, would make such a statements as “…now I’m only hearing the company’s side…” Was it honestly, your intension to make it sound like, as an advocate for women in trucking, you had never taken it upon yourself to listen to even one woman’s story out of the 265 women, who sought redress of their grievances against CRST?
I by no means attempt to argue that there are not naive woman who allow themselves to become involved in compromising and abusive situations but being aware of the current industry wide practice of recruiting vulnerable women. IE: Women who qualify for WIA Vouchers as Displaced Homemakers, out of battered women’s/homeless shelters when the corporate culture of denial, delay and character assassination still is most frequently practiced in most training companies. I would sincerely hope that the statements presented as yours were presented completely out of context because I would hate to think that it was your intention, to suggest that these women deserved what they got and the men who assaulted them and the companies who cover for them and enable them, should not be held to answer for what they have done.
On Feb 5th, you or one of your representatives, posted on Twitter an invitation for all to ”Stop and see us at the Midwest Truck Show.” to which I responded, “You can bet your bottom dollar, I would love to stop by and talk to you.” In retrospect I have to admit that my response was a bit brash, as I have not allowed you the opportunity to present your side of the story, countering some of the unflattering things which I heard and read about you and your organization. That same evening I received an email from an individual, who felt the need to defend you from the “venom being hurled” at you, as they put it, you are “the underdog”. They related to me that they had been told by, a ten year friend of yours, that you are “the sweetest person you would ever want to meet”. They also learned “that Ellen’s Dad was a Pastor of a church, and Ellen was raised in a very Christian home.” In the light of this information I feel that instead of allowing the “venom being hurled” to poison my opinion of you and your organization, I would here, give you the opportunity to present your side of the story.
Perhaps it would be best for me to present you with some of the information that I have garnered from various sources concerning you and your organization and allow you counter or confirm its validity. If you would, please begin by explaining what you intended in the statements which you made in the video I referenced above and the following questions: (Admin*** Click Below to watch video in question )
Ellen Voie responded on Feb 23 2010:
Heather, thank you for being fair minded enough to ask me for my responses to your concerns. I am happy to respond to your questions and I appreciate your interest in fairness.
Please note the privacy policy under my signature regarding my responses. In an effort for transparency I am including my board chairwoman in this email.
First, let me clarify the clip about bullying. There was 30-45 minutes of interview interaction and I was NOT told that the producer’s only focus was on the CRST case. She took a few seconds of the entire interview out of context. I have talked to the executives at CRST about the case and have tried to locate any woman who was involved in the case. I am not aware of anyone who was sexually harassed at CRST, but if you know of any individuals I would be interested in hearing what they have so say. I had to tell the interviewer that I had only heard the carrier’s side because that’s the truth. You might want to understand the rest of the story regarding CRST.
Are you aware of the letters sent to every female driver at CRST that told them they might have money due them IF they could provide support for the harassment case? Did any one of them contact the company prior to the lawsuit? Did any one of them utilize the anti harassment services provided by the carrier? Do you personally know of any woman who was harassed at CRST who had suffered because of a lack of concern on the part of the carrier? If I could talk to a woman who was harassed I could verify the facts myself. I am not implying that there were no women who suffered any harassment, but I do not have any evidence to support this. The reason the lawsuit was thrown out was, according to the judge, was because, “the EEOC, among other things, acted unreasonably by suing CRST without conducting a proper investigation.” Heather, making assumptions about CRST without any driver verification is not accurate.
Again, if you can identify one woman who suffered sexual harassment at CRST I would like to verify these allegations so I have both sides of the situation. That being said, I am well aware of the harassment in the trucking industry and am greatly concerned about it. That is one of our priorities at Women In Trucking. I would like to see all of us work toward making changes instead of constantly attacking those who are working hard to find solutions. Calling people names on social networking sites is a form of bullying and creates an image of an industry that attacks its own members.
We could create a better environment if we used our energy for positive change instead of devouring our advocates. If you and your partners are truly concerned about this industry, you would allow me and our association to work on making changes and support our efforts. Heather, do you truly believe the allegations that accuse us of “covering up” rape or harassment? When you want something clarified, feel free to contact me or my board of directors. The personal attacks have gone too far and show a lack of maturity. I have been in leadership roles in this industry for over 30 years. If anyone thought that I was not qualified to represent women in trucking, I would not have gotten the support that I have.
These personal attacks have been disturbing to so many professionals who have offered their support and understanding, even to the point of airing a satellite radio segment to denigrate these visible attackers.
I am overwhelmed by the professionals who have reached out to me with encouragement and sincerity. If someone does not support our mission, that’s fine, but why continue to lie and slander me and undermine our efforts?
Here are my responses to your questions:
(Admin*** There are 32 questions that Heather Rose asked of Ellen Voie, because litigation has been inferred by Ellen Voie and the disclaimer on her email, Heather wrote a second email to clarify permission to publish the exchanges in their entirety, only the first 7 have been included in this post because the length of the answers.)
1. What do you consider to be your role in the trucking industry and why do you feel you are qualified to fill that role?
Ellen: I have spent my entire career as an advocate for drivers and their Families. When I was married and co-owner of a small fleet, I was very active in Families of Truckers Support Group and I wrote my Master’s Thesis on the Diverse Identities of Women Married to Professional drivers. I earned my diploma in Traffic and Transportation Management and started as Assistant Traffic Manager at a steel fabricating plant. I have a history of working for driver’s issues and have been involved in national and state legislation for nearly 20 years. I helped write the WI driver’s handbook to include information on sharing the road with trucks. In my position at Trucker Buddy, I used grant money to influence parents and teachers in safe driving practices around tractor-trailers. I started “Trucker’s Pride Day” in central Wisconsin to honor drivers, and I even had the Governor proclaim “Truck Driver Appreciation Day” in Wisconsin. I have used my bachelor’s degree in Journalism to write about issues facing drivers, including dozens of letters to the editor of Wisconsin newspapers on behalf of the driving population. Now, my role is to be an advocate for all drivers, with the focus on women’s issues. I have served on ATA, SLPMC and WI Motor Carrier Boards as well as the DOT Advisory committee. I even attended CDL School just to understand the experience. Here is my biography: ELLEN VOIE BIOGRAPHY
2. What are the aspirations, you have for yourself, within the Trucking industry?
Ellen: Our mission (my mission) is to encourage women to look at careers in the trucking industry, not just as drivers, but as technical roles, safety positions, HR, recruiting, dispatching, and corporate leadership. We represent ALL members of the trucking industry, NOT JUST DRIVERS. Along with that, our goals is to remove obstacles that might keep women from succeeding. We are educating, mentoring, networking, interacting and assisting women who join our association, as well as those women who are already in the industry. Finally, we are celebrating the success of our members and highlighting the accomplishments of those who have quietly served.
3. If you could change only two things in the trucking industry, what would they be?
Ellen:First, I would like to see this industry work together to create change, not spend energy trying to undermine each other’s efforts.
Secondly, I would like to see a more female friendly environment for all women in the industry.
4. Do you consider yourself to be an advocate for ALL women in the industry?
Ellen: My goal is to represent all segments and to try to understand the changes that need to take place to provide a safe, healthy environment for all drivers, not just women .
5. What is your vision for women within the trucking industry?
Ellen:A better, safer environment that doesn’t make assumptions about anyone based on their gender.
6. Do you believe that allegations of sexual harassment should be handled any differently in the trucking industry than in other industries?
Ellen: Sexual harassment should be handled immediately and appropriately regardless of the environment. There are specific challenges that this industry faces that others don’t and that is regarding driver training. That is why I am working on a best practices white paper for carriers to use.
7. At what point did you become concerned with women being able to attain high profile positions of power in the board rooms of the trucking industry?
Ellen: In 1979, when I earned my diploma in Traffic & Transportation Management and was the only female traffic manager around. I endured a great deal of harassment when I worked in the steel fabricating plant to supervise the loading at the dock. I deflected it by standing firm and changing their behavior through interaction. As a traffic manager before deregulation, carriers used the same tariff rates and had to differentiate themselves on service. I was offered everything from drugs to dates with professional ball players. I threw the sales reps out. Heather, when I was 19 years old and walked through the plant, the welders constantly whistled, yelled and made negative comments about everything from my clothes to the way I walked. I told them that they were wimps who only used wire feed welders and then I showed them that I knew how to weld with a rod welder. I had to earn their respect. They never gave me a hard time again. I didn’t stand for it. I have spent my entire career in this industry. I had to prove that I was worthy of respect.
Admin*** Part 2 of Ellen Voie Q & A with Heather Rose will be published by March 3, 2010
Become a FAN on Facebook: REALWomenTruckers Follow us on Twitter @WomenTruckers
Additional Reading:
Gazette Online CRST Sexual Harassment Case Articles
CRST Sexual Harassment Case by @TruckerDesiree
Male on Male Sexual Harassment in Trucking
Same Sex Harassment Jury Award
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REAL Women in Trucking
Welcome to REAL Women in Trucking, this site is to disseminate FREE Information to help keep you Safe and Informed without judging your personal self or lifestyle.
It is the result of a campaign by Industry Spokewomen to cover up, discredit , repackage and take credit for the obstacles that have been overcome by REAL Women Truckers.
At this time, there is No Guidance by Trucking Industry Leaders to make Enforcement of Federal Laws a Priority with regards to Women. At the same time, Women are being heavily recruited into the Trucking Industry and the internet is full of misleading ads, charlatans and carpetbaggers who seek to benefit from recruitment but do not want to address personal safety unless they can make a buck off it.
Change is coming , but until then it’s really up to YOU to know who and what the obstacles are and find your own way around them. This may not be so easy if you are just entering the trucking industry. The nice lady in the office might not really be inclined to assist you. The nice organization you buy a membership for may not care about little ole YOU. The structure may be so large that even people who want to help are forbidden to share inside info.
Even with all the good and bad advice you can gather, you will have to rely on your own good judgment, and sometimes this might get you in trouble. This site is about telling you the Truth.
Trucking is good if you are adaptable, don’t mind not being able to shower every day, can be away from home for long periods of time.
To survive your first couple years you should have no overhead, no car or rent to pay, otherwise you will be stressed out and that is no way to learn. Do Not Believe ADS or Recruiters, their objective is to get a commission; they could care less about your success. Also, you must realize many trucking organizations exist to further confuse and are actually a front for a recruitment machine and even insurance sales.
Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people – Eleanor Roosevelt
The method to confuse truckers and new trucking students is so prevalent that personal attacks should be your first red flag that a collaborative cover up exists. Complacency and vague answers are another clue. Retaliation for speaking out in trucking is legendary.
This is why there are No Memberships & No Forums where you have to include your personal information. This is a place for you to gather information and not be attacked.
We are proud to say we have made the topic of Harassment “HIP” to discuss on many Trucking sites. This is due in part to the Dan Rather Report Series into Trucking. The four part series is based on CLUES Desiree Wood provided to discuss topics she saw as a civilian entering trucking. Desiree Wood wrote about her experiences from CDL School and as a Student at Covenant Transport. The show titles are “Queen of the Road”, “Truck Talk”, “Mind Your Loan Business” & “Haul or High Water” they can be viewed by going to the iTunes Store and Searching up “Dan Rather Reports”, each episode is $1.99.
The story is on the web site “Ask the Trucker” and it is called “A Day in the Life of a Lady Trucker”. To read it in its entirety you must first scroll to the bottom of the comments and click the link that says “Read all ### Comments”, then they drop down from top to start the beginning of the post.
The back-story and commentary of cover-up are on the “Trucker Desiree” site.
The desired effect in writing these posts was to prompt action, awareness and it is working as more drivers both men and women are coming forward to talk about this longtime problem which is an abuse of power.
As we come together to form unity among Male and Female truck drivers, it also clear WHO is NOT unifying but rather seeking to divide. This is how we can begin to determine who may benefit from covering up abuse and misconduct.
There are tons of tools for corporate training, certainly no one in the trucking industry needs to reinvent the wheel BUT enforcement is an issue. Retaliation is an issue. The endless articles and media campaigns for solutions cannot fix this problem if there is no guidance at the very tippity top.
That’s where our Media Savvy comes in.
Women Truckers have proven they CAN competently do the job of Trucking for a number of years. The First Licensed Female Truck Driver was “Lillie Elizabeth Drennan” who received her license in 1929. Doing the job is not the problem though.
While luxuries such as Private Showers have advanced, some of the situations have remained the same, such as the topics in this 1976 Article in TIME Magazine about “Bitsy” Gomez, The Sexes-Women Truckers
Fast Forward to 2009 when CRST Van Expedited had the upper hand on the EEOC in a case that began with 265 Females Truckers reporting various degrees of abuse. The case was reduced to 35 and then dismissed because the EEOC was unable to file it properly but thankfully the Judge left to door open for an appeal with her comments given in the opinion that the cases have “Meritorious Credit”, some cases were settled out of court by the lucky few Women who could afford a private attorney.
The appeal for the CRST Sex Harassment Cased was filed on November 30, 2009, you can read more about it by clicking HERE , Should this appeal fail the taxpayers will be left to pay the enormous $4.5 Million in attorney fees.
This should make every American very angry and take action to see these government funded trucking companies continue to do more of the same and use high powered law firms to sweep their dirt under the rug.
Another recent case involves Prime and brings up number of other questions in this debate forum about how far behind the Trucking Industry is when it come to seeing the “Big Picture” ahead as more Women show the desire to become Truckers. Read the Prime Judgment and Opinions HERE
Now that we have Anne Ferro as FMCSA Administrator maybe we can get more people to listen to REAL Women in Trucking and have a shot for a REAL change, not just a smoothed over version.
More Female Trainers is only part of the Solution, better training for all with check and balances to eliminate the abusive system both in-house and inside the industry. Perhaps an aggressive outside Human Rights Group might help the Trucking Industry wake up and smell the Organic Coffee.
I’m inviting you to make your voice heard and if you don’t like change then just sit back and enjoy the ride baby!
REMEMBER: “Well behaved Women rarely make History” ~ Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
All are invited to Become a FAN of REAL Women Truckers on Facebook:
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