Should the Department of Justice Office of Violence against Women provide financial assistance to the Women in Trucking non-profit organization to protect females entering trucking from Harassment when the primary offenders are sponsors of WIT?

Today, an article in “Trucking Info” titled “Harassment by Men Discussed at White House Meeting by Women in Trucking Officers.” it was announced that Ellen Voie, President of Women in Trucking was granted a meeting with White House advisor on violence against women , Lynn Rosenthal and Judge Susan Carbon, director of the Office of Violence against women at the Deparment of Justice. The meeting was facilitated by Marlise Streitmatter, deputy chief of staff for  U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood.

While I am happy that this issue is getting much needed attention, I can only hope that these Women in Washington D.C. do some background work before they grant funds to this trucking organization.

According to “Guidestar” a non-profit review website , the salary of the main “Officer” doubled in 2009 which was the year more than one of the WIT sponsors was engaged in discrimination and harassment litigation. No achivements to combatting harassment occured during this period, to the contrary. (Link: Women in Trucking 990 Filings )

By 2010 , the WIT had still not made violence against women in the trucking industry a priority and although we have pushed the issue hard to the forefront there remains an obivious conflict of interest and string of questionable tactics leading up to this request for funding from the federal government.

2010 would have been a grand time to make the topic of violence against women in the trucking industry priority number one but instead the focus was the fanfare on President Ellen Voie getting a tattoo of the WIT logo on her backside at a trucking convention while grasping the hand of her friend and wincing from the pain. The tattoo party did not have broad appeal but harassment in truck driver training carriers does.

The twitter tag I created for the website “REAL Women in Trucking” and companion Facebook fan page called “Real Women Truckers” is @WomenTruckers and this is the bio:

“Violence against Women in the trucking industry is being covered up. Are you part of the problem or part of the solution? Demand the ATA MAN UP, show leadership”

It has over 3000 followers and I have been using it for about 2 years to talk about this issue and other violence against women issues such as domestic violence, child abuse, human trafficking and other human rights/social justice issues.

Violence against Women is a serious topic worldwide and it is a statement on society. It is not unique to trucking culture but it does occur and raising awareness of the many aspects of how violence is acted upon Women is the first hurdle in holding people accountable. The people who commit this injustice upon women are not only those who commit the offense but also those who try to cover it up and those who would try to benefit from programs and grants to pay their salaries when they have a history of trying to interfere with exposing such crimes and injustices.

The point I have been trying to make with the @WomenTruckers twitter tag is to ask people in the trucking industry to look further than their nightly news at the horrific images of women and children being beat, raped and repressed in other countries and start looking at it in our own country and our own industry. Women most certainly are being used to push political and corporate agendas so I feel it’s time to make a few demands for using our image and the favorable tax incentives given for hiring women. Not special treatment, fair and just treatment.

In my PowerPoint presentation from last fall of 2010 , that is posted here on this site, specifially in Part Two ( Social Media and Women Truckers ) I discussed the Violence against Women division of the Department of Justice. I made references to the NFL Players association campaign to raise awareness of violence against women , links to “The List” campaign of celebrities and other research tools for the topic to encourage action. I mentioned “Truckers against Trafficking” a newly formed organization who has emerged in the past two years with an outstanding awareness campaign to educate truck drivers on the $32 billion dollar industry of modern day slavery. Human trafficking has been reported in all 50 of the United States.

I mentioned in that presentation that the U.S. Women Veterans Administration was studying unique PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) for Women Veterans ( Article: Suicide Rate among Young Women Veterans ) I specifically mentioned this because I feel it is my patriotic duty and this is why.

In the very popular thread beginning in 2008 that has since been removed from the “Women in Trucking” forum. I stated that I felt raising awareness of violence and harassment toward women entering the trucking industry was our duty because returning female veterans would have difficulty fitting back into normal society after being in combat situations.

It was my instinct that these women could find a great deal of freedom if they found trucking but not in the current low standard of training and unsafe sexual climate that currently existed. As many of you know I was stalked online for months by other women from the WIT site and referred to as a “loose cannon” and a “radical feminist” for talking about such topics of harassment and sexual misconduct in truck driver training carriers.

My membership was later revoked by President Ellen Voie following my appearance on the Dan Rather “Queen of the Road” episode where her sponsor CRST Van Expedited was featured regarding a massive sexual harassment case that was underway.

Ellen Voie and I exchanged numerous emails about the topic of what was occurring in the training carriers, including her sponsor’s carriers and while she was always very good at making me think she understood the problem well, she offered little concrete evidence of an active approach when it came to defending the women affected.

You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do. ~ Henry Ford

My quest over the obstacles I encountered in my personal truck driver training carrier led me into yet another set of obstacles to discover if the stated mission of WIT applied to a person like myself. This is what prompted me to renew my membership for a second year in hope of persuading Ellen to choose between the women of the organization who were seeking assistance or her sponsors.

CRST Van Expedited is just one of the sponsors of WIT that are in current or recent litigation. This particular carrier is one of the most high profile because of the EEOC mishandling which has been written about in a number of legal blogs. This case has put the trucking industry on the EEOC radar and commentary on this case is easy to google on the internet. Then there is the recent Karen Shank V. CRST case which was won by jury trial for a staggering $1.7 million judgment.

I have been aware of the Karen Shank case for at least 2 years but not of the specific details. What I do know is that Tracy Hamm was to be called as a witness for the Karen Shank case and although she did not have to attend the trial she remains a key component. Ellen Voie had communicated to Tracy Hamm at my persistence around the time of the first Salute to Women behind the Wheel at the Mid- America Truck Show in 2010 after her repeated claims she did not have access to the female drivers to ask them about their stories. In this workplace bullying documentary from 2009 Ellen Voie appeared to me that she was discrediting the female drivers claims even though she had not spoken to any of them. ( Raw Sound Bytes from a Trucking Convention ) , Off camera she tried to discredit my story to the filmmaker but I had never worked for her and my own training carrier never attempted to discredit my student truck driver training story. I was not even finished writing my story on the internet when this occured so it was puzzling to me when Filmmaker Beverly Petersen informed me of the comments that were made. I have consulted with this filmmaker about disclosing this information because I feel it is relevant. I was a Woman with no advocate at the time I began this journey and I had put my faith into the WIT organization.

When I was finally able to pressure Ellen Voie to speak to Tracy Hamm, Ellen excused herself from the conversation before Tracy could tell her everything about CRST management conduct. Ellen did not call her back but she did ask Tracy for solutions to problems at CRST. Later I persuaded WIT Director Marge Bailey to hear Tracy out who was not a disgruntled former employee but someone who just wanted to make a difference and drive a truck.

That was in the spring of 2010 and after Donna Smith and myself had offered Ellen Voie an enormous amount of content to “Flex some Muscle” on behalf of women truck drivers stretching from 2008 until we cut off communication after years of her chain yanking with no results in 2010.

It became apparent that WIT was not a true advocacy for women drivers issues, but rather an organization where women can gather. There was no value in advocating for women truckers or women entering trucking on the issues of violence or harassment.  But perhaps now that there is a potential money stream from the federal government this has changed?

What I do is a labor of love and I receive no salary for it. My salary has in fact decreased since I began writing about this topic but this non-profit in question whose records are public show that a salary has doubled during this period and this causes alarm about the integrity of the advocacy.

There is access for this organization to XM/Sirius radio programs to speak and gather information on these topics on the Evan Lockridge Program and the “Freewheelin” Program. The drivers listening to these radio broadcasts only heard Ellen Voie promote her Tattoo Party for WIT in which very few people participated and WIT Director Marge Bailey promote her recruiting /date-a-trucker website over the past 2 years.

To the driving population in the trucking industry, and especially women truckers on our fanpage this was a slap in the face to ignore important issues by an organization who claims to aspire to represent them. Some drivers began to express that WIT was using them as a vehicle to promote their own agenda which seems to be primarily motivated by greed and the ability to become a lobby power in Washington D.C..

I recently wrote about non-profit research on the “Life on the Road” blog. In trucking, it causes alarm when drivers are “nickel and dimed” by various entities when they are seeking assistance so it is imperative to for them to understand that a non-profit can sometimes be very misleading and very little of the funding may go toward the stated mission.

Here are a few facts:

Ellen Voie’s name appears in a Pedophile crime website on how NOT TO handle a situation in a trauma. This is in regards to the insensitive manner the Trucker Buddy pedophile issue was handled with the Mother. (Link: Crimeshots~ How Pedophiles Operate )

This highly sensitive incident would be something one could learn from in the future but in my first phone conversation with WIT Director Marge Bailey February 2010 she went straight on the attack of the Mother who she said had a child that was “not even in the trucker buddy program” As if that mattered!

This is not the first time I have heard this line of reasoning from these Women. “Well she wasn’t even a member”, but you see I WAS a member and I was stalked online by other WIT members and to this day there is interference to prevent my posts to be published on the topics of violence against women in the trucking industry in trade publications and blogs. Even carriers who have contacted me to ask for a banner exchange have later been contacted by WIT to discourage them. In one case telling the family owned carrier that they must go through WIT to get Women to apply for their trucking jobs. The carrier refused the strongarm tactics and rude manner of the calls but how does that help Women exactly?

Hope Rivenburg GATS 2009

When asked to support “Jason’s Law” H.R. 1803” an industry unifying safe trucker parking bill they went further than just ignoring the topic, by accepting informational brochures and hiding them under their convention table at GATS in Dallas Texas. No one told Ellen she needed to hit the campaign trail for Hope, it was only to ask for a gesture of kindness for the young widow Hope Rivenburg who traveled with 3 babies to the convention to collect signatures personally. Being a former Wife of a trucker, Donna Smith and I assumed that Ellen Voie would embrace Hope Rivenburg but we were mistaken which was very dissappointing for both of us.

This is not to say other members of WIT have not committed their personal time to worthwhile unifying driver issues but it was not because of the organization. So why now is she suggesting that she is going to Washington D.C. to ask the Department of Justice for Violence against Women and the Department of Labor for grants or funds to set up a 24 hour crisis line for drivers?

In a nutshell what she is saying is she wants the federal government to give her funding to set up a driver abuse reporting line when in fact the carriers who commit the most driver abuse are her sponsors!

This is not the first time she has said she was seeking funds for a drivers crisis line, in fact the idea came from Donna Smith of “Ask the Trucker” and myself but it was not intended to be managed by someone with a history of covering up abuse from carriers to drivers or downplaying it and shifting blame.

This “shifting of blame” is an Human Resource method I have written about a number of times over the past 3 years. It is the adversarial management style , the “US vs THEM” manner that many harassment and retaliation issues are mishandled. Poking at the conscience of trucking insiders as I have done and leading them to the solutions is only one part of this task.

Making them take action, even if that means spending money to enforce policies they already have in place or have been working on to insure they are working is the hardest part. Slapping a logo on a website for an organization that has provided ZERO concrete achievements since its inception only serves to further intimidate drivers.

Is this on purpose? Is that why the WIT wants to be the steward for driver crisis line it previously stated was not what they were set up for? That they were not an advocacy group? Why the sudden interest in Violence against women grants from the Department of Justice?

Food for thought: A driver with OSHA concerns (Occupational Health and Safety Administration) related to the trucking industry contacted me about a “tell-all” undercover documentary he intended to produce. In his industry networking for interested parties to collaborate he contacted WIT and told me he spoke the Ellen Voie at length on the project. He said he felt there was something just not right about the website and her responses given that she portrays herself to be “For Drivers”. Shortly following his conversation with her he was contacted by a eager funding source for his project but in the contract stages the fine print stated the financiers had final editing rights to the project. He took it upon himself to investigate who was truly behind this funding source and GUESS WHO… according to him it was the ATA and it was his impression that they were “tipped off” to the project intentionally.

Sexual Misconduct, Harassment, Violence against women in the trucking industry is related to OSHA these are labor issues and anyone who knows about human resources and workman’s compensation insurance claims should be able to see the correlation of how costly it could be for carriers to experience an increase of such claims. Mental distress, retaliation these are among some of the contributing factors that could affect judgments which in turn could affect workman’s compensation insurance premiums.

Is this why the FREE to corporate sponsors 30 page document WIT is peddling is not available to individuals? I don’t know this for certain but I will venture a guess that it should be seen as a valuable incentive to understand and this is why I published information publically.

Human Resource departments and other personnel that handle claims against carriers are supposed to save the carrier money. Unfortunately, this sometimes means to intimidate people with valid claims of abuse which is the short route to a solution. The road less traveled is eliminate abusers, Like unprofessional trainers, co-drivers, dispatchers and poor recruiting.

Create a company policy that works and train more staff on how to deal with victims of trauma rather than attacking the person reporting abuse without doing a full and thorough investigation of the events.

The American Trucking Association has it’s stamp of approval on program called “Troops 2 Truckers” and we should all realize it is our patriotic duty to welcome returning veterans into the trucking industry, this includes returning female veterans. Rape, and retaliation for reporting abuse in the military that occurred by other members in our military is the focus of a lawsuit against the Pentagon. ( Link: 17 Veterans Sue Pentagon Over Rape Cases )

There is also another suit brought from Peace Corps volunteers against the organization for similar issues of mishandling rape and retaliation for reporting abuse. ( Link: Peace Corps Volunteers Speak Out on Rape )

Like truck driver training we are talking about intense unsupervised training situations where people of unknown origins are expected to conduct themselves to a very high standard but very little training for this is provided.

This is a tough issue and it is completely irresponsible to allow a proven corporate apologist with definite conflicts of interest do intake for trauma victims that will be funded by grants by the Department of Justice or by the Department of Labor when in reality many driver abuse cases reported on internet trucking forums originate from WIT sponsors.

Here’s a suggestion: WIT should cut ties with sponsors involved in any harassment and discrimination litigation until they can prove they are worthy to join a driver advocacy organization. WIT should cease to seek  sponsorship dollars from a carrier following the public announcement of mistreating drivers.

This was the case when a female student from CR England was abandoned by her carrier that I wrote about here on this site and on the “Real Women Truckers” Facebook page. The story was made public by a veteran male driver on Facebook. The carrier only reached out to get the woman a bus ticket home after they became aware that other drivers were sharing the topic on the social networking site.

I spent several hours on the phone with this lady who was left living in her car at a Wal-Mart parking lot and was devastated after the way this carrier treated her. I sent her money to eat and tried to get her off to another training carrier so she could take another shot at trucking.

This story was very public like some others I have been involved in and was yet another opportunity for Ellen Voie. So, did WIT reach out to this woman? No, but she did take action by selling the offending carrier a sponsorship. A carrier well known to drivers for it’s unethical lease program now has the WIT seal of approval. How exactly does that help the woman sleeping in her car in a parking lot? Are we to believe all the internal carrier issues are now solved upon purchase of a sponsorship to WIT?

If this female student truck driver had access to a driver crisis line that was directed to Ellen Voie, Marge Bailey or others from the Drivers advisory board what guarantees would this Woman have that the sensitive details and names of those who committed the abuse towards her would not be shared to the carrier sponsor?

Getting REAL means stop trying to cover up abuse and start addressing it with long term cost effective solutions not short term Band-Aids. After all we are talking about women being beat up raped, thrown off trucks during training and sometimes abandoned in a strange town when they have no money to go home and sometimes no home to go to.

If you want to be part of the solution show leadership and get informed. Why should the federal government Department of Justice- Violence against Women commit funds to an organization whose sponsors are the main offenders?

One last footnote, recently the Injury Lawyers USA announced a helpline for Truck Drivers and Taxi Cab Drivers who have been hurt on the job. ( Link Helpline for Truck Drivers ) make sure you understand that retaliation, workplace bullying and mental distress leading to PTSD could be considered under workmans compensation.

Technorati Tags: Department of Justice, Ellen Voie, Harassment, Lynn Rosenthal, Marlise Streitmatter, Non-Profit, Peace Corps, Ray LaHood, Sexual Harassment, Susan Carbon, Trucking, Trucking Topics, US Women Veterans, Violence against Women

It should come as no surprise that Ellen Voie, President of Women in Trucking has announced a FOR SALE training document on harassment following the recent judgment against one of her sponsors.

Ms. Voie has only eyed the harassment topic toward women in truck driver training carriers when a clear and present monetary opportunity presents itself and the goose that laid the golden egg has just landed on Plover, Wisconsin in the form of a $1.17 Million Dollar Judgment against CRST International.

The Karen Shank VS. CRST was won by Bohbot & Riles , LLP in San Bernardino, California by jury trial on May 3, 2011. The case is significant because it named the individual trainer in addition to the carrier.

If you will recall here on this site Ellen Voie claimed she had no access to any women who alleged harassment from her sponsor CRST Van Expedited which turned out to be false. Ms. Voie had access to Tracy Hamm who was named in the original EEOC filing that is currently under appeal. Tracy Hamm had been scheduled to be called as a witness in the Shank case.

Following the lengthy Q & A on this site with Ms. Voie regarding the EEOC V. CRST case, Ms. Voie dug herself into a deeper hole of deceit with remarks and her actions of consulting with a private investigator to look into my background which I believe to be one of a series of attempts by her to intimidate me for speaking out on harassment from her sponsors and retaliation in the trucking industry.

This came after her comments on the workplace bullying documentary in which she remarked that the women of the CRST case “just wanted to be in a lawsuit”. Is it any wonder Women remain the last Minority? Madeleine Albright, the first Woman to become a United States Secretary of State once said: “There is a special place in hell for women who do not help other women” but perhaps Ms. Voie interpets that to imply it’s okay to profiteer from them when your sponsor is causing the abuse.

Ms. Voie was persuaded to speak to Tracy Hamm after her insensitive remarks about the women of the CRST cases and she was provided training solutions that had been presented to CRST but ignored while Tracy Hamm was employed by them. Tracy Hamm was a student and a trainer for the carrier who posted on the Trucker Desiree blog along with former CRST Safety Personnel Tom Hansen.

Tom Hansen and I were later interviewed by Dan Rather in an investigative report on truck driver training issues at both Covenant Transport and CRST Van Expedited in an episode called “Queen of the Road”.

The solutions Tracy Hamm offered Ellen Voie are public here on this site in addition, there were numerous solutions provided from archived blog talk radio shows hosted by Allen and Donna Smith of “Ask the Trucker” , some of which Ms. Voie declined to participate.

My own posts about solutions for truck driver training carriers are also public but suddenly a 30 page document available FOR SALE to carrier members but not available to individuals is now being peddled by WIT.

I personally sent tips, tools and link suggestions to Ms. Voie prior to her discussions with Tracy Hamm and Donna Smith with the hope that she would utilize them for the benefit of all women entering the trucking industry. This is a matter of personal safety and highway safety in my opinion. Those ideas and tools are designed by drivers for drivers and carriers that train students. This is of particular importance in carriers who use the “team business” model such as CRST and Covenant Transport.

Our Mission is to share information for ethical purposes to raise the low standard of personal safety and training that occurs in trucking. To sell safety to women from content that is public following a landmark harassment case screams of continuing conflicts of interest by Ms. Voie who personally attempted to cover up and discredit my truck driver training horror story.

I would like to congratulate Karen Shank for having the courage and endurance to fight this ugly beast that is truck driver training. We here at “REAL Women in Trucking” provide self-help tools and information to fight back against truck driver carriers who create obstacles for women entering trucking.

It is a victory to see that trucking trade publications have acknowledged this case despite the persistence of CRST who intends to appeal the decision. The 30-page WIT document states that it focuses on “employee training”, yet, few of the WIT driver advisory board members have been driver trainers at a training carrier or employed by one. It is also unclear if members of the WIT drivers advisory board have had any access to the document which seems to be held as if it is the holy grail. Ms. Voie has never been employed as a truck driver.

The opinion of Allen & Donna Smith of “Ask the Trucker” who are advocates for student truck drivers is that the WIT document is something that should be posted publically as a PDF and should be part of the NPR (Notice of Proposed Rule) that FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro referred to as a “Notice of Entry Level Requirements”.

Currently, there is no oversight in the trucking industry to prove any tools or training to prevent harassment, retaliation or sexual misconduct have been implemented or if a system is working properly.

A person has a reasonable expectation they will be trained in a safe environment and should not have to join a club to have access to information on how to keep safe from their own employer who is also in membership of the same organization.

A trainer for CRST, a Male wrote to me today and wanted to know also why Ms. Voie is not being challenged on this issue because it is public knowledge that many individuals provided her vital research tools over the past 2.5 years therefore this document should be made available to anyone who wants to read it.

Technorati Tags: Ann Ferro, Bohbot & Riles, CDL Training, Covenant Transport, CRST International, CRST Van Expedited, Ellen Voie, FMCSA, Harassment, Karen Shank, Trucker Desiree, Trucking

Women have proved to be reliable and efficient truck drivers, but recruiting, training and retaining them effectively in the trucking industry offers unique challenges. During the recession, when loads were scarce and the driver shortage mostly vanished, carriers had little reason to rework their employment process in a way that would speak to woman drivers.

Now, however, trucking insiders predict a massive shortage of drivers in the wake of the federal government’s new Compliance, Safety, Accountability safety-measurement program, which is expected to oust low-scoring drivers from the employment pool. That means higher-scoring woman truckers and women interested in becoming truckers will find themselves popular with carrier employment recruiters, who need to do their homework and find out what makes a female job candidate choose one carrier over another.

Women drivers are recruited by some carriers at levels exceeding 25%, but currently comprise only 5% to 6% of the driving population. Unfortunately, few woman drivers are able to withstand the manner in which their training is conducted — and those who do realize quickly that the recruiters played up the romance of the open road and glossed over some significant drawbacks for women.

I believe it is time to fully address these things so the trucking industry can move forward, and my first piece of advice for recruiting women is: “GET REAL.”

This is not a “pedicure and nylons” profession, and the female counterpart to the fabled “Knights of the Road” is not “Truck-Driving Barbie.” Explain the hardships inherent in navigating 80,000 pounds of metal through congested traffic, the danger of sleeping in the cab at unpoliced truck stops, and the sheer inconvenience of not being able to shower every day. Downplaying those things increases driver turnover when the truth hits home.

That is not to say that Pretty Girls cannot drive a big rigs, but trucking is still very much like the wild west & the unsupervised nature of the work presents personal safety issues that must not be glossed over.

Potential and new-to-the-profession women truck drivers need to be able to seek advice from other women in their company, and that support also should be available on an industry level. Perhaps American Trucking Associations and/or individual state trucking associations could provide professional support and information systems for female drivers and direct them to carriers in their area with good track records for recruiting and retaining women drivers.

A vital part of retention is understanding women drivers’ needs and remembering that it’s most often a single woman, not her married counterpart, embarking on a truck-driving career. Things important to a single woman driver differ from those of single male, married male and married/significant-other team drivers. Often as not, a single woman driver not only manages her truck from the driver’s seat, but her household as well — particularly if she’s also a single mother.
Unlike a married man driving solo, a single woman trucker generally lacks a support system at home a phone call away. Indeed, many times she is the entire support system for her family while she is on the road. An employer who wants to retain her services as a driver must understand that she needs to be more flexible when taking home time and might even want to take it at different locations in order to visit grown children, grandchildren or to deal with elderly parents.

Training also is critical for retaining women drivers and should begin prior to the classroom with recruiters giving female recruits an accurate depiction of all aspects of a life in trucking, ensuring that only informed and truly interested women enter training.

Because truck driving is still a mostly male profession, trainers tend to use techniques designed for men. As more women enter training, trainers need to incorporate the cultural lessons of the 1992 bestseller “Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus.” While women do need the same driving and compliance training provided their male counterparts, they also need gender-specific training on the personal challenges and dangers inherent in life on the road.

For example, being women means we are far more susceptible than men to personal attacks. Carrier trainers need to discuss and address these dangers head on, instead of avoiding the subject because it’s “sensitive.” Night parking in well-lit areas, companion dining where possible, locked cabs at all times and emergency response training all should be a required part of classroom training.

Carriers also must establish supportive policy to protect their women drivers. Unfortunately, the risk of attack for women is not confined to outside sources. I personally know women who were assaulted by male drivers who were their co-workers with the same carrier. This risk is particularly great in mixed-gender team situations. Some trainers & other authority figures will often “show up” at orientation centers to sort of “troll” for incoming single females who are vulnerable & looking for a friend. Incoming women entering trucking must educate themselves on how this can set them off on the wrong foot & derail their long term success as truck drivers.

A company must have a strict policy against sexual harassment that extends to any and all encounters with women drivers who are co-workers. An abuse reporting procedure also must be provided that is confidential, responsive and reacts quickly to investigate and resolve issues.

Too many female drivers are lost from the industry in the first year because of misleading recruiting, shallow training and carrier failure to address personal safety issues. That’s unfortunate because women truck drivers are usually meticulous, safe and take great pride in their work — and because truck driving can be a rewarding profession regardless of gender.

Women who stay in trucking do so because it provides a freedom most haven’t experienced before and an opportunity to take pride in a job that’s critical to our economy. Women can be a large part of the solution to the upcoming driver shortage if carriers are willing to adapt their recruiting and training programs to address our cultural and personal differences.

Until big trucking can free themselves of the denial that is hurting women entering trucking & “GET REAL” I have taken the initiative to utilize you tube for series of videos that use tough talk about real issues for those entering truck driver training. “Advice for Women entering Trucking” is just one of many more to come on this topic to keep women safe by educating them before they are harmed in truck driver training.

Technorati Tags: American Trucking Association, ATA, CDL Training, Harassment, Lady Truck Drivers, Recruiting, Retention, Sexual Harassment, Truckers, Trucking, Women Truckers, You Tube

Personal Responsibility is the ability to take care of oneself by means of, keeping healthy, managing ones emotions, keeping a sound mind, treating yourself with respect, and etc….

Being a trucker requires organizational skills. It requires common sense and it often requires two people to run one truck in an orderly fashion.

Many times a non-driving trucking spouse or partner maintains paperwork, audits settlement sheets, navigates and may be in charge of locating, planning & booking loads if they are owner-operators.
The non-driving spouse who rides along or manages to co-pilot from home contributes a great deal to the success of a professional driver.

A single person is expected to all of these things alone and the consequence of paperwork errors, miscalculations in a logbook or navigation can be costly. They can also affect your career.

When someone is considering entering trucking they should ask themselves and be honest.

Do I have good organizational skills?

Do I often rush to get things done and overlook details?

Can I read a map without a GPS system?

How do I react in severe weather?

Frequently, recruiters say nothing to student truckers about the intense logbook rules & regulations that are required to operate a commercial motor vehicle. The logbook can become a great source of stress unless you take your time to learn how to manage it accurately & legibly. If you cannot write well or do not have some math skills you will have problems in this industry. Even as many carriers are moving to paperless logs, you do yourself a great disservice by not understanding how to manage a logbook to use your time effectively.

Speaking as someone who used to audit hotels with many revenue venues on a daily basis I will tell you that the logbook truckers must complete on a daily basis took at least one year for me to fully grasp. This is because you are generally completing it when you are dead tired and your thoughts are scattered. Mistakes might be simple addition errors but they can be time consuming to correct. Truckers are constantly under time constraints. Falsifying your logs can mean your CDL. I personally suffered the most violations while I was taking advice from my trainer and a former trainer that I teamed with for one month.

Learning to do your logbook is a very important component to becoming a truck driver if you wish longevity. People, who grandstand about how they cut corners, run two books etc. are idiots. In the past this was expected but now it will eventually end your career. Even if your dispatcher is pushing you to “Do a favor” you will be the one to suffer, your dispatcher will never go to bat for you if you have falsified logs to do a favor for him or her, NEVER! , So don’t do it. Turn off your phone at night and make them put all favor requests on the Qualcomm.

The reality you should take into account is that hours to work are controlled because of the logbook and federal regulations. You are permitted to drive 11 hours per day not to exceed 70 hours in a week. A seventy hour work week? Do the math before you commit to a loan and understand this so you better estimate of how much you can make as a truck driver. That is 70 hours you log and there are indeed tricks to not burn up your hours while you are waiting but you are still probably not resting. These are long days.

You will be paid CPM “cents per mile”, therefore at the maximum per week running legal you should be able to estimate if you can survive on this low pay during your student phase. You will not be paid to sit in traffic, yet it is burning up your drive time. You are not paid to sit at shippers and receivers which can be many hours. You are not paid to fuel, wait on repairs, climb in trailers, sweep out debris or complete your logbook. Can you feel the tension building?

In some student fleets the pay is as low as 13 cents per mile. Most student fleet trucks are governed engines that only go on average 66 -67 mph, another control to your miles. All things being perfect this is barely enough to buy food and afford a cell phone. You should clearly understand this.

Right now there are many 4 year drivers who are making 18.5 cents driving team freight, this is because many companies who require experience are not hiring but a recent CNN Money reports the return of the mythical driver shortage reaching 400,000 by 2011. Here is my analysis of the Truck Driver Shortage

There are many drivers who are trapped with not enough money to buy their own trucks, no suitable options to move up the food chain & 100′s of new students arriving each week thinking there are tons of jobs awaiting them. If you are a new trucking student expect to feel unwelcome, but don’t take it personally.

What about your temper? I find most people who seek this job are independent by nature, loners and very strong willed. While working alone may seem like a great idea, truckers are often in stressful situations. You should aspire to become a professional driver. Not a unprofessional driver.

Are you a good traveler or do you get annoyed easily with delays?

Are you a good driver?

Do you suffer from road rage and act out on the highway?

Do you have trouble with your temper in stressful situations?

Do you permit others to upset you?

Most everyone will have to say yes to at least one of these points but a professional driver has disciplined control of their emotions to not tailgate, cut cars off because they cut them off, not weave in and out of traffic and to monitor weather knowing when it’s okay to roll and when to shut it down.

Venting on the CB is one thing but acting out on the highway is not impressive to anyone, it is dangerous and stupid. If you have these tendencies you should truly reflect and determine.

Can I change these things to be successful in the long run?

Committing to becoming a professional driver means your conduct on the highway AND with others when you are working should be PROFESSIONAL.

As a trucking student you will see a good deal of juvenile behavior in these huge carriers that train students. The turnover is so great that no one expects you to be around next week. You are little more than a one cow being herded into the pen. You may feel warm and fuzzy during orientation day but once you leave the terminal you are a number on a screen.

The training environments in these mega carriers have little guidance and they bring people from all walks of life looking for new carreer. There are people who would like to provoke you endlessly, get you involved in their personal dramas, and give you false information just for the heck of it. Some will pry into your life to create a drama and this includes some trainers, dispatchers & supervisory staff.

The reason my Student Trucker Horror Story is long is because every person I knew going through training was having one endless drama after another during their training and most of it was occurring because there was a complete failure by our company to provide any guidance or support.

It was as if a few inmates had taken over the prison yet in the hallways the management wandered about with a blank stare. It reminded me of the movie “The Stepford Wives” waving at each other as if nothing was wrong. The distress of the students from a lack of accurate information, communication & follow up was and is inexcusable. It was surreal to me that so much suffering could be occurring in one place that operated on denial auto pilot.

As a student you will be subjected to some people who engage in petty gossip, stay away from them. If you choose to “Hang Out” you will find that simple conversations often turn to sex, sometimes women see it as harmless flirting but as a student trucker you can get yourself into seriously bad situations.

You should realize accepting help as a student female often means there are “strings attached” even when the person says there are not.

Protect your privacy:
Don’t talk about your former job, education, marital status, income level , DO NOT talk about how many miles you are getting & DO NOT believe they are getting as many as they say they are. There is a lot of jealousy and because everyone is paid very little there is an element of desperation. Other drivers are always trying to see if the grass is greener on your side of the fence. Do not get into these conversations.

Its okay to listen and learn but do not engage because the conversations generally deteriorate into contempt and that is when the gossip starts. Listen & Learn of what to do & WHAT NOT TO DO with regards to accidents and incidents Realize that everyone will tell you, “Oh my way is the best & only way” That is 100% Baloney!

There’s more than one way to skin a cat and you will meet a lot of loudmouths who have plenty of advice but are failures in the execution of the job.

If you are adaptable, have the ability to listen, learn and you can hold a vehicle steady that’s the first step.

DO NOT try to form any Romantic Relationships in the first year or so, most end in heartbreak or disaapointment but the real loss is your chance to be taken seriously and get your much needed experience. You may meet several people in your first few months trucking that you like on a personal level and impulsively you decide to team up, after all the most effective teams are married couples. More often than not the following occurs:

• They turn out to be already married
• They have several people they “see” while they are on the road
• They are unsafe drivers and you cannot sleep while they are on duty.
• They expect you to drive, be their secretary, mommy and cook.

Once you decide to get on a truck and develop a relationship as a student you are generally taken less seriously from this point on. You are viewed as a “Truck Hopper” because there are women who go to truck driving school simply to meet men. As a single woman entering this industry, you will have to work harder to prove you are not a “truck hopper” because unfortunately there are those who cannot believe a woman can actually find peace working alone and not be a man-hater.

Mixing the two learning to drive a big rig and developing a new relationship is generally not a confidence booster. Often the man begins to feel threatened as you are becoming more confident and a power struggle ensues. If you truly want to drive you can derail your career very early by not understanding this concept. Get your experience FIRST! Then you can have more freedom than if you get dependent during your learning period and forgo some of the teaching you should have had.

If a veteran owner-operator, or other veteran driver encourages you to quit your training company to team with them you should realize that an O/O cannot get insurance to let you drive so this is actually a trick to get a sex partner trapped on the truck. Quitting to run team with someone you do not know or have never lived with is a really dumb idea also. If it does not work out, chances are you cannot go back to the training company you left. Also, starting out as a couple and never learning how to operate the truck on your own can mean you have shot yourself in the foot. This will place you at a disadvantage should you decide to go on your own later.

Sexual harassment is going to happen in trucking and in other jobs. We need to get educated. If you have a thin skin, find another line of work. But you have a right to be trained in a safe manner.

Men in trucking often have not worked around women before so you should expect to hear things you have not heard in your former work environments. Everyone in the trucking industry should have increased training BUT it is often women in support positions who are the greatest harm to entering female students. These are often the culprits who cover up abuse by a few guys who harm many. This is frequently because these women get a good deal of flattery, flirting and sometimes more and feel compelled to protect the offender at the expense of the targets of abuse. This is one way a hostile workplace is created and can be manipulated by a predator in bully organizations. It is a huge problem in trucking and especially for female students.

Mind your mouth, and your manner of dress as a student. You are being watched by predators who know most will not make it. They are looking for someone vulnerable, someone eager to learn who needs a mentor. They are looking for signs in the way you talk and dress to see how to win your confidence. Whether you engage in consensual sex or succumb to badgering after getting yourself in a dangerous situation you should realize you were a mark the moment this person set eyes on you. Stay away from “Mr. I know everyone and I can hook you up” unless you want to be used like trash.

Understand that the Human Resource department is a last resort. Do not make threats to sue and mouth off, you are only setting yourself up to be retaliated against and this may happen anyways. Instead, document with email correspondence in a professional manner and create a dated paper trail.

If you have an incident that requires the police call them, get a report and do not let your company off the hook if they say they are “investigating it”, chances are they ARE NOT and delaying, follow up is crucial. They drag things out on purpose and delays to file formal charges only make you look bad.

If they tell you there is no statute of limitations to file a harassment claim they are lying and be aware all information you provide them of the incident they will twist and try to make it seem you are guilty or mistaken. Phrases like “we are investigating but we don’t have to tell you the outcome” may sometimes mean they have simply let the predator go on to circulate elsewhere hoping you won’t find out or run into each other again. This is frequent in trucking. Beware of the friendly “Let’s all work together” & “we are stronger when we are united” cheerleaders. Place a time limit and follow up. In this industry these are specific blow off phrases I have heard time and again by people who participate in covering up abuse.

Sexual Harassment is really not taken seriously and cases are rarely won. The truth is that truck driver training fleets that have non-existent harassment & conduct training, trauma preparation, or follow up are willfully negligent. What the trucking industry is doing with the provocative way they treat victim’s amounts to Psychological Warfare and many drivers show signs of “Post Traumatic Stress Disorder’ (PTSD) after they have reported an incident to their HR Department. Victims are generally treated as the guilty party rather than the offender.

Certainly give them the benefit of the doubt to resolve the issue internally unless it is serious violence or a rape. Make sure you call the police to make a report. The trucking companies are always looking for a way to make you look guilty for dropping the ball. DO NOT let them tell you that you “brought it on yourself”. If this happens GET A LAWYER! NO ONE deserves to be raped or beaten for any reason whatsoever!

If you begin to experience nightmares, or other symptoms from the incident itself that are unresolved or retaliation after you reported it go to your HR Department for a form of first injury to file a claim for PTSD under workman’s’ comp. If they try to tell you that you cannot file or it will not be allowed demand the paper firmly but politely. Get their name and every single person’s name involved that you speak to regarding your issue.

Carriers seem to react with a better attention span to workman’s comp claims rather than lawsuits. It is truly the bully organizational structure that has permitted this conduct to permeate the trucking industry. Some experts who study bully organizations feel trucking carriers who begin to experience an increase of PTSD claims due to their poor handling of harassment for both men and women they might begin to correct their training atmosphere, eliminate the predators and create a safer environment. Locate an employment lawyer just in case; the internet is beginning to have plenty of trucking harassment cases which show this is a pervasive problem that is willfully ignored.

Women are trained from childhood to not only judge each other but remain silent when they witness something they know to be wrong. In the trucking industry this will be the toughest obstacle to recognize and overcome.

If you do get a female trainer expect her to be tough and appreciate it. But you should not have to be her monkey, her audience for her lovelorn confessions or have to be subjected to unsafe driving such as tailgating, exceeding the speed limit or breaking the law in any way shape or form.
Is it true that some Women feel they are a service to others when they remain silent when they are in the position to protect?

A female trainer should not only teach you how to operate the truck but hopefully give you personal safety tips like how to secure your doors at night with the seat belts and so on. You both should take personal responsibility upon yourselves to know, YOU STINK!

Having to live in a truck with another person and not being able to shower each day makes for very smelly living. You might be able to tolerate your stench but it is new to others and it might be so offensive they may refuse to continue to drive with you and give no reason. Make sure you use personal wipes on EVERYTHING daily to stay “Fresh” and dispose of them. Sadly, there are many people who need this spelled out. Wipe all your cracks liberally! Large people have to understand that they sweat more from places others do not. Even skinny people can smell like ass after a day or so of hard work and no shower. Don’t be arrogant! Use a pillow for the driver’s seat if your butt sweats and remove it out of sight & in an airtight bag when not in use. Keep your bedding clean and clarify the potty stops.

Couples might feel comfortable using a porta-potti on a truck but with a trainer you just met, especially of the opposite sex, I doubt it. Sometimes asking to stop for the bathroom is not tolerated at all. You should clarify this before you leave the terminal with a trainer or co-driver. This is also a characteristic to watch out for as some may become abusive when you ask to stop to use the bathroom. Try to plan to go around fuel stops whether you feel like it or not. If you are using a bottle, dispose of it properly. I prefer to see urine poured in the grass and bottles put into trash receptacles. Crapping your pants is unfortunately something that does occur in trucking. Obviously do not make a habit out of crapping in a bag, although some slobs do and the stories are … ICK!, but emergencies do occur and many times there is nowhere to stop. You should think about this.

Becoming a trucker does not mean you have to act like an ape or look like one either. On the other hand, many things that people take for granted like fresh water and clean toilets are a treat for the professional driver.

While there are some trainers or co-drivers who are slobs, other drivers are meticulously tidy, respect this and clean up after yourself. Use a bit of baby powder in your hair if it stinks from not washing.  Use deodorant and if it is not strong enough find one that is. It is incredibly hard to sleep or drive with someone who stinks and it is very hard to tell someone that you want to vomit whenever they come around.

Your Trainer should not delay to teach you how to back the truck up and dock it, teach tail swing, how to complete your logbooks and what the consequences are for not doing them. They should teach you about chain laws and how to adjust your tandems and how to complete all of these things as if you are alone. You have abour 35 to 40 days with your trainer there is not a moment to spare. Learn everything you can during this time and ask for help if you don’t understand. Some people need things explained more clearly, there is nothing wrong with this.

Your trainer should not by prying into your personal life and YOU should NOT behave as if you are at a singles bar every time the truck stops. Before you leave the terminal with your trainer you should know how to send a distress message from your Qualcomm and understand how to delete it so that the other person does not see it. This can help prevent an altercation on the truck in dangerous heated situations.

Know your fleet manager’s name, phone number and email. Also know his boss’s name, and the boss’s above him. If your company has an “Incident Response Center” or Emergency 24 hour call center, make sure you have the number programmed in your phone. In my situation, I did not know such a department existed in the beginning but once I did they handled getting me safely to a motel and through the weekend but the ball was dropped after that.  This is what I commonly hear from male and female drivers who have experienced “Incidents” where they had to get off the truck during training.

They are not being told these departments exist and when they do find them to be assisted, their dispatcher and/or fleet department drops the ball. There is no follow up or lack of sensitivity because whatever trauma that occurred is not handled properly.

If you are scared, GOOD! The students who are scared make better drivers who pay attention and take this job seriously; the ones who aren’t have accidents and often hurt others. They won’t be truck drivers very long but hopefully you can steer clear of them so they don’t take you down with them.

Written by Desiree Wood “Trucker Desiree”

Additional Reading:

Bring it On – Ethics in Sexual Harassment Training

Truck Driver Employee Rights under OSHA and FMCSA

The Hostile Workplace

Workplace Fairness – Trucking Whistleblowers

Employment Law Terms

Technorati Tags: CDL Training, Female, FMCSA, Harassment, OSHA, Rape, Recruiting, Respect, Retaliation, Sexual Predator, Truck Driver Shortage, Truckers, Trucking

The root core problem in truck driver training is irresponsible recruiting and predatory lending. We always come back to one word, GREED !

Greed over safety seems to be a recurrent theme over the past few months. The tragedy of the coal miners in West Virginia and the devastating BP Oil Spill that may very well impact generations to come.

Right under our complacent noses the federal government has been running an indentured servitude operation and it is called “The Truck Driver Shortage “.

Following the first Dan Rather Investigative Report into Truck Driver Training called “Queen of the Road” feeble remarks meant to imply a lack of credibility of the interview subjects were quickly published in an article by The Trucker inferring the persons interviewed were not credible and/or disgruntled. Perhaps before the advent of social media this would have done the trick to extinguish any glimmer of hope that the outside world might begin to take an interest to the issues that affect truck drivers.

Highway Safety pertains to everyone therefore revealing just how truck drivers are trained has been a secret the trucking industry had hoped to conceal.  Any responsible adult should be gravely concerned with this topic and be able to easily conclude that personal safety and highway safety are interwoven once you understand that in order to learn to drive a truck you must live cheek to cheek with a stranger.

For our non-trucking readers it is difficult to comprehend that the very trucking industry organizations that claims to exist in part to delve into advocacy for highway safety are perhaps the greatest foe to the American Driver. The American Trucking Association most definitely does not work on behalf of drivers but rather large carriers who push the scope of what humans can accomplish with a constant barrage of regulations, rules, intimidation tactics and retaliation while at the same time cultivating a public media persona.

This double faced organization is the epitome of all that has destroyed our nation. Corporate greed coupled with narcissistic arrogance that devours the American worker whose loyalty is no longer valued. At every echelon of this industry it is difficult to determine whether you are speaking to a saint or dealing with the devil. These organizations have mastered abuse like a parent that beats their child in private and dresses them in fine clothes for Sunday school that perfectly cover every contusion. There seems to be a never-ending stream of recruiting ads and phony social media sites to target truck drivers and prospective students painting a picture to portray drivers as having a safe, secure, and rewarding job, hiding the abusive and threatening tactics that are used against them as a means of manipulation and control.

The ATA is one of the most deceitful organizations I have ever come to learn of and I cannot imagine an organized crime family could have their meat hooks in any deeper to distort the truth about what their “business” is or consists of.  It was truly never my intention when I began writing my original student trucker story to discover these things but had it not been for an eager collaborator to the ATA , I would have never known.

Why would an organization put forth so much effort and continue with such tenacity, arrogance and sense of privilege to cover up and manipulate one person’s story?

The matter became so disturbing that it grew much greater than myself or the issue of women entering trucking but how this giant government funded monster was poised to prey on the most disenfranchised people it could get it tentacles on.  How many have been harmed simply because true stories were being manicured off the internet to suit recruitment machines?

I have always been mindful that I was creating an opportunity for the greedy & unethical.  I say this because when the attempts to cover my story failed, the very organization who tried to cover it up made sure to insert their name as a resource to solve the problem. They have failed to make it a priority and I see that it was merely another method to grab a headline.

It is 2010 and it seems only the trucking industry is still in the dark ages with regards to violence against women yet there is targeted recruitment aimed at the female population who many times are promptly put in a “Acquaintance Rape ” Situation in order to learn to drive the truck.

The NFL Players Association has Joined the Justice Department Effort to Raise Awareness Around Violence Against Women , The Office on Violence Against Women for the United States Department of Justice provides enormous resources but big trucking chooses DENIAL .

The only evidence I have seen to address the issue has been AFTER lawsuits become public as a PR remedy.  This is why I have persisted; I had no choice when faced with the thought that I had the ability to reach someone who needed to find help.

This site was created to provide self-help tools when it became clear that the trucking industry will spend any amount of money to cover up human indignities rather than correct them.

“Trucking has a very incestuous relationship with itself“, this was the phrase a veteran driver used to describe the many organizations, associations and media entities related to trucking.  As a civilian entering this industry I was in search of where I could go to find answers to what I was seeing in my training fleet. What I learned was that my experience was no mistake, it was a system that has been perfected to a science to generate turnover, to keep wages low by utilizing student labor running team freight to maximize profits.

Upon researching who is behind all the recruiting ads, industry magazines and controlled trucking media sources the world of trucking became a very small and the same names kept popping up. It seems everyone has been “in bed” with one another at some point.

It is not unusual in the trucking industry to steal content, plagiarize or take credit for another person’s hard work. It is not unusual to blatantly create a media campaign to cover up injustice. It is not unusual for someone to insert themselves into the center of a project and claim victory after the blood, sweat & tears of the invisible have been shed. What is unusual, is to go the extra mile to do the right thing and bring positive changes to the industry.

Recruitment generates recurring income NOT retention. The effects of positive change would result in: The retention of content and satisfied workers, who remain loyal because they receive their reward through pay raises, respect and benefits.  However, treating drivers in a humane fashion would negatively affect company profits. Turnover and recruitment of new drivers generates increased recurring income and profit. Ironically, the desire is to lure people in through seduction, only to promote failure and create higher profits by maintaining a high turnover rate.

Professional drivers are often vilified by their own industry in a subtle way when in fact it is the industry that pushes, prods and provokes drivers to do things outside the realm of their responsibility.

New regulations like FMCSA CSA 2010 make it seem that highway safety is a main concern yet according to Dan Little President of the Owner Operators United Inc.  “CSA 2010 fails to address the pattern of abuse in truck driver training.” But before we discuss training there is the abuse of predatory lending to attend truck driver training schools.

Predatory lending and poor recruitment go hand in hand dumping themselves into a poor training atmosphere where odds are you can get a few months of cheap labor at the expense of the motoring public. In 5 or 6 months commissions are paid to recruiters, the carriers qualify for the government hand outs while at the same time utilizing a less than minimum wage inexperienced workforce to run freight.

A very curious omission in the statistic loving trucking industry is how many trucking accidents are caused by student truckers by comparison to experienced truck drivers.

There is no doubt that CSA 2010 will change the face of trucking and many jobs will be lost to those who cannot adapt. The seven sections are for the most part good on intent and do hold carriers more accountable.  Still there are a few components that create a witch hunt on experienced drivers.

Without addressing predatory lending, Poor recruitment and truck driver training CSA 2010 have simply provided another tool sanctioned by the federal government to further assist in generating turnover.

For example: Last month I read of a student truck driver who was 20 days into training and trying to care financially for a disabled fiancé. The student was being delayed to make income due to the new sleep apnea testing that is a component to CSA 2010. (Read posting HERE )

My question is simple: Why was this person not informed prior to selling them a loan for truck driving school that sleep apnea is now an issue to become a truck driver?  This really bothers me that a person whose life is already in distress is wading around blindly searching the internet for answers when in fact they are simply just another notch in some recruiters’ belt!

Since the announcement of the CSA2010 Sleep Apnea issue for truck drivers I have heard of 3 people who have been fired based entirely on this one issue not their driving abilities.  If this is what is coming down the pike why are recruiters and carriers allowed to mislead people into the hope of a new career only to yank the rug out from under them a few months or days later?

One trainer shares this story:  He was assigned a student with sleep apnea, the student stated from day one his doctor warned that he could not travel to high elevations.  As student truckers you go where you are told but your recruiter or training company will not disclose this to you. In this case, the trainer and student were dispatched to Colorado. The trainer advised dispatch the student could not travel to Colorado for medical reasons.  The dispatcher refused to un-assign them from the load.

Most people do not realize that refusing a load can be detrimental to your career and working relationship. This is called forced dispatch. The trainer had to take the load and the student died. The family sued, the case was quietly settled and shoved under the carpet with the rest of the skeletons.

In another case former Swift trainer from Smart Union Blog talks about being given a student with narcolepsy , the sleeping disorder!  This is irresponsible recruiting and predatory lending.

A former female trainer told me about a student she was assigned who had a terrible skin disease where the skin was flaking off in the bed that they had to share. Another time having to be with someone who suffered from shingles which can be contagious.

Targeted recruitment at women is extremely misleading and this is excessively dangerous. One blog I read last week stated Women Truck drivers can make $60,000 a year!  They say nothing about what you have to do to make this. They also make no mention that for women there are specific dangers such as being thrown off the truck in the desert if you refuse to have sex with a trainer or co-driver. Listen to Ronald Fletcher in the Video Clip:
                      RAW SOUND BYTES ON HARASSMENT FROM A TRUCKING CONVENTION

These ads are deliberate to mislead people and entice them to go to truck driving school.  They are targeted to people who have no experience in the cloak and dagger trucking industry that uses people in a government subsidized indentured servitude operation.

Here is a sample: Truck Driver Jobs For Women in a Google search this person has several sites all leading to him, all the ads are misleading and predatory. This is the new spam where someone sits and creates website after website to appear as if it is a social media blog site with a testimonial.  Who do they cite as an authority? Read this Jobs & Business Blog to find out. “Great Truck Driving Jobs for Female Drivers”

Nuway Truck Driving school, the subject of the 3rd installment of the Dan Rather Investigative series into trucking “Mind Your Loan Business” was discovered as suspected to be in the loan selling business. Besides the poor training they provided they stood to gain from disenfranchised people who failed on their student loans which were sold to them a high interest rate. This school I was told by Tom Hansen formerly of CRST had such poor students that CRST had stopped accepting them.

Predatory lending and predatory recruitment are for the purpose to take advantage of people for profit.  In truth, it is very difficult to remain employed after completing your student phase from Michigan, South Florida and some western states due to the availability of freight. Selling loans to these people and using them for cheap labor at less than minimum wage is wrong.

The carriers utilize this disposable cheap labor force to run team freight for a short period of time and then toss them out before they have made enough money to pay off their student loans but long enough for the carriers to benefit for the recruitment commissions, tax incentives and subsidies to retrain workers. Many of these people receive government vouchers for these schools, therefore it is the U.S. Government who is funding and perpetuating this abuse and unethical treatment.

CSA 2010 does indeed propose greater enforcement standards for truck drivers and carriers but it does not address the rampant ethical considerations and the hostile training atmosphere that affect highway safety.
 

A worker has right to be trained in a safe manner therefore prospective truck driver students should have full disclosure of what is expected before they sign on for a loan. The job should be clearly defined that it requires 11 hours of driving a day, they should understand they will not be able to shower for days on end, that they will have to clean out trailers and not be paid for it., that they will have to keep strict schedules that require driving all hours of the day and night in all weather. They should understand they will be stretched to the limit at times that stopping to use a toilet is not possible! That is a truth about trucking.

Big Trucking has built a complex system that is so interwoven into many government entities that it can literally control wages and treatment to professional drivers at the expense of highway safety.  The Department of Labor classifys Truck Drivers as Unskilled Labor, the lack of accurate crash statistics of student truck drivers, the gross oversight of pattern of abuse by truck driver trainers to women entering trucking and the method of retaliation for reporting abuse. The false DAC reporting, this list goes on and on. These are all control mechanisms’ built over years to control workers and keep them silent and afraid.

Big Trucking expects to ignore two massive sexual harassment/discrimination cases going on right now and fails to address the training atmosphere while at the same time deluge media to claim 400,000 truck drivers are needed by 2011. This is a typical arrogant example of greed and privilege. There is not now nor has there ever been a truck driver shortage.  It is true there exists a population of truck drivers who should not be on the highways but without addressing training and recruitment the government is simply giving the nod to sponsor more of the same.

As it stands right now, taxpayers will be left with the $4.5 Million dollar legal bill for the failed EEOC case against CRST Van Expedited should they lose the appeal currently in court.  Is that the remedy? Let the EEOC babysit the trucking industry with a never-ending revolving door of cases from women claiming almost verbatim the same abuse?  Has CRST corrected its training system?

They say they have BUT according to 3 recent female grads who have contacted me they were never advised of instructions to assist them for an emergency procedure before leaving the terminal with trainers and co-drivers. All encountered later retaliation attempts and humiliation for reporting incidents. They have since been advised to proceed and file more claims against CRST in 2010, this is AFTER the fact.

 The problems exist because the trucking industry has been permitted to police themselves with their treatment of drivers while at the same time the federal government strangles drivers with rule after rule making it near impossible to complete the job.

We are in a transitional time and while some corrections may have been made in the past few years, these pervasive problems need to be monitored and inspected to make certain they continue to operate effectively.

With regards to women entering trucking, inappropriate trainers and a lack clear defined safety precautions have not been fully addressed. The advice stated in the “Raw Sound Bytes on Harassment from a Trucking Convention” for Women who have encountered abuse during training is to call the EEOC. This is not a solution! That would be like a landlord of an apartment complex refusing to repair a heater telling his tenants to go to the Doctor if they get sick rather than replace the heater. The solution should be to prevent it from happening to begin with!  The federal government with its layers of red tape should not have to babysit the trucking industry! For all its good intentions the EEOC trying to tangle with high powered trucking industry lawyers is an uneven playing field. Ultimately, this is taxpayer money, think about it.

On May 20, 2010 The Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood signed an agreement with the Women’s Transportation Seminar International (WTS) to encourage more women to enter the transportation sector stating: “There’s tremendous opportunity out there for women interested in transportation-related careers,” granted he was speaking of “Skilled Careers” but what better experience in the transporation sector than doing the actual transporting? Secretary LaHood also said “We need to do more to prepare, train and educate young women about the possibilities that await them .”

This is our mission, we must acknowledge the silent struggles of women truckers and students. Our collective failure to address the topic has handed the keys to the offenders.

The American Trucking Association would like for people to believe that there is a truck driver shortage but in fact everything points to a strategic effort to rid American Drivers with experience for H2b workers who are yet another cheap labor force.  Just read how clever this organization website H2B Workforce Coalition words their mission. Who is on the executive committee?  The American Trucking Association!

H2B brings workers from other countries legally to take American Jobs and again it is to maximize profit and abuse disenfranchised people LEGALLY! Read, “Used and Abused: Guest Workers and Immigration Reform”

The movement to close the border to illegals is one very sensitive issue but the ATA is actually positioning itself to legalize workers from other countries to take American driving jobs and package it as “HELPING“!

National Security, think about this:  A person applying for a learners permit to obtain a Commercial Drivers License (CDL) who can pass a 50 question multiple choice question test and pass a background check is eligible for a hazardous materials endorsement yet they have never proven they can operate the truck!
Our background check system has cracks so wouldn’t the above scenario permitting H2b workers give carte blanche on hauling freight with an elevated security clearance?  Isn’t it more common to see many non-English speaking student truckers lately?  How do we know what their criminal history is in the country they came from?  If the Transportation Security Administration background check goes through the Federal Bureau of Investigation, wouldn’t that show as a clean slate in the system?

Don’t just blame the government, read the list of American Companies who benefit from doing this and pay attention. The next time you stay in a motel note that the maids may be all blond hair and blue eyed but do not speak English.

If there is a shortage of anything in the trucking industry it is ethics among trucking industry insiders.  Making remarks like “Our collective experience is over 300 years in trucking” (one which was directed to me recently) has got to be one of the most ignorant statements I have ever heard given that the automobile is just over 100 years old!

Who is responsible to insure our highways are safe?  Why hasn’t poor truck driver training been addressed?  Are student truck driver’s expendable human chattel?  The responsibility of course rests upon the ATA and the carriers it represents to address and enforce preventative training.  Why is the advocacy page of the ATA agenda suspiciously absent of the human factor that requires any truck to move?

Will the federal government continue to give free reign to Big trucking as it has been doing for Big Coal and Big Oil?
These Highway Safety and Personal Safety and National Security Issues need to be addressed in Trucking before we have a disaster.

I have interviewed a number of seasoned truck drivers and come away with a very reasonable list of solutions.

1. Full disclosure to entering truck driver candidates before they obligate to a loan or utilize a “Workforce Investment Act” voucher paid for by our tax dollars, a “Bill of Rights”.

2. Raise the training standard for both operation of equipment AND conduct.

3. Require a graduated licensing system for truck drivers.

Tracy Hamm of the CRST Sexual Harassment Case and former trainer feels strongly that new drivers stay under permit longer. She notes that new teen drivers have to drive with a permit and limited driving privileges in some states while those who get a commercial drivers license to drive an 18-wheeler do not.
Truck driver trainers I have interviewed agree that school should be longer in class and on the road.  The student truck drivers should clearly understand what it means to be going “Over the Road” and what is involved to perform deliveries before they sign on for loans.

The federal government has created a welfare system for the handful of truck driver training carrier companies who appear to be profiteering off the government as evidenced by the ongoing 125% turnover rate. These carriers should be held to a higher standard to teach proper highway safety and conduct skills. The taxpayers have a right to expect their tax dollars are producing an effective workforce that is mindful that they are not only truck drivers but also the eyes and ears for national security. Times have changed and we must adjust our thinking.

Training should include classroom time of conduct skills with testing and signed contract that the student agrees to abide by or be fired. This includes Trainers who have a higher standard of conduct.

The harassment problem is unique in trucking due to the intense living arrangement required to learn to drive the truck.  Some carriers like CRST Van Expedited and Covenant Transport who have the “Team Business Model” as a component of their training must address this topic.

The armed forces are the only other training situation that can be remotely compared to truck driver training and they too are struggling to adapt as the introduction of women increases.

To fathom that being raped, beat up and left for dead in the desert is a common story in trucking while in your training period is absolutely unacceptable!

As a whole, we must address the disparity of recruitment vs. retention of Women Truckers. By raising the standard in other areas we create professionalism and boundaries.

Training in sexual harassment at government subsidized truck driver training companies is virtually non-existent except for scattered surface treatments and we will continue to see suits arise like the massive CRST case until we can come to grips with speaking openly about this highly unusual teaching environment and how to make it work.
I have included a replay of a Blog Talk Radio made in December 2009 on truck driver training solutions. Tom Hansen former safety manager of CRST was scheduled to join the show but had a family emergency that prevented him.

Tom Hansen appeared in the first Dan Rather Episode and spoke about the conflicts of interest he encountered at CRST and these are not unique either. It is a system that exists in truck driver training that is neither safe for the students or the motoring public.

Tom Hansen is not a disgruntled employee as the ATA and CRST tried to portray. Tom Hansen & Tracy Hamm are Heroes who decided to step forward to try and effect a change so that no one else would be hurt. Shortly after the broadcast I read remarks from one of Tom Hansen’s co-workers from CRST and he made it clear that Tom was respected in the company but his conscience simply began to eat at him.

At some point we must come to grips with the truth that our silence has potentially harmed someone who simply wanted a chance for a new life.

I encourage you to watch all 4 installments of the Dan Rather Investigative reports into trucking, especially if you know NOTHING about the trucking industry.

They can be downloaded from iTunes for $1.99 each. The titles are as follows:

“Queen of the Road“, “Truck Talk“, “Mind Your Loan Business” & “Haul or High Water”
You can also learn more about how truck drivers are set up to fail as a matter of practice in Allen Smith’s

 ”Truth About Trucking”

In the next installment I will discuss personal responsibility.

Additional Reading: (all links in post are links to additional reading also)
 

Wage Slavery – Methods of Control in Wage Systems

Bound for America H-2A Guest Worker Program

H2b Visa to Rescue Driver Shortage

H2b Visa Tractor-Trailer

Violence Against Women in the Military

Sexual Assaults in Military bring Shame Not Action

War with Ourselves: Sexual Violence in the Military

Male on Male Harassment in Trucking – Cagle v. Werner Enterprises

Technorati Tags: American Trucking Association, ATA, Covenant Transport, CRST Van Expedited, CSA 2010, Dan Rather, H2b Guest Worker, Harassment, Highway Safety, Indentured Servitude, Predatory Lending, Rape, Ray LaHood, Recruiting, Retaliation, Training, Truck Driver Shortage, Truckers, Trucking, Women, WTS

Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputations … can never effect a reform. – Susan B. Anthony

The American Westward expansion of the 1800′s created both romantic imagery and tragedy as the clash of cultures changed the landscape west of the Mississippi River. When we think “Clash of Culture” we most often think of race, yet aren’t women truly the last minority?  More often than not, Women spend much more effort fighting amongst themselves which has effectively prolonged the advancement of all women .

Notable Women of the Wild West in historic lore are most likely defined into categories of either being good girls or bad girls based on virtue, with disregard to any other substance of character. This is very much the same for Women Truckers.  The general thought process being “if something bad happens it’s because they were born with the non preferred genitalia and therefore deserve it for being in a man’s environment.”

The desire to be free and independent has never been exclusive to men. Women rights have always come last in our history. For instance, the right to vote in the United States was won by women after African-American Males who were granted the right in the 1870′s with the 15th Ammendment . Women’s Sufferage did not occur until 1920 despite early victories for western women to vote in Utah. The results of their votes appear to have been geared less towards the empowerment of women but instead to impact the desires of the male population.

Passage of voting rights did not ensure enforcement for African-Americans or women.  Intimidation & Retaliation remained a hinderence including Jim Crow Laws aimed at African-Americans. These things were not effectively addressed until the Civil Rights rights movement. The National Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlawed the requirement that would-be voters in the United States take literacy tests. Sadly, intimidation in rural areas to discourage voting still occurs in the United States of America.

Women in the Old West were unable to legally own land and were rarely noticed for their contributions.  Often it was necessary to disguise themselves as men to remain living on their homesteads after their husbands had passed away. The reality for women who held the same dreams as men for freedom meant concealing their gender as a matter of personal safety for themselves and their property.

Charley Parkhurst was an American Stagecoach driver in the 1860′s , known as “One Eyed Charley” he was known to be a fierce driver, hard drinker and not shy to use his gun. The legendary stagecoach driver is believed to have been born in 1812 in New Hampshire.

Charley was a natural as a stagecoach driver, orphaned at a young age he learned his way around horses early in life while working as a stablehand. He had the ability to handle a weapon with confidence while running a 6 horse team through a gauntlet of terrain. His job required the courage to face potential thieves who might hijack his precious cargo.

A kick from a horse had left a damaging scar and lost eye, which is how the hard cussing Parkhurst came to be known as, “One-Eyed Charley”.  In 1879, Charley died from cancer of the tongue.  Only at the time of his passing when Charley’s body was being prepared for the undertaker was it revealed that “he” was actually a Woman .

Charlotte Parkhurst concealed her physical sex for most of her life. In an article called “She was a Man!” by Floyd D.P. Øydegaard , the final sentence is declares “…Whatever her reasons, she chose not to be a woman and did a great job at being a human being, who just wanted to be left alone.”

There is speculation that Charley “Charlotte” may have been the first Woman to Vote in a United States Presidential Election but it seems unlikely it was her intent to be known as a feminist.  She simply wanted to be permitted to live her life and be noted for her good work, aside from her gender.

A young girl, an orphan for that matter could not travel alone but a young boy could and Charlotte was keenly aware of this truth. She was handy around horses, not around the kitchen and had no desire to aquire those skills. Would that make her bad or unacceptable to other women of the time?  What about to Men?  Would she become a target?

There are countless stories of women living as men in order to experience the same freedom and independance afforded to the opposite gender.  Sex without consent is certainly a factor in any male dominated isolated environment.  A young girl from a hard childhood might learn lessons early regarding potential dangers, such as,  how to avert “situations” where they might be caught off guard not only by a stranger but someone they know very well.

Another aspect would be intimidation where the ego of a bully is temporarily satisfied by attempts to humiliate another person who is visually percieved as weak or small.  Charley, wore layers of clothing, obviously to hide her body but also to make her look more manly.  This rough exterior would insulate her from those who sought to bully others based on appearence and size.

The fact that Charley was a orphan may have provided an element of street smarts that someone from a sheltered childhood may not understand.  A young girl, just as handy around horses but NOT exposed to real world experiences might find themselves in a very different set of circumstances.  A lone person, esspecially one with little family could find themselves being victimized without warning in an isolated environment such as the old west, or trucking.

Charley’s desire was clearly to be noted for achievements NOT gender.  This desire cannot be extinguished in a determined individual.  Charley established a reputation and an ability to do a job most others would not or could not do.  Set apart the time in history and the legal ramifications and consider this:  If Charley’s gender had become widely known while alive would the job performance be less significant? Absolutley YES!

Would it not be true that Charley would become target of curiousity and perhaps a target for violence?  Definately!

Charley left the orphanage for whatever reasons and began dressing as a boy at around 12 years old.  In 1855 there are reports of a child which died at birth.  This would have placed Charley in her 40′s which would not be a safe planned pregnancy, esspecially for that period of time.  What sort of support system would Charley have?  What sort of woman was Charley?  How would she be judged by the other women of her day?

The first Women who generally followed the men into the frontier are generally capitalists. The “Soiled Doves” or “Painted Ladies” who are frequently associated with the American West followed the money trail.  Where there are Men… there is money! AND easy opportunities for Pimps, Madams, Prostitutes, Saloon Girls, and so on. Whatever market potential can be built around a lonley man is soon to follow any new frontier.

Sex was sex in the Old West where men dominated the population; it was not uncommon for Cowboys to share a bedroll.  Homosexuality was more common than most would want to know about.

Patricia Nell Warren, a historian and author, said that same-sex relationships between cowboys were often tolerated in the early days of the West largely because manpower was scarce, thus making it impractical for landowners to be choosy about whom they hired. But attitudes changed with the introduction of mechanized agriculture, which rendered human labor more expendable. “Tolerance went away after that,” she said

Calamity Jane might have been considered a Feminist of sorts in her time, not as a change agent but living alongside in a male dominated environment & holding her own. Calamity Jane – Pony Express Rider, heavy drinker, heart of gold. We tend to over shadow extrodinary achievements and courage of complex women if we cannot easily define them as either “Good Girls or Bad Girls.  Jane, dressed as a man , lived in a man’s world and loved the man Wild Bill Hickock enough to ask to be buried next to him upon her death.  She cussed, drank too much but, during the smallpox epidemic nursed many children with tenderness.

Taming the wild frontier is in part because of the introduction of women.  The Mormon Trail and the railroad brought change to the west.  The pioneers forged a path and allowed for a more civilized western experience.  Law and Order began to spring up as men began bringing their Wives who expected more than tents & saloons.  Street pollution from Animal feces, Chamber Pots of Urine & Garbage were not acceptable. Sidewalks were built; Schools, Churches, Opere houses gave rise to a higher level of comfort and entertainment.

Gun Controls were not unheard of in the city limits of western towns.  There was also a clash with those “Other” Women , who either by choice or circumstance did not have husbands, but existed in this environment.

Tolerance is perhaps the biggest hold up of all cultures to evolve , this is esspecially true for Women who seek to judge each other,  whereas they readily give acceptance to men who live lifestyles they may not fully understand or accept.  Women effectively destroy Women’s Rights by acting as Judge and Jury to any other Women who may have goals & ideas on living which differer from their own.

While some Men embraced the comfort of a home in the old west the trade off was losing the freedom to do whatever it was they were doing before.  The evolving Old West began to have rules that previously did not exist.  Law enforcement , temperance movements were intended to curb behavior.  Perhaps not so much different as today & it appears we will never eradicate the vices of humanity.  Women who compel themselves to see other women as the cause of such shortcomings become nothing more than enablers.

Trucking is very much like the old west.  There are few witnesses to the freedom that is the trucking lifestyle where rules can be broken.  The resistance toward women entering trucking initially might be viewed as the last bastion men have to remain in a world without women.

For is it not Women who ultimately demand change when they finally realize they have the power to do so?  For some married male truckers who first brought wives to ride along the verbal attacks they received from fellow truckers were at times surprising, when for no apparent reason they were scolded for bringing a female presence in the trucking world.

The introduction of Women as Truckers has been an uphill battle, the stories are horrific of what persistent Women Truckers have endured to live their personal dream for freedom. While most may not understand what might posess a female to become a trucker, given our narrow societal mores of what is appropriate,  someone like Charley Parkhurst of the 1860′s most certainly would.

On the surface it may appear that the trucking industry welcomes women with open arms, but the evidence is to the contrary with recruitment much higher than retention.  Those women who are able to succeed are intimidated to speak out to help those who will be “happily recruited” into an antiquated training system, which takes race into account but not gender diversity.

In all male dominated industries just as in the old west there is a clash of the diverse personalities of women subsequently feeding the resistance to keep women from success.  While men from differing socio-economic, race & religious backgrounds tend to work out their differences in order to “make a paycheck,”  women are most often their own worst enemies.

Women who present themselves to gossip about other women or who are complacent when they witness abuse to other women accomadate a predator in order to maintain attention for their own ego.  They will manipulate situations for acceptance in male dominated industries, and feel that male attention equals acceptance.

Some choose to be aloof to another who seeks help, or judge free-thinking women as whores. Regarding themselves, their church or manner of dress as superior while failing to see that they themselves are the reason women do not receive equal treatment.

While all of these women may secretly want to be treated with greater respect we cannot conclude that it is the men holding us back, rather it is our own infighting that reduces our effectiveness. This should not be construed as man hating to ask women to stop apologizing and enabling for a limited population of predators they know exist in trucking.  The “Big Picture” is to embrace our differences with maturity and cast off the ignorant conclusions we put upon each other who choose different paths in life.

The mere mention of wanting to be treated with human dignity brings some women into attack mode upon each other as if to apoligize for being born female.  Feminism is a dirty word,  Equal pay advocates labeled a troublemakers.

Those women who are so eager to penetrate the glass ceiling and be included in the “Good Old Boys” club,  have simply labeled themselves “Willing & Able to continue business as usual”.  Let us not be fooled into thinking that those in the “White Blouse” are not corrupted by Greed & Power.  The increase of White Collar Crime among those who wear bras should not be overlooked.

Trucking provides anonimity that is unmatched and not understood until you do it yourself and you do it alone.  There is no denying there are those who live not only “alternative lifestyles” on the road but also, double lives.  That in itself should indicate why the introduction of women is not embraced by some.

One Trucker once blurted out to me in frustration “We want to go somewhere to get away from Women!” ,  it’s very true of some men,  not all but some. (He was married by the way)

Then there are the men who welcome women and the change they bring.  What would we think of a man who complained about urine soaked concrete?  Filthy showers?  Previously, only the Trucker’s Wife would hear such complaints because after all, the tough guy exterior might be damaged if it was widely known his cheif complaints were related to loneliness and discomfort.  Leave it to the women to take control and clean up, Right?

Do male truckers protest cleaning up Truck Stops?  Do the majority of men enjoy having someone bang on their door unsolicited when they are trying to sleep?  Offering company, drugs, DVD’s, perfume,?  I believe most men rather enjoy knowing female drivers will ultimately bring changes to trucking that have been long overlooked.

Women make life comfortable and while many single men might see this as an invasion to their freedom, a longtime married man knows a thing or two about remaining comfortable. Women often fail to realize when they remain silent they hurt their sisters, daughters and granddaughters. Teaching your children to judge others who live differently continues this cycle.  Men are no longer holding women back the way women are holding women back.

Women professionals who feel compelled to make excuses simply enable bad behavior of a limited few.  Embracing judgement of another woman shows a lack of self confidence to be a true leader.  This is the greatest detriment to Women Truckers which currently exists.  These Women have decided to live their lives in a manner differently and this is not for anyone else to understand or judge so long as they are doing the job.

Women of the trucking industry clearly underestimate men in the trucking industry which is advancing in all other areas.  Without clear leadership for professional conduct from our women leaders, how do we expect men will advance?

To shy away from speaking about real changes in conduct and ethics as more women are introduced is simply irresponsible.  If a CEO confesses he still has to take out the trash when he goes home at night, takes his Daughter for ice Cream on Saturday afternoon and cleans up dog poop in the yard,  I challenge that same man to make forward strides to create a safer training experience for all students recruited into trucking.

If he is presented the argument correctly, any ethical man would not refuse these changes.  So why are we tolerating women trucking leaders to tip toe around in 2010 casting judgement upon female truckers who have been abused rather than making a priority to create a safe environment for all?

Whether choosing to drive the truck or work in a support position in the male dominated industry of trucking, women who do not speak up for adavncement at this late day in age have no one to blame but their own bickering and complacency.

Men cannot be expected to read the minds of women in their own homes so why should they be expected to do it in trucking?  The industry is feeling the pressure to recruit more women therefore women in the industry should see this as an opportunity to move forward without making excuses for intolerable behavior by the few.

For a Woman named Charley who might be revered as a heroine to us today, what might women of her day say about her life’s choices?  Might she have been alienated by her male friends as well if they knew she was a witness to their lives away from women?  What are we protecting?  The last bastion of Peter Pan?  What of Petrina Pan?  In the 1860′s it was necessary for Charley to conceal who she was to fit in but this is 2010.

Additional Reading:

Vindication of the Rights of Woman

Women of American West

Old West was a Magnet for Gay Cowboys

Homosexuals and Transgender people in the Old West

Technorati Tags: Harassment, Truckers, Trucking, Women

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

Technorati Tags: CRST, Ellen Voie, Harassment, Sexual Harassment, Trucker Desiree, Truckers, Trucking, Women, Women in Trucking

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.)

Technorati Tags: CRST, Ellen Voie, Harassment, Trucker Desiree, Truckers, Trucking, Women, Women in Trucking

Long gone is the era of Mrs. Walt Cleaver, waxing the kitchen floor in heels and pearls. Women have fought long and hard, confronting and, for the most part, overcoming resistance from the “good ol’ boy network”. Significant inroads into most “male dominated” industries, such as Women, in the “trucking industry”, where they long held clerical and managerial positions in numbers proportionate to businesses of comparable size and prominence.

While not commonplace, decades ago it was not unheard of, for a woman to own a fleet of two or three trucks, leasing them out, under another company’s authority. This holds true for the vast majority of companies that make up the “trucking industry” today. Our industry remained “male dominated” longer, by comparison to others, mostly due to a vast majority of women not being interested in becoming truck drivers.

In the past, while woman were willing and eager to work in positions that once were predominantly filled by men, they were not, for the most part, willing to take jobs that would isolate from their families and friends. It has not been until the recent developments of an infrastructure catering directly to the truck driver, the advent of more easily operable equipment and the implementation of currently available “training” opportunities, that women have taken a serious interest in becoming truck drivers.

While isolation and scarce home time remain issues facing drivers, no longer, might a driver find that the only bathing facilities available at a “truck stop” is a garden hose, out behind the garage or a deep-sink, next to a stinking mop bucket, gone are the days of manually steered, underpowered trucks with twenty forward gears requiring two or three shift levers and women no longer need be born into broadminded “trucking families” nor rely on their fathers, brothers, uncles, boyfriends or husbands to teach them how to drive a truck.

When you think of the trucking industry, what comes to mind? Is it a vision of some Mega-corporate fleet, consisting of several thousand units? While these corporations are considered major players in the industry today, they were not always so and are still but a very small percentage of the trucking industry as a whole.

Mega-corporate, billion dollars a year, several thousand unit fleets, is a relatively new phenomenon, having only come into being within the last few decades. Within this small slice of the “trucking industry” pie, there are three basis corporate cultural models:

1. Entry level training to drivers of little or no experience and also offers lease/purchase programs for equipment.

2. Trucking companies, consisting of predominantly company owned equipment, offering no entry level training and only employing drivers with a certain level of experience. They may also offer lease/purchase programs.

3. Trucking companies owning no equipment but they lease the services of drivers who own their own equipment: Smaller trucking companies providing load brokerage/dispatch services, operating authority, insurance and vehicle registration, taking a percentage of the gross revenue.

Before the Mega-Corporate phenomena over the last few decades, adventurous women, like those of the same spirit throughout history, have been making their presence known in the industry. These women received their training much the same way their male peers did, though they had to work much harder to overcome the male chauvinistic stereotypes of “the good ol’ boy network”.
Through their determination and hard work they were able to gain the respect of most their peers.
As a result of recently development of more ergonomically comfortable equipment, more accessible training, and worsening socioeconomic pressures, women as well as men are increasing deciding to become truck drivers.

Targeted recruitment of Women by the Trucking Industry without adapting proper training to prevent Rape, Violence & Retaliation to students is purely irresponsible. Recruiting Women into Trucking on the same sites where you can “Date a Trucker” is equally misleading and irresponsible.

Why is it supposed by some, that we must expect change in the culture of Mega-corporate trucking companies to occur any less slowly than in any other industry, who had undergone changes, in regards to sexual harassment, decades ago?

It is ludicrous for some to suggest that “the good ol’ boy network” is anymore heavily entrenched than it is in any other industry. Exposing flaws in a “problematic culture” and demanding redress of grievances may be considered, by some to be stirring up negativity but to those whose grievances require redress, it is called equal and just treatment.

While it is correct and necessary to push for a more gender diverse industrial corporate profile, change simply for the sake of the changing outward appearances does at best, no good and at worst, facilitates further coatings of white wash. If it is the good ol’ boy culture which needs to be changed, simply elevating into positions of “power”, women who are willing to play ball with the good ol’ boys, does nothing to address issues of abuse of basic human rights and dignity.

We would be foolish to attempt to argue that there are not naive woman who allow themselves to become involved in compromising and abusive situations. We would be as equally foolish to assume that there are not manipulative and abusive men who have found their way into positions of authority. If we are to hold naïve women to account for their indiscretions, why should it not follow that abusive predators also be held to account for their actions?

To adopt a “Boys will be boys” , and “Girls will be Girls”, “they are only doing what comes natural.” attitude and insist that changes be made carefully in half steps gives one the appearance of an apologist for Mega-corporations eager to cover over issues of negligence and/or malfeasance.

Being aware that problems exist in an organization, which one is attempting to recruit people into and as one who claims to be an advocate for those people, one does nothing to prepare or protect those people from abuse, one becomes complicit in the problems. Denying problems exist, casting aspersions on victims’ character and demanding their silence, makes one an integral part of the problem.

As seems to be the instance in most every issue, throughout the trucking industry, when putting together a driver training curriculum, social dynamics were never taken into account, when deciding its structure.

Heather Rose
2nd Generation Trucker

Additional Reading:
Predators and the Professional Female Drivers

Technorati Tags: Driver Training, Harassment, Infrastructure, Truckers, Trucking, Women in Trucking