At Women In Trucking, we are often asked if women make better drivers than their male counterparts.  In many cases, it's men who tell me that they believe women drive "better" than men.  This is one subject where I will not voice my opinion!

You won't hear me say that women are better drivers than men because that's too broad a statement to make.  Not ALL women are better than ALL men, and vice versa.

However, there is some evidence to support this sentiment.  If you have a sixteen-year-old who recently received his or her driver's license, you might have noticed that a teen girl's insurance premiums are often less than those of their male counterparts.  This is changing quickly as women and girls become more competitive and assertive.

An Allstate study reported that girls admit to speeding (over 10 mph over the limit) 40 percent of the time compared to 36 percent for boys.  Is this an indication that girls speed more, or does it show that they are just more honest about their infractions?  You decide.

Another study conducted by Quality Planning Corporation, which provides rating information for the insurance industry, found that women are, indeed, better drivers than men.  The data showed that men violate traffic codes more often and cause more accidents along the way.

Along with higher speeds come more severe crashes.  According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, men have been involved in more serious accidents and are more likely to get killed.  The claims involving men are also more expensive than those of women.

These days, however, women are catching up in the area of aggressiveness.  We may not share the same level of testosterone, but we are increasing our risk taking behavior.  According to Carolyn Gorman of the Insurance Information Institute, "the gap is closing quickly". 

So, let's return to the question, "Are women better drivers than men?"  Here are the comments I hear from drivers themselves. 

• Women take fewer risks so they are probably safer drivers.
• Women are better at multitasking, which could make them safer on the road.
• Women are easier to teach because they don't get impatient with the instructor and take an "I know that already" attitude.
• Women are not as hard on the equipment and tend to take better care of their vehicles.
• Women are better with customers (not a safety issue, but related to whether they are better at being a professional driver).

These are all based on anecdotal evidence and I cannot statistically prove any of these points, but they seem to be commonly accepted beliefs.

So, I am left to conclude that SOME women are better drivers than SOME men, and SOME are not!

As I stated at the beginning of this article, I will not voice my opinion on the subject....have you ever seen the way I drive?

I'm often asked to speak to groups about issues affecting professional drivers and their families. One of the most common misconceptions I address is whether or not this occupation has a higher divorce rate than that of the general public.

You've probably heard the claim that half of all marriages end in divorce.  Although the rate has decreased slightly, it still hovers around fifty percent in both the US and Canada according to Divorcerate.org.  However, these figures vary according to the age of the couple when they marry, as well as other demographic criteria.

Despite all of the research done on the subject of divorce, it's difficult to find information that correlates divorce to occupation.  For this reason, I am hesitant to make any claims about professional drivers and their success in marriage.

As a graduate student, I chose to complete my Master's Thesis on, "The Diverse Identities of Women Married to Professional Drivers."  My research focused on how women can transform from a strong, independent single parent or spouse to one-half of a couple when her husband walks in the door after days on the road.

Women married to professional drivers have two distinct roles, depending on whether or not her husband is home or on the road.  My doctoral advisors challenged me to determine whether these marriages lasted longer than the average.  I couldn't find any statistical evidence that marriages in the trucking industry are less likely to be successful than others.

Instead, what I found was that distance and time apart do not influence whether a couple is happily married or not.  Their relationship does not depend on how often they are together.  The determining factor related to their values. 

If someone is prone to cheating on his or her spouse, it doesn't matter if their job takes them hundreds of miles away, or they work in an office down the road.  A partner who cannot remain faithful in a marriage will find a way to deceive a mate and it's not related to a particular career path.

A study by Dr Michael Aamodt, an industrial psychologist at Radford University in Virginia, found that the top three riskiest jobs in regard to marriage were dancers, choreographers and bartenders.  Massage therapists and gaming cage workers followed by extruding machine operators and gaming services workers made the top career choices with the highest divorce rates.  Factory workers in the food and tobacco industries and telephone operators were also listed as having the greatest risk to marriage.

Professional drivers did not even make the top-ten list for those with the highest rate of divorce.  Dr. Aamodt did find that jobs involving long hours and unpredictable working patterns were more susceptible to divorce, and it would seem that driving a truck would fall into that category.  However, shift work, overtime and weekend work did not seem to affect the success rate of a marriage.

If you're curious about the careers with the least likelihood of divorce, the lowest risk occupations were nuclear engineers, podiatrists and sales engineers.  Directors of religious activities and clergy were close behind.

Some factors that do correlate to variable divorce rate are education, geographic areas, religion and politics.  There is very little information that addresses occupation and marital success.

The next time someone claims that professional drivers have a higher divorce rate than the general population, ask them to prove it.  They can't, because it's not true.  Time and distance apart are not predictors of marital success.

The only conclusive evidence I can find that relates to divorce comes from Groucho Marx who once said, "Marriage is the chief cause of divorce".

One evening I had the pleasure of meeting a dear friend for dinner. As we entered the restaurant the hostess asked us for our names so she could call us when our table was ready.  My friend, Darrell, told her that we were "two wonderful people." She smiled and wrote it down on her list. 

A while later, over the loudspeaker a voice said, "Table ready for two wonderful people!"  As we made our way into the dining area, everyone turned to look at us!  We had a good laugh and I will never forget how the atmosphere in the room became suddenly lighter.   It certainly made my day!

My friend Darrell was practicing cognitive restructuring. 

Cognitive restructuring is a technique that allows us to change our emotions and behavior through positive reinforcement. Basically, it means that we can increase our self-esteem by telling ourselves that we are important and valued.

It's time for this industry to do some serious cognitive restructuring. 

First, we need to remind ourselves that trucks are important and without trucks the shelves will be bare and significant shortages will occur. Essential goods will disappear and clean water supplies will be diminished without treatment. A shortage of medical supplies would cause death and illness and the nation would be buried under waste without proper removal services.

Secondly, we need to reassure our drivers that they are important.  Without the professionals behind the wheel we would not achieve the same level of safety and efficiency as we currently enjoy.  This past year was one of the safest on record in the US, and fatalities dropped to a new low. Truck drivers have some of the lowest violations for alcohol and drug use and are increasingly subjected to regulations that monitor their driving competence.

Not only do drivers need to be reminded of their importance, but carriers need some positive reinforcement too.  These past months have been some of the toughest for trucking companies.  Bankruptcies, legislation, taxes, fuel prices, insurance costs and more have plagued the industry in the recent past.  Those who have survived will move forward with a leaner work force and will be better positioned to come out of this recession stronger.

As leaders in the industry, we also need to remind ourselves that we are important.  If you look around your terminal and see a lot of empty seats, it means you've survived the worst economic recession in decades. You're still contributing to your carrier and your responsibilities have probably expanded to fill the vacancies left by departed co-workers.  You've made it this far and have learned how to survive and thrive during these challenging times. 

This industry is full of "wonderful people" who need to be reminded that they are important to those outside of transportation.  From drivers to managers to the industry as a whole, we're an important part of our nation's ability to strengthen the recovery in the coming months. Let's all work on some cognitive restructuring for ourselves.

Recently I heard the song "Angels Among Us" (by the group Alabama) and it transported me back to a time that exemplifies the song's meaning. It was in the early 1990s and my family and I were at the Alabama concert at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville. Freedom Hall was packed with professional drivers and their families for the concert that was hosted by Kenworth.

When the song, "Angels Among Us" was performed, the lights were dimmed and many of the nearly 5,000 fans held their lighters in front of them as they sang the words. The sight of these drivers, swaying to the music as their voices combined with those of their loved ones and friends was truly amazing.

For me personally, the fact that my family and I were even at the concert was due to the generosity of two professional drivers. Kenworth sponsored the concert but allowed only two tickets per CDL holder. My children and I were standing in line with their dad, a professional driver, wondering which of us would be able to attend the concert on two tickets.

During the wait in line we struck up a conversation with a couple of drivers in front of us at the Kenworth booth. One, a Viet Nam Veteran who was proud of his Native American Heritage, greeted us with a traditional greeting. He and his friend offered to each get two tickets so our entire family could enjoy the concert. His name is Arizona, and I still consider him a friend, an "angel among us."

Years later I would run into Arizona again, but this time I was leading the organization Trucker Buddy International, and Arizona had adopted a class in Kentucky. He was passionate about his students and the teacher appreciated his efforts in teaching the children about his Native American background. He corresponded with them for many years and I was always amazed at his quiet resolve to make a difference to those around him. Arizona might not look like your typical angel, but in my mind he was one.

I considered Arizona and the other drivers involved in the Trucker Buddy program to be angels among us. They showed these children a positive side of the trucking industry that no amount of advertising could achieve. For every driver who adopts a class, there are ripples that are sent out from those students that extend to parents, school administrators and even the community. I was proud to represent the organization and I still maintain friendships with many of the drivers, including Arizona.

The feeling that I had at that concert and in the Trucker Buddy program as I marvel at the kinship of these drivers is the same feeling that I had when I heard about the recent efforts for the stranded drivers who'd worked for Arrow Trucking. Once word got out that these men and women were en route to their deliveries when their fuel cards were shut off and communication with the company was unsuccessful, the angels among us became active.

People offered their homes, carriers offered rides through their own drivers and companies scrambled to hire some of the nearly 1,400 displaced drivers. The trucking community is still reacting to the news of the shut down; but the tragedy showed us there are still individuals and groups who reinforce and exhibit the camaraderie that exists in this industry.

As a child, when I was distraught over a comment from a classmate, my mother’s response was to, “consider the source.” She wanted me to stop and think about whether the person making the comment was someone whose opinion I valued. More often than not, the critic was just a bully who verbally attacked anyone she couldn’t control.

Today, with the advent of the internet and social networking, bullying has become viral and all the attacker needs is a computer and an agenda. The practice has become so common that it’s been renamed “cyber-bullying.” The National Crime Prevention Council defines cyber-bullying as the use of technology to “send or post text or images intended to hurt or embarrass another person.”

For the most part, cyber-bullies hide behind pseudo-names or unidentified web personas. These people are truly sick individuals with low self-esteem. Their goal is to hurt someone they have chosen to attack.

Cyber-bullies have no credibility.

Often, a cyber-bully chooses to attack their subject’s character instead of addressing the real issue for their aggression. These tormenters do not use rational arguments and do not discuss facts.  They choose to defame their target with unsubstantiated claims or innuendoes.

Often, they are jealous of their victim and resort to name calling and accusations to tear down the character of their prey because they feel this will elevate their own status. Wikipedia notes that adult cyber-stalkers usually target someone “whose life the stalker sees or sense elements lacking in his or her own life.” Stated bluntly, they are jealous.

It’s difficult to stop a cyber-bully, and once they start their campaign to discredit someone, they continue to convince themselves they are justified and they believe their own lies. This often leads to another newly coined term called, “cyber-stalking.”

Cyber-stalkers attempt to damage their subject’s earnings, employment or reputation and sometimes even their safety.  This involves the use of libel, or written defamatory statements that are recorded with some degree of permanence, which includes email or online forums. The stalkers use weblogs, message forums and even commercial websites to voice their opinions.

Wikipedia cites studies that reveal that most cyber-stalkers attempt to directly affect the economic condition of their victim, but the motivation is due to competition on the part of the stalker.  Some cyber-stalkers choose to defame a carrier, corporation or an association just to further their own cause.

Procter & Gamble was the subject of attacks from cyber-bullies who accused the company of ties to Satanism and falsely claimed that the president had appeared on a popular talk show to discuss the subject. Despite repeated denial on the part of Procter & Gamble, the emails still circulate, even today. In 2007, Proctor & Gamble won a $19 million lawsuit against four Amway distributors who had spread the unsubstantiated rumors since 1995.

Numerous websites have been created for the sole purpose of defaming carriers. Internet savvy drivers have designed message forums to start a campaign against their (usually former) company.  Some use names that are similar to the company name to create confusion and imply an official connection.

Since cyber-stalkers are often obsessed with their target, a large percentage turn their virtual harassment into a real, physical one. It’s important to take each threat seriously, especially if you feel the stalker is mentally unstable.

While there are very few laws in place to stop cyber-stalkers, there are ways to protect yourself or your company from these bullies. Keep personal information guarded and be wary of those who seem overly interested in you or your activities. Document all of the stalker’s accusations in the event you need them for legal action one day.

Don’t try to defend yourself against the accusations, because it will only agitate the stalker and increase the attacks. Remember, these people have no credibility. If you feel physically threatened, contact authorities to document your fears.

If someone decides to make you or your company the target of cyber-stalking, remember my mother’s reminder to “consider the source.”

Since the days of the “knights of the road,” the image of the professional driver has diminished in the eyes of the motoring public. Despite the industry’s best efforts to educate our four wheeling friends on the importance of these men and women behind the wheel of a tractor-trailer, we still can’t seem to make our voices heard.

Turn on your television and the only 18-wheelers in the news are those that are lying on its side on a busy highway. Try to count how many truck drivers are portrayed in movies as clean-shaven, soft spoken and capable of making a statement without the use of profanity.

Newspaper and radio reporters only add to the feeling of frustration when they comment on the noise, the exhaust fumes or the idling incidences of these “monster trucks.”

We can run ads, put up billboards and write letters to the editor, but the industry is still seen as one that is needed, but not appreciated.

So, how do we change the opinions of the more than 250 million people who don’t have a clue? These are people like your uncle Bill, your neighbor Susan, or your child’s teacher, Mr. Smith. The next time you’re standing in a line somewhere, ask the person behind you to describe a typical truck driver.

It’s distressing.

However, we seem to keep complaining while nothing changes.

While I don’t claim to have all the answers, I would suggest that we need to start with our own drivers and help them feel like the skilled professionals they are. Do you truly treat your drivers with the dignity and respect they so truly deserve?

Allow me to make some suggestions. Give every driver a half-dozen shirts with the company logo and their name embroidered on the pocket. Let the customer see them as a professional, and give the driver the opportunity to be greeted by name. This might make them seem more personable to the shipper and receiver.

Give drivers the time and resources to have showers.  You know how you feel when you’re grimy or sweaty. It’s not something that anyone should endure, especially on a daily basis. Offer free haircuts at the terminal on Fridays and provide travel kits with razors, toothpaste and soap as driver incentives.  (Give them to ALL drivers so none of them feel as if they are being singled out.)

Don’t address drivers by a number.  I’ve heard this countless times, “Driver 56789, your shower is ready.”  Enough already. How can you feel valued when people don’t even use your name?

Would it be too difficult to ask drivers for their birthdays, anniversary and even the names of their children and send cards on special occasions? If you aren’t already doing this, you should be. It’s a pretty low cost way of acting less like a carrier and more like a company that values their employees.

Also, listen to your drivers.  I mean really listen.  If they tell you that they’re tired or ill, don’t push them. If they’re having problems at home, give them the time they need to get through the turmoil. If they dislike a certain shipper, destination or customer, try your best to accommodate them.

Regardless of the size of your company, drivers are one (or two) to a truck. They can’t feel like a professional when they’re not treated like one. As an industry, we haven’t done such a great job in making them feel valued on a day-to-day basis.

Sure, driver appreciation week is nice, and the company banquet or safety awards dinner can be fun, but what about the rest of the year?

Whether you’re a trucking executive, travel center manager, loading dock supervisor or a passing motorist, you should feel confident that the driver (woman or man) operating that 80,000 pound rig is a highly trained professional that cares about your safety and doing the best job they can. Our job is to make you believe it.

But first, we have to show our drivers that we believe it ourselves.

Pulling a set of doubles, Deb drives from her home terminal in Beloit, Wisconsin, to the Frito-Lay facility in Minneapolis each night. She has a warm laugh and is quick with a smile, but what you will probably notice first is her sincere modesty. Deb doesn't brag about her accomplishments, she just shrugs and talks about how much she loves her job.

There are thousands of professional women like Deb who consider their role as "just a truck driver". I disagree. Operating 80,000 pounds of powerful equipment is a challenge, but even more so for the estimated 180,000 female drivers who've chosen a career in a very male dominated industry.

In 1929 Lillian Drennan was the first woman to prove that she could match the driving skills of men as she delivered oil field equipment and explosives in Texas. She was the first woman ever recorded as having a truck-driving license in the US.

Lillian and Deb both accomplished a great deal and are excellent role models for all women entering the trucking industry in record numbers today. Both of these women, as well as countless peers, should be applauded for the choices they've made and the successes they've achieved.

The trucking industry is changing - becoming a better place to work for women, as well as men - but only through the tireless efforts of women like Deb Davis and her sisters out on the road.

One of the goals of Women In Trucking is to "celebrate success." This includes honoring the achievements of our members who have reached milestones or accomplished triumphs. These women should be recognized for their successes so that we can continue to motivate those who will certainly follow in their career paths.

National Truck Driver Appreciation Week will be held the first week of November this year. The American Trucking Association urges all carriers to recognize drivers for their safe and efficient operation. Although we should be acknowledging their achievements each day, it reminds us to do something special for these men and women by setting aside a specific week to honor them.

Women In Trucking will be holding its first annual, "Salute to the Women Behind the Wheel," at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, KY next March. Every woman with a class A license will be given a free t-shirt to participate in a group photo. They will also enjoy refreshments, entertainment and lots of prizes. Our goal is to offer a time of networking and fun while at the same time honoring these women for choosing a career as a professional driver.

Success, as Zig Zigler stated, is not a matter of chance; it is dependent of the choices we make. We applaud those women who chose to set an example and help pave the way for those in the big rig's driver's seat behind her.

As an exhibitor at the event, I noticed that the most startling difference between the expediter's show and other truck shows is the number of women who are drivers. Although I won't make any statements regarding the ability of women to maneuver tractor-trailers, I will say that smaller trucks CAN be more attractive to women who wish to haul freight.

As one woman told me, "I refuse to drive anything that bends."

So, if you are considering a career as a professional driver, you might want to investigate expediting. These rigs are as small as a cargo van or as large as a tractor-trailer combination, but most of the vehicles fall somewhere in between. These are called straight trucks, or six wheelers.

There were numerous recruiters at the Expedite Expo who were still looking for drivers. Many of the companies require their drivers to own and operate their own rigs, but some of them have fleet owners willing to put a driver (or two) into one of their trucks. Teams are desired, so the opportunities for women to run with a spouse or friend are plentiful.

The experience requirement is also much less stringent than that of truckload carriers. Some companies will hire recent truck driver school graduates with no experience for their smaller units. Carriers such as Pitt-Ohio express are using their cargo van (otherwise known as sprinter vans) to attract women who might not wish to drive "anything that bends."

According to Lawrence McCord of Expediter's Online the expediting industry has seen "an unprecedented trend with women joining their fleets." They estimated that there are twenty to thirty percent of expediting vehicles operated by women.

McCord also noted that the larger the sleeper cab in the unit, the odds are that it is operated by a woman. These makes sense, as many women (and men) prefer having amenities such as showers, toilets and kitchens in their trucks.

While I dislike stereotyping anyone, I will agree that the expediting industry is a great way for women to being a career in transportation, especially if they wish to avoid those tractor-trailer combinations that require "bending!"

For women, the number one concern relates to image. The common perception by those not familiar with the trucking industry is that it's a man's world. There may be a greater percentage of men than women responsible for moving the nation's freight, but that doesn't mean that women aren't welcome. In fact, some of the most encouraging and supportive people in trucking are men!

Our goal is to let women know that there are great career opportunities in the trucking industry, and they include driving, maintaining and managing the equipment (and drivers!). Often, when I tell women about the organization, they're curious, but when I start describing the potential opportunities available to them, they tell me they aren't "built" to drive a truck, or that they aren't mechanically minded enough to service an engine.

I tell them that they're wrong. I tell them they can learn and they're capable and most importantly, they're needed. Many people have the misperception that they're not welcome and wanted, and one of our goals is to change that image.

Another issue that's more important to women are concerns over their personal safety. Women are more susceptible to violence than men. The US Department of Justice found that women are three times more likely to be raped than men, three times more likely to be stalked than men, and twice as likely to be injured during an assault as men. It's unfortunate, but violence against women is more prevalent, so it stands to reason that more women are more concerned about their physical safety than men.

This industry can't afford to lose women because they don't feel safe in their work environment. Everyone deserves the security to do their job in a safe and welcoming environment, whether it's an office, a truck or a maintenance facility. Our goal is to help women overcome the challenges they will inevitably face in ensuring that they're safe while on the job.

Cleanliness is another prominent issue for women. Truck stops aren't as clean as many would like them to be, and some of the rest room facilities at the loading docks haven't been cleaned in ages. We aren't claiming that men don't care about germs, but we have found that women often have higher standards for defining what's meant by "clean."

Harassment is another issue that women often find to be more disconcerting than men. Many of our female members have told us that they're often verbally accosted by an anonymous male voice when they key the mic on their CB radio. Diane, an owner operator from Canada, said that she's been called some pretty nasty things on the CB, so she'll often turn it off except for the few occasions she needs it to communicate with a fellow driver.

Are men harassed on the CB, the answer is yes, they are. Are men concerned about cleanliness? Of course! Are men subjected to violence on the road? Yes, again. I think its important to keep in mind that efforts made to make the trucking industry more female friendly will ultimately make the industry a more "driver friendly" environment for everyone.

Most of us would agree that there are more women employed in the trucking industry today than in the past, but do we really have a grasp on the advances women have made in this predominantly male dominated industry? How can we use statistical information to better understand the differences between men and women in transportation?

Women have always been visible inside the cab, under the hood or in the terminal, but the numbers are slowly increasing and the female presence is being noted.  However, the discrepancy between the various research groups is pronounced. From four percent to seven percent, the number of women drivers currently on the road is difficult to define.

The Canadian Trucking Human Resources Council has estimated that the percentage of women in trucking in Canada is only three percent, much lower than its neighbors to the south.

Strategic Programs, Inc. is a Denver based company that conducts exit interviews for many of the largest carriers in North America.  Their database includes information from over 31,000 driver interviews.  Their demographic data shows that ten percent of company drivers are women, and eleven percent of independent contractors are women.

This seems to be a little more acceptable in regard to the growth of women in the industry. Despite the seemingly visible numbers of women behind the wheel and in the office, the percentage seems to remain constant (according to the statistics).

Daimler Corporation asked Women In Trucking members to respond to a survey about women in the industry in November of 2008.  Their research, which included 462 drivers, showed that women were more likely to be company drivers (41%) as opposed to independent owner-operators (15.2%)  However, for leased owner-operators, women and men ranked nearly the same in their percentages (43.8% for women compared to 43.4% for men).

In reviewing the research from Daimler and Strategic Programs, some statistical information surfaced, which may or may not surprise you.  For example, Daimler discovered that women were more likely to choose a truck based on the cost of operations (81%) than men (66%).  Fuel economy was the second priority for women (77% versus 63% for men).

The number one item that determined men's choice of tractors was the engine (61% versus 53% for women).  The other determining factor for men was a truck that they were "proud to drive" (35% versus 24% for women). Purchase price was not as high in importance for either gender, although it was more of a factor for women (74%) than men (59%).

You can create your own conclusions from these findings, but it appears that women may be focusing on issues that affect their bottom line more often than men.  It is also interesting to note that Daimler learned that the majority of women's complaints still center on a lack of respect, both from their peers, the truck stops and the manufacturer's service representatives.

Women don't ask for much in terms of help or recognition, but find out what we DO want in the next blog, "What do women want?"

Whether it's three, four or ten percent, there's no arguing that the number of women transportation professionals is increasing.  Women In Trucking was formed to encourage and support women who are looking at, or are already a part of, the trucking industry. You can become a part of this non-profit organization and help us reach out to more women who wish to pursue a career in trucking, as drivers, mechanics or office personnel.