Thinking about trucking

[NancyM01]

Hello there. I am thinking about a career in trucking and would like some honest opinions/information from women who drive for a living. How flexible is your schedule? Are you always on the road or is that a choice depending on who you drive for? Is the money good? Does anyone know anything about driving the ice roads in the Northwest Territories in Canada? I currently live in southern Ontario, Canada. I love the winter and from what I can tell, it is a great opportunity for those who can take it.
Any advice, information or opinions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Nancy

[LadyNorthStar]

Hello there. I am thinking about a career in trucking and would like some honest opinions/information from women who drive for a living. How flexible is your schedule? Are you always on the road or is that a choice depending on who you drive for? Is the money good? Does anyone know anything about driving the ice roads in the Northwest Territories in Canada? I currently live in southern Ontario, Canada. I love the winter and from what I can tell, it is a great opportunity for those who can take it.
Any advice, information or opinions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Nancy

All your questions depend on what your needs are, and who you'd choose to work for. Maybe tell us what your needs are? My job is very flexible, but I'm not sure everyone else is so lucky.

The ice roads are just a 2 month a year gig that truckers with some experience head off to do to make some money, usually taking leave from their regular job.

[wildkat]

Hello there. I am thinking about a career in trucking and would like some honest opinions/information from women who drive for a living. How flexible is your schedule? Are you always on the road or is that a choice depending on who you drive for? Is the money good? Does anyone know anything about driving the ice roads in the Northwest Territories in Canada? I currently live in southern Ontario, Canada. I love the winter and from what I can tell, it is a great opportunity for those who can take it.
Any advice, information or opinions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Nancy

Welcome Nancy,
Both Lady & I run the far North, Lady in the Yukon and myself in both the Yukon & NWT. Winter in the south is WAY different than winter in the North. For one there's almost NO light, only 4 hours, then there's the cold...it's nothing like the south, it can be -50 for WEEKS at a time, and that DOESN'T count in the wind. Then in the Yukon there's mountains...REAL mountains, not the bumps in the road you have in Ontario. Running up here is not for the inexperienced, & unfortunately too many inexperienced drivers think it's a piece of cake, it's not. It's cold, extremely isolated & dark. The roads are barely maintained, the weather changes in seconds, there's no truckstops, no showers, no place for anything except a wide spot in the road to sleep. Everything you might possibly need you have to carry with you, cause there's no place to buy it up there. I'm not trying to discourage you, just tell you like it is. If you want to know what the Ice Roads are like, do a search using my name & you will find links to the threads I have posted complete with pictures. Oh, one more thing I forgot, if you want to run in the NWT, unless it's strictly hauling fuel you will HAVE to have your extended length, & that certification is only available after you've had at least 2 years or 150,000 miles of experience.

Here's another link to a very good Ice Road website, it's the REAL thing...NOT the fantasy they have on TV.

http://www.thedieselgypsy.com/Ice%20Roads-3B-Denison.htm

Here's some pictures from the trip to Whitehorse, YT I made on the weekend...THIS past weekend...














And this was on the way to the NWT THREE weeks ago....







Oh, and one last thing...winter can last up to TEN months...it did last year. :-)

[Jackrabbit379]

Oh, and one last thing...winter can last up to TEN months...it did last year.

Wow. I couldnt imagine. That's crazy.

Really nice pictures.

[Orangetxguy]

I dunno....Those pics look just like the pics from last year. And that link....alll I saw was cats...not Ice Road trucking.

[wildkat]

I dunno....Those pics look just like the pics from last year. And that link....alll I saw was cats...not Ice Road trucking.

Since the road is the ONLY one up there I suppose they would look somewhat the same...there's no choice in the roads to take when there's only ONE to take! LOL

That's odd OTG I will check it & copy it again...


http://www.thedieselgypsy.com/Ice%20...3B-Denison.htm

This one DOES work...I checked it...don't know what happened on the other one!

[Orangetxguy]

Much better link Kat! Thank you for reposting it.

I watched the Denison story on History Channel, before the Ice Road Trucker show started. His story was much better than the show with Huge and his sorry gang.

[wildkat]

most welcome & thanks....much agreed!

[Graymist]

Hey Kat...How often do you need to chain up on those roads up there ?

[wildkat]

Hey Kat...How often do you need to chain up on those roads up there ?

I've been lucky so far Graymist...not at all... but then I have fully locking diff's so when most guys are throwing chains I'm just flippin' switches! I've seen quite a few superB's spun out on the big hills already, but usually, unless you blow a gear, us guys that just pull the lighter loads don't have too much trouble. I did really feel for a guy on Thursday tho, he was hauling a D-11 on one of those super low double drop decks they use to haul oversized equipment on...poor SOB was spun out just south of Nelson, but the roads have been just brutal between Ft. St. John & Ft. Nelson, alot of freezing rain then snow on top of that.

[Graymist]

I've been lucky so far Graymist...not at all... but then I have fully locking diff's so when most guys are throwing chains I'm just flippin' switches! I've seen quite a few superB's spun out on the big hills already, but usually, unless you blow a gear, us guys that just pull the lighter loads don't have too much trouble. I did really feel for a guy on Thursday tho, he was hauling a D-11 on one of those super low double drop decks they use to haul oversized equipment on...poor SOB was spun out just south of Nelson, but the roads have been just brutal between Ft. St. John & Ft. Nelson, alot of freezing rain then snow on top of that.

What is the average weight of the loads that you haul up there ? We guys are usually weighted up pretty close to 61.5-62k, in our superB's. Also, when you flip on all your lockers, how much does it affect your manouvering ability ?

[wildkat]

What is the average weight of the loads that you haul up there ? We guys are usually weighted up pretty close to 61.5-62k, in our superB's. Also, when you flip on all your lockers, how much does it affect your manouvering ability ?

Weight wise GM, we are an LTL company so are seldom very heavy, mostly 5 to 6 axle weight, and most often empty on the return. I never minded the weights when I was running the B's, helps keep you on the road!

As to "when", well I tend to look at it like this...If the road "looks" bad, it probably is... & I think it's better to lock things up sooner than after you get into trouble. If the roads are packed ice &/or snow I will use the traction control switch for just that... traction control. If I see a big hill that again "looks" nasty, I assume it is... & I will lock my FRONT diffs BEFORE I head down the hill. If things get REAL bad, where I'm only managing 10 to 15 mph on a hill and starting to struggle, but not yet spinning I will then lock my rear diff's too. But you have to be VERY careful with everything locked up, cause you can't turn. So no matter what you only want to lock everything at very low speed & only if traveling in a straight line.

I find I use this as a simple rule of thumb...if the roads are not good enough to do 80 kph (50 mph) then I will use my traction control switch, if they're no good enough to do 60 kph (40 mph) then I'll lock my front diff. If the roads are so bad that I would have to lock everything for longer than to get out of a bad situation... I get OFF the road!

[Graymist]

That was quite informative. Let me ask you this though....why do you lock in the front diffs first, and not the rears first, or even both diffs together at the same time rather than doing one before the other ? Usually when I'm stuck in sand or mud, I lock both the diffs at the same time ( the truck I drive has only 2-way lockups ). And that's usually happened with a loaded superB.

[wildkat]

That was quite informative. Let me ask you this though....why do you lock in the front diffs first, and not the rears first, or even both diffs together at the same time rather than doing one before the other ? Usually when I'm stuck in sand or mud, I lock both the diffs at the same time ( the truck I drive has only 2-way lockups ). And that's usually happened with a loaded superB.

I will try to answer this as best I can Graymist... I just hope I can explain it so it gets what I 'm trying to say clearly... Please remember I am quite literally a mechanical idiot & when it comes to the mechanical workings of some things I tend to resort to "thingy's" & "thingamabobs" ok?

From my understanding of the concept...My #1 switch is traction control which if my understanding of my mechanic brother is correct makes my front axle have the equivalent to posi-trac rear-ends in a pick-up. Then with the #2 switch activated it literally "locks" the front axle so you have the similarity to 4-wheel drive, where both wheels on the axle "drive" instead of just one. Then with the #3 switch activated you lock Both of your axles together & they work like one very large set of axles, giving you the most bang for your buck...but steering is greatly affected. Imagine how a Cat turns...same concept. You have what my husband's truck has...the 2 switches which in essence gives you traction control & depending on how it's set up either front axle lock or rear axle lock, but not both...most common I understand is front axle lock, because it does not affect your steering so adversely. And so when you use both switches it gives you not only the posi, but the anti-slip (if that's the right terminology) but more than likely in the front axle only...if it was the rear axle you would know as soon as you tried to turn a corner, cause your truck would just keep going straight & not turn unless you pushed in the clutch to disengage the rear-ends.

[NancyM01]

Welcome Nancy,
Both Lady & I run the far North, Lady in the Yukon and myself in both the Yukon & NWT. Winter in the south is WAY different than winter in the North. For one there's almost NO light, only 4 hours, then there's the cold...it's nothing like the south, it can be -50 for WEEKS at a time, and that DOESN'T count in the wind. Then in the Yukon there's mountains...REAL mountains, not the bumps in the road you have in Ontario. Running up here is not for the inexperienced, & unfortunately too many inexperienced drivers think it's a piece of cake, it's not. It's cold, extremely isolated & dark. The roads are barely maintained, the weather changes in seconds, there's no truckstops, no showers, no place for anything except a wide spot in the road to sleep. Everything you might possibly need you have to carry with you, cause there's no place to buy it up there. I'm not trying to discourage you, just tell you like it is. If you want to know what the Ice Roads are like, do a search using my name & you will find links to the threads I have posted complete with pictures. Oh, one more thing I forgot, if you want to run in the NWT, unless it's strictly hauling fuel you will HAVE to have your extended length, & that certification is only available after you've had at least 2 years or 150,000 miles of experience.

Here's another link to a very good Ice Road website, it's the REAL thing...NOT the fantasy they have on TV.

http://www.thedieselgypsy.com/Ice%20Roads-3B-Denison.htm

Here's some pictures from the trip to Whitehorse, YT I made on the weekend...THIS past weekend...














And this was on the way to the NWT THREE weeks ago....







Oh, and one last thing...winter can last up to TEN months...it did last year. :-)

First of all- those pictures are awesome! If nothing else, they reaffirm my desire to see that part of the country some day. I am from Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, originally so I have seen a few -50C days. I miss the winters in the Sault actually.
I was aware of the lack of daylight also. I do really appreciate your honesty though- I realize that it must be a very hard life at time- especially being alone, in the dark and no place to shower (sorry, that point really hit home- yikes)
Thanks so much for your input/opinion. It will definitely help me make my decision regarding a possible career change. Thanks again, Nancy.

[NancyM01]

First of all- those pictures are awesome! If nothing else, they reaffirm my desire to see that part of the country some day. I am from Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, originally so I have seen a few -50C days. I miss the winters in the Sault actually.
I was aware of the lack of daylight also. I do really appreciate your honesty though- I realize that it must be a very hard life at time- especially being alone, in the dark and no place to shower (sorry, that point really hit home- yikes)
Thanks so much for your input/opinion. It will definitely help me make my decision regarding a possible career change. Thanks again, Nancy

[wildkat]

First of all- those pictures are awesome! If nothing else, they reaffirm my desire to see that part of the country some day. I am from Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, originally so I have seen a few -50C days. I miss the winters in the Sault actually.
I was aware of the lack of daylight also. I do really appreciate your honesty though- I realize that it must be a very hard life at time- especially being alone, in the dark and no place to shower (sorry, that point really hit home- yikes)
Thanks so much for your input/opinion. It will definitely help me make my decision regarding a possible career change. Thanks again, Nancy

Most welcome Nancy. Believe me I really wasn't trying to scare you off, we really do need more women in this industry. But the far North really isn't the place for a total rookie...tho I must admit it was where I started...30 years ago, but things were quite different back then.

Your best bet if you are very serious about getting into the trucking industry is do so hard research, especially decide where you want to go. As far as I can tell the US economy is in big trouble, so you will want to try to insulate yourself as much as possible from that & in Ontario that will be virtually impossible. Here, tho we are somewhat more insulated. If you plan on moving out West I would suggest you wait to find a good school until you get here, as most Alberta based companies will only hire students from schools they recognize.

Things are starting to tighten up around here a bit now too. Let me give you an example... I have a cousin who has had his class 1 for several years, but he has only worked in the oil fields hauling in & out of oil leases & in the bush & he wants to get out on the highway...lots of experience you'd think right? Wrong! Every "over the road" company he has talked to wants him to go to school...he never did...then wants him to run team for 2 years before they'll let him out on his own. Needless to say he's pretty frustrated.

But on the bright side, there are still alot of local/city jobs available here & that is a very good place to start as the trucks are smaller & you have more regular hours & most reputable companies start around $18/hour & if you get lucky enough to get a union job you'd be in the $25/hour range within a year.

The company I am leased onto (I own my truck) is union & they pay their company drivers very well & I know for a fact they are still looking for city drivers...they run 3 shifts...Edmonton is a 24 hour city... the turnover rate is pretty much zero & most of the guys I know are pretty happy.

[Shawnee]

you know what Wildkat, ever since that stupid TV show about ice road truckers, everyone and their brother wants to go drive the ice roads.

My two uncles, one in northern BC, and one in Alberta both worked on the ice roads for a lot of years so I know it is not the fantasy on TV.

[Shawnee]

I know this is an older post, I haven't been on here for a long time, Nancy, but I will just tell you what I tell everyone who says they are interested in trucking.

It's long hours, you may work 16 or 18 hours a day and only get paid for ten.

It's stressful, you deal with a lot of stressful situations, traffic, weather, getting lost, getting delayed, etc.

Hope you don't mind lack of sleep because you won't be getting much. loads need to get there a certain time, also you may have to sleep in some places no person in their right mind would ever think of sleeping.

Also, there may not always be a washroom around

sometimes you don't get a shower every day, lots of times I don't have time to take one, or there just isn't anywhere to take one.

It is hard on the body sitting for long periods of time, not to mention unhealthy, speaking of unhealthy, a lot of times you may have to eat junk food as there is no other choice sometimes. I have a really bad back so sitting for hours at a time really agrevates it

Shippers, recievers, dispathers, police, DOT, general public, treat us like second class citizens, they do not care about our well being,

Anyway, Nancy, I just tell it like it is, I don't try to say "trucking is the best job in the world and every woman should be a trucker" because that is not the case, the majority of women would not make it in trucking. I am female and I grew up in this business, so I knew what I was getting into, I've been out here almost ten years as an owner operator, and have been all over Canada and the US. Good luck in what ever you choose

Shawn

[Shawnee]

Anyway Nancy, there are a lot of jobs out there that are not OTR, I started out at a local job, there are regional jobs where you can be home everynight as well