my dad put me in the driver's seat of a peugot that had the most beautiful red velvet seats when i was 10 and let me drive around a parking lot. my first big grin that started the love affair with driving.

after my dad died when i was 13, we were living in hampton, va and spent friday nights driving home to jersey to visit my grandparents. my mom would let me drive once we got over the chesapeake bay bridge and onto the eastern shore of va/ma. :shock: she died while i was in college for nursing, so i quit school and got a job as a bio/chem lab tech to support my brothers and sister.

trucks came into my life in the form of a boyfriend who drove a 13 speed marmon 2nd big grin who let me drive when traffic wasn't too heavy. don't even think about it, the statue of limitations is looong gone i then decided to go to school since my sis was almost 18, the lab chemicals were killing me and if i didn't do something for myself then, i never would.

that went well and i went on the road for a year, before getting married. a bonus was that trucking paid 3xs as much as what i was earning working in the lab, but the funniest thing in all this was my great aunt Sis who (while my husband to be was sitting beside me) asked. "but Di, aren't you afraid everyone will think you're a lesbian"??? all in all it's been good to me and i don't regret a bit of it. :mrgreen: :wink:

Well... I was born in 1964 and I seem to remember that around the time I was 9 years old or so (give or take a few years) that old song CONVOY came out by CW McCall. I bought the album (Wolf Creek Pass) and played that thing til I literally wore it out. I was hooked! For years I wanted to drive a truck and would send off for brochures from trucking companies and read them over and carry them with me until they were just dog-eared and had to be thrown away.

On top of my deisre to be a trucker, I was also a major tomboy. I grew up on a "fun" farm... about 12 acres with some farm animals as pets and that's about it. But I was physical and strong and loved playing with the boys. I've never had many girlfriends because I just can't relate... and they feel the same about me! LOL!

My mom dissuaded me from trucking so I joined the Army instead. Did that for 3 years and loved it and am quite proud to have served my country. It wasn't until I was 36 years old that I started to date a guy who was talking about going back to OTR. We discussed it all and decided I would join him, he could be my trainer and we would take it from there.

Well he was flatbed all the way and when he explained it all to me it seemed to be right up my alley. I went to a company sponsored training course that was supposed to be 6 weeks and I finished it in 4 weeks. I teamed with my boyfriend for about 3-4 months to learn the ropes but ended up getting my own truck when he turned out to be a major jerk.

Then I soloed for about 1-2 months, met my husband at the company we both worked for... started to team with him about 6 weeks later and had a BLAST!! We finished out my year in trucking so I didn't have to repay my school costs and then came off the road to try and make a home life.

That was 4 years ago and now we both have the itch and are in the process of applying back to the company where we met and get back on the road. We figure we both loved what we were doing, we met each other doing what we loved, and it's time to get back at it! Yay!

Fun thread!

I decided to go trucking after getting divorced. I took two years off to decide what I wanted to do. I realized years ago after supervising seven women that there is no way all seven would ever be happy all on one day. I got sick and tired of the back stabbing and blatent "comptetion" between women. They can be so competitive and hateful for no apparent reason(s).

I had friends that were drivers. My first boyfriend after leaving my husband was a driver. He took me on his truck for six weeks and I had the time of my life. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I felt like I was on vacation every day and still do. Although, when you can't move tandems-like the other night on the way home for hometime after being out three weeks. I was supposed to have a simple drop n hook 50 miles from my home it ended up being a 5 hour journey. I had to have a wrecker pick up the back of the trailer to relieve the weight so I could move the tandems. It was loaded way too heavy on the back, after spraying lubricant three times in an hour all over the sliders and using a hammer and sledge hammer it was apparent they weren't going to move. I also chaulked the wheels and that didn't work. The repair shop guy said he could always move the tandems-he admitted that was very rare that they wouldn't move at all.

I think trucking is like going camping. I tell everyone if you don't like to camp don't go trucking. Because you have to pack up your toiletries and head for the bathroom and go back and forth every other day or if you're lucky every day to shower. I doubt most of us have time to shower every day?!?

I came from a very sheltered background. My Father was a U.S.A.F. Fighter Pilot, my Mother was a stay at home Mom until I was 16. She went to work to enable them to pay for all of our degrees [I have three brothers who are Software Engineers]. I lived on Air Force Bases or in upper middle class neighborhoods. My husband was a Professor, I worked while he obtained his Masters & Ph.D. degrees. I was in the process of being hired at AT&T Bell Labs as a Software Tester, when he graduated and we moved to the backwoods of Missouri. Which in essence ended any hopes for me at AT&T Bell Labs.

I went back to school to obtain my Accounting Degree when I moved to Missouri. My first degree is in Psychology. I tell everyone I was a long hauler way before I became one. I drove 200 miles 2-4 times per week to obtain my Degree. My ex-husband's University was strictly an Engineering University so I had to travel to Columbia, MO to get my degree. After graduating, I drove 200 miles every day to St. Louis for a year and a half so that I could have a decent paying job. Didn't do it for the income we had more than enough with his. I had always wanted my own career. People where I lived couldn't believe it, they usually traveled there a few times a year. I was very determined and ambitious. I so resented him for moving me to the backwoods. Loved doing Accounting but didn't like the deadline pressures and working with women. Knew that I would eventually with or without him move back to my beloved Colorado-where I am now.

I am very extroverted so I rely on the CB for conversation. Sometimes it gets too dicy for me. The guys are just DAWGS sometimes. My first week was a shocker. I had never associated with "White Trash". Unfortunately, I think we have more than our fair share of "White Trash" in the big rigs. Some of the stuff the guys said to me took me quite some time to figure out exactly what they met. I hadn't heard of that crap before.

Although, I came from a sheltered background I adjusted quickly. I have lived in 12 states and several places in each state. So I had already traveled extensively prior to trucking. I love to drive and am good with directions. I really think that makes the job a lot easier. I usually call shippers and receivers to ascertain that the directions I have are accurate. Rarely get "turned around". Thank goodness, because sometimes in a big city like L.A. life won't be real easy to get "back" to the right place. I hauled trucks to Canada much longer than I've done freight. Took trucks apart in 20 below weather In Montreal, Quebec [don't know what the wind chill was that day]. I lost tools when I set them down it was snowing so hard, the snow covered them. Had a truck gel up in Quebec, have been in a major accident, had three blow outs, breakdowns and god knows how many close calls with the idiot 4 wheelers.

There are days where you have to do "creative logging" because your day will not end in 14 hours. One day I had a 22 hour day. Boy, was I beat. You have to be strong and be able to fend off advances by the men. I have had women be much ruder to me. Apparently, wearing a skirt makes them think I'm a "girlie girl". Which I am not, I am heavy and don't like showing off my "round rear end".

I hauled trucks before getting into freight. Prefer that over freight. Got to stay in motels every night and fly back after delivery. As a driveaway driver you put the trucks on the ground and put in the rear axles of the drives. I can assure you there were no "girlie girls" that worked with me. Although, I must say there were 10 of us females out of 200 drivers and they were all atttractive and mostly educated and sick of office work. I get so tired of other women who stereotype me simply because I wear skirts and not pants. It has nothing to do with being female so much as comfort level. Enough said.

I would not recommend this job to the average women. They could not handle breakdowns in the middle of the night, blowouts and the various "hard work" we do moving tandems, chaining in the winter time etc. Fortunately, I've had only new trucks in my career for three years; other than a truck that had 170,000 on it that I had for two months. I haven't had fifth wheel issues yet. Hope I don't. The tandems just kick my butt sometimes. Most women are "nesters" and want to be home with the boyfriend, husband, children and pets. I don't have any of the above so it makes it much easier for me. I said I raised a husand and he probably took the energy of raising five children. He was very narcissistic and never thought of anyone but himself. Given my background I'm happy to report that I'm content being a driver right now. Although, I have considered getting a regional job I think it would be the best of both worlds for me. I could drive a few days per week and be at home a few days per week. I love my cozy condo and hate leaving it after 3-4 days to go again for weeks. SIGH!!! :?

I was born and raised an a farm so I was used to hard work an long hours started makin noise about trukin,daddy told me I couldnt well knowin me all I said is watch me and 21yrs later hes still watchin me but now hes happy about it!mom supported me in whatever i did she knew i had a restless spirit

Hey, Red Raven, have you ever been in contact with Roehl Transport? Their van fleet drivers do only drop and hook, no loading or unloading is supposed to be done by the drivers. Just a suggestion.....
they have a website: roehl.net

That is funny. I used to have people say that to me too, and I like you would say "watch me".

I was raised on a farm as well and not afraid of hard work. I more or less 'stumbled' upon the trucking industry. There were no truckers in my family. My Mother thought that it was improper for a woman to even ride in a pick-up truck. So I bought a pick-up truck, standard at that.
I was working as a waitress in a restaurant, (absolutely hated that ), when a girl I had seen before, came in and said she was driving a gravel dump truck. I thought that was so cool. A few years later, I started driving a school bus. It was a job, not much pay. I met a fellow who was a friend of a friend. He had a dump truck. I hounded him to drive. In between the school bus I drove his truck. ( received no pay for driving the dump truck. I just wanted to learn to drive. At that time no one would let women drive trucks.) I applied at some local trucking companies. They would basically laugh me out of the building. No one would give me a job. I was persistent at one tanker company. Finally after bugging the same company for 3 years, I got a job. being persistent finally paid off. The rest is history. I'm still trucking.
I have only driven locally. There are days when I would like to do long distance. But in a way I have both worlds. I do a few longer runs now and still get to enjoy my horses, dog and home life.

It was hard to get into the industry when I started out. Especially with no connections to the trucking industry. It was a real novelty to see a woman driving a truck, no matter what it was. In a lot of ways in this part of the country it still is not easy. But being determined and persistent will eventually pay off.

Annie 8)

Well here goes....Out of 4 of my living immediate family four of us are truck drivers. My mom, brother, and me. My sister doesnt drive....She gets sick driving her own car...lol.

The first ride I remember was in my Dads old cabover Emryville. I was hooked..every summer, every holiday break I was in my dads truck. One time I even stowed away in the back of his pickup truck on his way to work. Boy was he mad cause he had to take me back home.

My favorite thing was to sit in his rig and play driver or hand him tools while he worked on it. I realize now what a pain in the azz I was cause I always used up all his air pressure blowing the horn and playin in his truck.

I was an office manager for several years. I hated it and loved it. I realized that the career didn't really suit me cause I guess I'm kind of a gypsy at heart. Here I am 8 years into driving and even on the days I hate it I know I could never do anything else.

I knew no one that drove, I never ever had a desire too yet a yr. ago I got my cdl and love it. I did Hair for almost 30 yrs. I do get what made you want to drive a truck alot. Kinda funny I guess. I don't look much like a trucker but that makes it even more fun. The guys are great when they keep you company going down the road. I had some really great exp. so far.

I've always wanted to drive a truck! My Dad was an O/O and I spent a lot of time (as much as allowed) in the 60's & 70's riding with him. He let me drive when I could reach the pedals, (just around the lot of course). Then life happened, married at 17, five kids, 20 years in corporate America, downsized in 2003. I lost my Mom in Dec. '03 and my brother in March '04. The last thing my brother said to me was "Life's too short, figure out what makes you happy and just do it." (he was 33 when he died)
Trying to make ends meet the last few years as my youngest finished school She'll be 21 in August and I'm going on the road in September!

I'm not naive and expect the 1st year or two to be tough but I believe you get out of it what you put in it. Too many people see it as a get rich quick thing, it isn't. And it isn't for everyone, but I know it's for me. :wink:

when I was a kid we watched 'movin on' and 'BJ and the bear' 2 bad shows that featured truckers as the main characters..I used to beg my dad to stop at truck dealers when I was 10-11-12 years old and I wanted my own conventional peterbilt or one of those old mack trucks they used to make with the offset cab...sizzle...your comment about camping has hit home with me...I LOATHE camping...hmmm..more food for thought here...I may be too girly girl for this...I have my tomboyish traits to be sure...I fix my own cars, do carpentry, can do most guy things though I am not into sports at all...BUT...I do love my homelife...I'll have to mull all of this over..Iam so glad I found this site though, you guys have helped me so much! thank you!