One day I was driving along, minding my own business and I happened to glance into the car next to me. There was a women putting on makeup while she was driving! She had the sun visor pulled down and was using the mirror on the back of it. Her eyes were mostly on the mirror. Once in awhile, she would look at the road and correct her drifting car. At one point, she weaved into my lane. My first instinct was to grab the steering wheel and move over. That maneuver caused me to drop my electric razor, which fell into the coffee cup between my legs. Hot coffee spilled on my lap so I jumped up, spilling coffee all over the newspaper that I was reading on the steering wheel. In all the confusion, I dropped my cell phone and broke it - and that was an important call. Those darn women drivers.

Of course I’m joking. It was really tea. But seriously folks, there are a lot of women driving trucks these days and I am happy to report that they are doing a fine job. Most of the women drivers I have met are just as good as any man. There was a time when driving a truck was a man’s job in a man’s world. Some would say it still is. There are some hard-headed guys out there who still insist on giving women a hard time. But thankfully, there are also many gentlemen in this industry who defend their honor. That may sound old-fashioned, but any women who’s ever talked on a CB, or even anyone who’s ever heard a women talk on a CB and the responses that follow, knows exactly what I mean.

For the most part, the physical aspects of the job can be performed by the most petite women equally as well as the most burly man. Dropping and hooking trailers, checking and filling fluids, inspecting equipment and operating it safely can be done by anyone who is properly trained. There are even some handicapped drivers nowadays, and many truck stops even have designated truck parking spaces for handicap drivers. This was unheard of only a few years ago. The scariest physical task for many women (and men for that matter) has got to be unloading the product. It seems impossible, when you look into a trailer and see, for example, one thousand cases of canned foods that weigh sometimes over fifty pounds each, stacked to the ceiling. Thankfully, most companies hire “lumpers” to unload this type of freight and wouldn’t ask a driver to do it (male or female). After all, drivers need to conserve their energy for actual driving. Sitting behind the wheel for long periods of time is enough to wear out anyone, and more and more companies are realizing that fact. Most lumpers make very good money, but they do indeed earn every bit of it. Some people consider the whole lumper system a scam (including myself, sometimes). But that is another story for a future article.

The history of women in trucking can be traced all the way back to 1929, when Lillie Elizabeth McGee Drennen got her commercial truck driving license and later became the sole owner of Drennen Truck Lines. According to www.ladytruckdrivers.com she was the first woman truck driver and the first woman to own a trucking company. She carried a loaded revolver at all times (she probably had to back then) and was known to kick her employees in the seat of their pants when they went against her rules. She must have been one tough cookie. She had to be, to survive in an industry where men ruled. In 1943 the Los Angeles Times called her “dry land tug boat Annie” and compared her pioneering efforts to Annie Oakley. In Hollywood, there were movie negotiations made with her regarding her life story, but production never occurred. Her company driver’s interesting uniforms included a ten-gallon hat. She later went on to give lectures about her experiences in trucking at Prairie View A&M College. Her life is a great story - I could write a whole column about her.

Women have surely come a long way since then. And I for one, would like to see more of them. These days, you can expect to find somewhere between five and thirty percent of women drivers at most companies. U.S. Xpress claims to be leading the way. They even have a team of women that have been with the company since 1993. Their trucks have automatic transmissions and are painted bright red. And what woman doesn’t like red, or an automatic transmission for that matter? Some companies target their advertising efforts directly toward women. There are at least two magazines and several websites that I know of directed specifically toward women in trucking. The trend is growing.

Some women start off as a navigator. These women ride along with their husband and read maps, make phone calls, do paperwork, etc. Then, after a while, the couple may realize that they could make twice as much money if she drove too. Husband and wife teams are in great demand and most companies love to hire them. And, if for some reason the happy couple breaks up, she knows that she can get a good job. I met a lady driver once, who was driving solo, who had learned from her ex-husband. And I’m sure that there are many other ladies just like her out there.

I once spoke to a class at a truck driving school that had more women than men. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were more women than men driving trucks one day. After all, the American dream is alive and well in the trucking industry. So come on over ladies - there is plenty of room (unless you’re here already). Thanks for listening and don’t forget to check out my fun and informative website at www.bigcitydriver.com.