Great Tips for Female Drivers

Meet Janet Johnson-Bernier, Women In Trucking Association's August Member of the Month I started driving with my husband in 1967. He died in a truck wreck in 1978 and after that I drove most of the time by myself. I have had a few team partners over the years and only one who lasted very long with me we are still the best of friends. I started hauling cattle, then went on to swinging meat, produce, flatbed, tankers, and dry vans. Now in my 72nd year of life and my 45th year behind the wheel, I would like to let the ladies out here think about what I have seen and give some of the older ladies a chance to remise about the good old days. The first showers for ladies were installed in Kingman, Arizona at the old Shell on what is now Interstate 40. That year, 1968, Little America, Wyoming put in showers and even a few bathtubs. Before we had our own showers, we either got our husbands to guard the men’s shower door or we rented a motel room to get a shower. North American Van Lines would not hire a woman back then, but they would let the wife (only) sign a moral clause so she could ride with her husband. Sam Tanksley was one of the first big companies to hire husband and wife teams; later he expanded it to team male and female. Tanksley paid a top wage at 0.25 split. When we pulled into a fuel island, a live person came out washed our windows, filled our tanks, and check the fluids levels of our oil, water, power steering (if we were lucky enough to have power steering), and if we were eating inside, they would pull our truck forward; if we were too long, they would ask us to park it, and in some cases, they would park it for you. Shippers were barely civil to us and most men back then would rather have had a hot coal dropped in there pocket than to offer assistance. As each of us learned, act like a lady you will be treated like a lady, but act like a tough trucker and look out for all kind of useless information. Ladies did wear jeans back then, but we never wore shorts or skimpy tops; too bad some of our ladies don’t follow that rule today. A lot of ladies smoked, but rarely outside of their trucks. I have seen so much out here. I know I am not the only one, but to my credit, I have logged over eight million miles, and only one real accident in 1973, a very stupid miscalculation. We ladies have faced the same hardships as the men. We left our children, husbands, and families to do a job; and for the most part, we did one hell of a job. We missed the family graduations, the birth of our grandchildren, and watching our children go to the games and just plain growing up. I have traveled end to end and top to bottom in to every state and every province of Canada. I have driven in every type of weather. I was one of 100 tanker trucks who hauled water into the New Orleans area for five months after Hurricane Katrina. Indian River Transport of Winter Haven, Florida sent us into the eye of that storm-ravaged state and we stayed until they got their water systems cleaned up. I did Homestead, Florida and I hauled into Yakima, Washington when Mount St. Helens spit her evil fire and dirt into the air. I have been on the cover of the America Trucking Magazine (December 1989) and even made the Shell Super Rig Calendar (1990) with my favorite truck of all, a custom built Kodak with an 80-inch sleeper, Imron® black and hot pink with pink butterflies on both sides. I plan to retire soon, so this is kind of like the end of the trail letter to all my lady friends and to all the ladies coming on. Remember the old ways and always go out of your way to help the new lady learn what she needs to know to survive out here. My 5 Golden Rules: 1) Take care and watch what is around you. 2) Don’t walk around truck stops after dark; park on fuel islands, get what you need, then lock up and park. 3) If you don’t know the person knocking on your door, do not open the window or door. 4) If you are being stopped on road, be sure you are certain that it is a real law officer. 5) Keep a cell phone handy and use it in real emergency in case you feel you are in jeopardy. Happy Travels, Janice Johnson-Bernier, Winter Haven, Florida Along with a certificate, each recipient receives a $50 gift card from Target Media Partners Trucking Division. Members can submit their story for this feature at mystory@womenintrucking.org Women In Trucking was established to encourage the employment of women in the trucking industry, promote their accomplishments and minimize obstacles faced by women working in the trucking industry. Membership is not limited to women, as sixteen percent of its members are men who support the mission. Women In Trucking is funded by its members and the generous support of Gold Level Partners; Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, LLC. Daimler Truck NA, Frito-Lay NA , Great Dane Trailers, Hyundai Translead and Walmart and Silver Level Partner, C. H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. For more information visit www.WomenInTrucking.org or call 888-464-9482. Ellen Voie CAE, President/CEO Women In Trucking, Inc. P O Box 400 Plover, WI 54467-0400 Ellen@WomenInTrucking.org 888-464-9482 920-312-1350 Direct Blog | Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | You tube