Safety Tips For Women Truckers

Thank you all for posting these tips. Today is my first day solo and I'm a bit nervous about being a lady out here on the road. I like the seat belt thru the door tip. I made sure to do this a couple of hours ago. I never would have thought of that! I got into trucking to team with my husband but the company won't let me team until I do 30k solo miles. I'll be a better driver in the end but I sure wish we were together.

So you are driving out on a deserted road and then a car comes out of nowhere (especially those that cannot be easily identified as police cars), there's no one else out there but you......noooo I think I will call 911 and find out if there is a real police operating on that road. By calling 911 and reporting you are afraid to stop coz you are not sure that is a legitimate officer, you are 'covering your back'.

You're free to do what you want. Just do not be surprised when you get a ticket, get a level 1 inspection, get your truck torn apart to search for drugs/alcohol/weapons etc. Police officers are trained to be suspicious of people who refuse to immediately pull over, and for good reason. Most people who do this have something to hide. The officer is unlikely to sympathize that you didn't think he or she was real. The first question will likely be 'Did you see my lights and hear my siren?'

If the unit who pulls you over happens to be commercial vehicle enforcement, things will be even worse. The DOT is notorious for not screwing around. I say this as a driver who's been pulled over several times at night, a few of which were on 'deserted' roads. I never thought to continue driving and call 911, but if I had I can virtually guarantee those nights would have gone quite differently.

Again, you can do whatever you wish. It's your truck, you are the captain of the ship. It's just my opinion that this is not a good practice, and I want other new and potential drivers to understand the possible ramifications of doing something like this.

Actually, if you call 911, explain you are being pulled over to the dispatcher , the dispatcher relays the information to the unit. You have full rights to do this as any vehicle owner. You are not refusing to pull over, so you are not breaking laws, you are however concerned about your safety, and unless the DOT or officer in question has a chip on their shoulder they should not hold that against you. Even if they do, better to be safe, then sorry.

If you are driving at night and see whirling lights behind you and it is a police officer trying to stop you and you are unsure if he/she is real or not; slow down, put on your flashers, and dial 911 with your location to make sure the officer is legitimate. Tell the 911 operator that you will stop at the next lighted exit if there is one close.

This is not good advice in my opinion and I wouldn't recommend anyone try this in a CMV. You must stop as soon as safely possible for law enforcement. Failing to do so is illegal and will at best lead to a hefty fine; at worst it will lead to your arrest, losing your job, etc. Note that anyone impersonating law enforcement who is targeting trucks is almost certainly not looking to hurt you; more likely they are trying to steal your load. Pulling into a well lighted area will not prevent that, if a hijacker wants to take your truck they will take it. All you will do by calling 911 and refusing to pull over is get yourself in hot water with a lot of real cops.

So you are driving out on a deserted road and then a car comes out of nowhere (especially those that cannot be easily identified as police cars), there's no one else out there but you......noooo I think I will call 911 and find out if there is a real police operating on that road. By calling 911 and reporting you are afraid to stop coz you are not sure that is a legitimate officer, you are 'covering your back'.

I too agree with Sera on this one C.S. is better to be safe and call it in to verify that the car behind you is legit, you will not get in trouble for been safe, as long as you slow down, and put your hazard lights on. You even do this in your own car when out in dark roads, hazard lights on, and slow down, get to the nearest intersection and if possible call it in to verify. The officer usually then gets notify why you don't want to stop or the dispatcher will tell you if you should.

There are very few reports of people imitating a police officer pulling women over in an attempt to assault them, and even fewer (if any) intentionally targeting semi trucks. In contrast, there are many instances of legitimate, actual police officers who have sexually assaulted women after pulling them over. By the logic presented in this thread, you shouldn't pull over for law enforcement at all, because there is a chance (however minute) they could mean to do you harm.

In any case, I'm not going to belabor my point any further. Do what you believe is best. I will continue to immediately pull over when safe (meaning I'm not a road hazard) for law enforcement. Perhaps I'll rue that one day, but I doubt it.

I do not own one of these, and I don't know if it could be mounted on a truck (the website says easy installation but not exactly how), but I've been seeing commercials and it looks like a pretty nifty device for $199 (the average price of adopting a dog for those of you who can't have one). If anyone gets one, let me know what you think! If I could afford it today, it'd be on its way! www.ring.com

If you have to park and sleep in a dangerous area, sleep with your head to the passenger side of the sleeper

Why?

So you can see the drivers door if someone is trying to break in that is where they would do it. Also bungee cord to steering wheel and your door handle.

Isn't it sad that we have to worry about things like this?

Great tips though :)

I agree. I too, will be a solo driver soon, am starting my refresher courses next week, then from there..... But have heard in the past, that its also a good idea to maybe keep a pair of mens boots visible in the cab, and/or an empty gun holster in the passenger seat. Looking forward to getting back on the road soon and will be keeping several of these points fresh .

Why?

Deb, I have no idea. Just copied the above from another website...womentruckers.org (not sure).

To answer this question: 1. If you have the vent open, someone can spray ether (starting fluid) into the bunk - near your head and it could cause you to pass out. The creep then has more time to get into your truck and do you harm. 2. Most truck bunks have the door on the driver side. Someone trying to break in will have access to your head when they succeed. Giving them access to your feet gives you time to respond - with a billy club or weapon of some kind (hairspray, aerosol spray cans of anything, cattle prod, wasp/hornet spray - works up to 25 ft but smells awful to clean up!)

These tips are very handy. I personally like the one of running your seat belts thru the door handles!!

Thank you for these tips. I'm getting back into the industry and these tips are very helpful.

YOUR HANDS AND FEET

Are you carrying a purse that someone can grab? Do not unless you know how to use it as a weapon. Have your keys ready to unlock the truck before you get to it. Can you hit someone effectively? If not, then find someone to teach you or take a personal defense course. What kind of shoes are you wearing? You should only wear shoes that you can run in without slipping such as: sneakers, boots, moccasins, loafers, or work shoes.

YOUR TRUCK

Always keep your doors locked. Use a device such as running your seatbelts thru the door handles or use a ratchet strap to hold your doors closed while you sleep especially in dangerous areas. Do not have things hanging in your truck windows that can identify you as female. This can alert predators that you are female and they may target you. Leave your sleeper curtains open if running solo, this way you can see if someone is hiding in there before you get in the truck. Never walk around behind your truck at night even to do a pre-trip, wait and do it later, or pull thru the fuel islands and do a walk around. Do not advertise where you are parked for the night. Do not talk on your CB at night while parked in a truck stop. Even with a small radio, someone driving around the truck stop can pin point you within a truck or two. Never allow anyone into your truck unless it is a mechanic or law enforcement officer. It is better to call information and get the local police number in a town than to get on the CB and ask for assistance. If you are broken down on the side of the road, put out your triangles, and then stay in your truck and keep the doors locked until help arrives. Avoid sleeping with your windows or vents open. If you have to park and sleep in a dangerous area, sleep with your head to the passenger side of the sleeper.

THE TRUCK STOP

Try to avoid parking on the back row. Avoid as much as possible leaving your truck after dark. Never sleep where you get your money from either cash advance or ATM. Always carry identification when out of the truck especially at a truck stop. Do not flirt with another driver while inside the truck stop, or out of it either for that matter. If another driver offers to walk you inside or back to your truck, do not allow them alongside of your truck where people cannot see. While it is ok to be pleasant if spoken to by another driver, do not engage in conversation standing in the parking lot after dark. Never get into another driver’s truck. Keep a list of the safe truck stops you run across. Always watch for suspicious activity around your truck when you are walking up to it. If you see anything suspicious return inside and alert the truck stop personnel. If you see suspicious activity while in your truck, stay in your truck and either call the truck stop or dial 911. If anyone approaches your truck, do not roll down your window, just wave them away. Walk around the ends of the parked truck rows, not between the trucks. If your clothing is dark, get some of that reflective tape and put it on when walking at night, or wear a reflective vest.

ODDS AND ENDS

If you are driving at night and see whirling lights behind you and it is a police officer trying to stop you and you are unsure if he/she is real or not; slow down, put on your flashers, and dial 911 with your location to make sure the officer is legitimate. Tell the 911 operator that you will stop at the next lighted exit if there is one close. If someone breaks into your truck while you are sleeping, try to get to the air horn lanyard and blow the horn. You can run a fishing line from the lanyard to the sleeper attaching it with fishing swivels and making a loop on the sleeper end. While many things like mace and pepper spray are illegal in some states, other things do as well as they do and are legal. Lacquer hair spray, perfume, windex, deoderant, spray air fresh- ener, and a fire extinguisher are all legal and can be used to spray in an attacker’s face to give you enough time to run. If you have a pet, walk them before dark or only in well lit areas. One of those canned fog horns sold in sporting sections of stores works well as an emergency alarm to attract help. Make a list of your common stopping places and give it to your family. Use I.C.E. (In Case of Emergency) in your cell phone to designate your emergency contacts.