Women drive home trucking careers

Women drive home trucking careers. Michelle Chandler takes the wheel of her truck at James Dick Construction Ltd. in Bolton. She's an honours graduate from the Humber Transportation Training Centre. The centre has partnered with the Community Microskills Development Centre and Rexdale Women's Centre to offer women who have experienced violence a chance to get their 'DZ' licence, in hopes the opportunity will improve their self-esteem and economic self-sufficiency. Staff photo/ANICE WONG

Since the age of 18, the native Barbadian drove every truck in the fleet of her family's construction business. In fact, she was the only female truck driver on the entire island.

In 2004, the positive, high-energy, no-nonsense single mother came to Canada for better educational opportunities for her son, Morgan, now 12.

An honours graduate from Humber College's Humber Transportation Training Centre, she earned an "AZ" licence to drive the 'big rigs,' tractor trailers.

After 13-hour days doing long hauls throughout the U.S., Chandler shopped her resume door-to-door. Now she's in her second summer driving a shiny, new, red automatic triaxle, hauling sand and stone to construction sites across the GTA for James Dick Construction Ltd. in Bolton, Ont. where she is one of four women drivers.

It's not a 9 to 5 job. Often, she hits the sheets by 8:30 p.m. for the 5 a.m. shift.

But she loves it.

"It's a great experience. I love it. I like knowing that I'm doing something different every day," said Chandler, 35, wearing a fluorescent shirt and steel toed running shoes, after she had parked her 23,850-kilogram dump truck.

What's it like being a woman driving trucks in a male-dominated profession?

Great, Chandler said.

"Recently, a driver next to me blew his horn. I wasn't doing anything. The guy gives me the thumbs up," she said. "At a Tim Hortons, a guy driver said to me, 'Are you driving that? Way to go!' It's a friendly environment for women. Male egos are gone now. Women are coming in now and proving themselves."

Now, 75 other women - among society's most vulnerable - are being offered an opportunity to get their "DZ" licence to drive automatic straight trucks (not tractor trailers) with airbrakes or work customer services jobs for courier companies, distribution centres and public transit services.

Etobicoke-based Community MicroSkills Development Centre heads the cost-free Women in Transportation Program in partnership with Rexdale Women's Centre and Humber College's Humber Transportation Training Centre.

Funded by the Ontario Women's Directorate, the 26-week program is open to women who have experienced violence or who may be at risk. To learn more and to apply, call 416-247-7181 ext. 2328.

The first program began Sept. 14. Another begins on Nov. 9. A third program starts on March 1, 2010.

To qualify, applicants must hold a valid "G" licence; pass a written test to assess driving knowledge; demonstrate a minimum Grade 10 literacy level; pass a Ministry of Transportation driver's medical and visual exam and obtain a classified licence learner's permit from the Ministry of Transportation.

It is also recommended applicants have driven a minimum 20,000 kilometres in Ontario in the past year.

"This domestic violence employment training project will help women for whom this is a critical intervention," said Jane Wilson, director of women's services with MicroSkills. "It's an opportunity to provide more women in this exciting field. The women's directorate is committed to supporting initiatives like this that help women access non-traditional occupations."

Research quickly identified truck driving as a growth industry, confirmed by the Canadian Trucking Human Resources Council.

Trucking is a $67-billion industry that employs more than 500,000 Canadians, the council reports.

After all, what isn't at some point on a truck? asked Karen Tavener, director of transportation training with Humber Transportation Training Centre.

A student once called the centre, "the Harvard of truck driver training."

Tavener cites the well-known Ontario Trucking Association advertisement that shows the only thing not delivered by truck - a baby.

"People have got to get past (thinking) it's a ceiling. There are opportunities. Women are welcomed in the industry," said Tavener in the centre's offices on Woodbine Downs Boulevard near Finch Avenue West and Hwy. 27. "We need to tell women there are real opportunities. It can be a really good job for people."

In the mid-'90s, there was a huge upswing in the number of women training to be truck drivers largely because of funding support, Tavener said.

One male employer recently told Tavener he prefers to hire women drivers.

"Their customer service skills are strong, they're gentler with the equipment, they keep the trucks cleaner, the paperwork is good and they can multi-task," he told Tavener.

It is an exciting time for women in the trucking industry.

"We've come a long way," Tavener said. "When you're out in your car, look around and see in the trucks who is actually driving them. You'll be amazed at the number of women you'll see. When I grew up, you could be a nurse or a teacher. Now you can be whatever you want to be."

Wages are good, with starting rates between $17 to $21 an hour. Most firms offer benefits, of particular importance to single mothers, she said.

In fact, women referred to the program by Rexdale Women's Centre told counsellors tough competition and low pay often attend traditional jobs.

The women want a challenge; a non-traditional career that offers flexible opportunities, a sufficient salary and recognition, said Saadia Akram-Pall, director of programming with Rexdale Women's Centre.

Multi-ethnic women access the centre for settlement services, violence prevention, employment help, language instruction and family programs.

Women established trust with centre counsellors that allowed them to disclose their experiences of violence, and to seek help. Those counsellors then made internal referrals to recommend women to the program.

"Sometimes women who are experiencing violence at home find it very difficult to go and recruit for a program because of problems within the family, going out and low self-esteem," Akram-Pall said. "Sometimes even though they have all the skills, education and tons of experience, they are reluctant. They feel 'This is the end of my life. There's nothing left for me.'"

The program's goal is to help women break the cycle of violence and become economically independent.

"I hope this project is going to make a big impact in the image of women and also in the lives of women; giving them self-esteem and self-sufficiency to move on in non-traditional careers and break the cycle of violence, which is very challenging, especially for immigrant women who already faces challenges and struggles."