Question:
My wife will retire from her job soon. I would like her as my team driver. Here is my question-
she is 52 years old & in good health,but only 5
feet tall and weighs 102 pounds. Can a woman that
small handle trucking? I do not mean to sound like
a jerk with this. I do not want her to get injured.
Thanks for any comments

Answer:
The short answer is, Yes she can "handle" that rig...well physically at least.
Most rigs made within the last 10 to 15 years are physically easier to drive than many cars. The Century Class high-rise conventional I drive steers as efortlessly as a Cadillac. You could practically steer it with one finger (two at most ).
And this is not unusual for most modern day trucks. I am about 5'6 and 115 pounds and don't even need a phone book for the seats.
Coupling, tarping (if applicable)... may take SOME elbo-grease...but nothing an abled bodied little lady couldn't handle.
She'll be fine, and no, she's not anymore likely to get injured than anyone of any other size.
G'Day folks.
Disagree with me? Tough.

Answer:
With Truck-O-Matic on this one. The short answer is yes. A little longer answer may have to include the possibility, in some trucks, of having to use blocks on the pedals, particularly the clutch so that she can sit behind the wheel comfortably, maintain good visibility, and still allow for a full and proper range of pedal movement.
I have a name not a number. I am not cheap but I am resonable.
Answer:
I think they said it all...
Won't know until you try!
Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission.
www.livejournal.com/users/trucking_life

Answer:
In one truck the seat simply wouldn't slide forward far enough. I could control the truck, but since the clutch brake was almost completely gone, I had to do some wierd stretches to get the tranny into reverse. The other units of that age and model were fine, so it was just the seat in that one unit.
In another truck, the seat wouldn't go low enough, so to compensate I'd slide it closer, and that unit had a huge, non-tiltable steering wheel in it that got in the way when I got close enough the seat to work the pedals comfortably. So I could either use the clutch brake easily, or breathe easily, but not both...
--
No matter what we think of Linux versus FreeBSD, etc., the one thing I really like about Linux is that it has Microsoft worried. Anything that kicks a monopoly in the pants has got to be good for something. - Chris Johnson

Answer:
I drive a 1999 Century 9 speed with tilt-steering
and jake brakes. I never thought about the pedal
blocks. That is a great ideal. My main concern
is can a small woman slide the trailer tandems,
release the fifth wheel and raise a fully loaded trailer with the dolly. Even dry van loads can be
heavy.
Thanks & Have a safe drive

Answer:
My main concern is can a small woman slide the trailer tandems, release the fifth wheel
On these two, if you take your time and or ar patient you can do both of these without the brute force of a weightlifter. Fifth wheel pullers help alot and give more leverage and keep you out from under the trailers. There are MANY aftermarket "pin pullers" that will allow one person to slide tandems with relative ease.
and raise a fully loaded trailer with the dolly. Even dry van loads can be
heavy.
There are some trailers that just can not be lowered with or without help! Sometimes the low gear is sheared off of the gear is bent up and there's just not alot you CAN do. I've had to help plenty of men lower or raise trailers. It's just one of these things that drivers need to help each others with.
Fozzy
Strong advocate and proud member of the "trucking is what you make of it" society...Established Circa 2002

Answer:
I thought you said you were gonna run "Team" with her... Aren't you gonna help her do anything?
Also, Haven't you ever seen a woman driver in a truckstop or at a shipper? They get all the attention. I'm sure she'll have no problem
If you're not happy with your position in life...change direction.

Answer:
Sure, she should be able to handle everything fine as long as she has the right tools for the job.
As Fozzy states in an eariler post pin pullers are almost a must for a women as our reach is shorter than you guys. And we just hate grease in our hair from the underside of the trailers. And as far as heavy trailers go there is always my old trick of deflating the air bags on the tractor getting a bit under the trailer, at least set in on the frame rails of the tractor and then inflating them and then try cranking the landing gear down to gain more clearence, hooking up with them deflated of course to gain the maximin clearance. It may take a bit longer but has saved my back in the end.
We have a lady at the company that I drive for that worked at the racetrack training and galloping throughbreds for 30 yrs before getting into trucking. She is only about 5'3" and 110 lbs soaking wet. She has driven almost 3 yrs now and runs solo and does fine.
JF
"Those who cannot think for themselves will allow others to make up their minds for them."

Answer:
size has nothing to do with trucking, everything else is there. lot of your companies have switched over to the allison automatics, makes driving a snap. good luck

Answer:
For sure I will help her. She is my wife. I have
spent 22 years of my life with this woman. She wants to do everything herself. Some people just
feel that way about life. I did a bet with her that she could not kick start my 1979 iron head
Superglide. I lost. My post was not to put down any woman. Just want to ask and get some info
from women truckers.

Answer:
To answer your question YES YES YES. I am 5 ft tall and weigh 110 lbs. and weighed only 90 lbs 15 yrs ago when I started trucking. I have always ran solo except for the few years that I trained student drivers. I currently am an owner operator and do a lot of my own work on the truck. My advice to you is to let her learn it all and also let her do it all when she is driving her 10 hours. There is no reason she cant slide tandems, unhook the 5th wheel, drive the city and back into a dock the same as anyone else. Many husbands hinder the experience that their wives get by playing the big guy and treating her like a helpless female. She is as capable of learning the job the same as you. Good luck to you

Answer:
in response to ekec41 what does size and shifting have to do with one another??????????? I don't know about your truck but I manage to shift mine just fine with one hand on the gear shift and the other on the steering wheel and I haven't strained any muscles or anything doing it. So please explain to me why a small woman or anyone else for the matter would need an automatic truck??? I f you can't learn to shift perhaps you have picked the wrong career I think the biggest mistake companies have made is pitting inexperienced trainees in automatic trucks.

Answer:
"only a man would ask such a question"
How about a concerned partner of 22 yrs? A loving husband wanting to see what his wife MIGHT have problems with? And maybe he didnt want to have her feel belittled and asked here instead of confronting her with his concerns about her physical size limitations NOT her gender.
One of these days YOUR type will hear the loud POP and you'll be able to see a man can be gentle and considerate all the while being macho and rough.
Heck if she can kick start a older hog because he doubted it, He is wise, not sexist, to address his concerns elsewhere. My 5'3" partner was like that. Kick your butt for doubting her abilities. Now she is really showing Me whats she is made of in her hopeless fight against cancer. Not that I had any doubts. I maybe slow, but 25 yrs. has shown Me womanhood at its best. You, Rainbo came up short with your comment.