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A truck pulls into the Pilot Flying J truck stop in North Stonington, CT on July 21, 2020.
A truck pulls into the Pilot Flying J truck stop in North Stonington, CT on July 21, 2020.Lane Turner/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
  • Female drivers take extra precautions to make the road safer.

  • Since the beginning of the Pandemic, cargo theft and crime have gone up.

  • The majority of female truck drivers feel unsafe while on the job, according to the non-profit Women in Trucking.

During her 15 years working as a long-haul truck driver, Jeana said she carried a knife, club, and s revolver with her.

It was not legal. She told Insider that it wasn't the right thing to do, but that she needed to do it to maintain her safety.

As the trucking industry attempts to recruit female drivers to combat labor shortages, some women say they go to great lengths to conceal the fact that they are alone in a truck.

Despite seeing a greater acceptance of women in the male-dominated field, five truckers and three safety experts told Insider that female drivers need to take extra precautions to protect themselves on the road.

"We face what any woman faces when traveling alone, except we face it every day," said 27 year old truck driver Trish Bennett. I keep my curtains closed, and I stick to the areas that are more well lit. I avoid the big cities at night.

Different ways female truckers stay safe

A recent survey of over 400 female drivers by the non-profit organization Women in Trucking shows that more than half of them have felt unsafe on the job in the last year. 4% of respondents said they had been raped while on the road, and 20% said they had been threatened by a weapon.

Current and former female truck drivers who spoke to Insider described protective measures they have taken on the road, including bringing a dog, rape whistle, learning self defense, and carrying weapons like knives, tire thumpers, and guns.

Some drivers made efforts to disguise their gender and avoid tight clothes, as well as taking extra steps such as using a makeshift restroom inside the truck, and displaying items on the dashboard such as baseball hats.

The five drivers all agreed that being aware of your surroundings was the most important thing.

Female truck drivers avoid parking in the back 40 of truck stops to avoid walking long distances alone. The lack of parking spots for truck drivers makes this more difficult.

The strategies that are taught in company trainings and at driving schools won't work for truckers, according to a former safety consultant. Female drivers rely on each other to learn realistic ways to prevent unsafe situations.

Bennett said that female trainers and instructors are rare.

She said that male trainers can't tell you what to expect as a woman on the road.

Both male and female drivers say truck stops can be unsafe

Since the start of the Pandemic, cargo theft has gone up as over stressed supply chains and rising costs of everyday goods have made them easy targets. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, trucking is one of the most dangerous occupations for vehicle accidents and health concerns.

Walmart truck driver Carol Nixon said that if someone is intent on breaking into a truck, they don't care if it's a male or female. Two male truck drivers told Insider that they had their personal items stolen at truck stops.

Sally Feinen is a 26 year old truck driver who is very leery of other people on the road. We don't know if they're waiting to rob you.

The majority of female truck drivers surveyed by WIT identified rest stops and truck stops as places with significant safety threats.

Many carriers do not allow company drivers to carry weapons of any kind, even though there is no federal law that prohibits it.

Feinen said that her only weapon is her truck's tire thumper, a wooden bat-shaped tool that helps a trucker check their tire pressure.

Some women will tell you that they are always scared. Nixon, the Walmart driver, said that there are some women who say there is never anything to worry about. Overall, this is a great job.

The original article is on Business Insider.

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