In June I received a call from some veteran Women Truck Drivers who had grown weary of waiting for any significant issues to be addressed by the non-profit organization called “Women in Trucking”. They had grown increasingly upset that the credentials for some of the Women representing the organization were less than accurate.
For five years they, like myself have seen nothing but Facebook and Twitter posts thanking sponsor after sponsor for joining up and providing funds to the organization without anything solid to list as achievements for change or to foster an atmosphere of inclusion.
Yes, President Ellen Voie’s salary has more than doubled which has apparently afforded her the luxury to buy herself a plane and throw a public tattoo party for less than a dozen others but what about the female truck drivers who thought she going to lead the charge to have them recognized with respect?
While offensive WIT carrier member sponsors like CRST Van Expedited continue to have allegations about them on their unethical lease programs, the massive sex harassment case, plus a million dollar judgment against them for former female trainee, Karen Shank they still have not implemented any intelligent system for students in distress to find assistance from a qualified person.
CR England, who I wrote about abandoning a female student two years ago became a Women in Trucking member after I made public the incident on the http://www.REALWomeninTrucking.com blog and “Real Women Truckers” Facebook page with the help of other veteran drivers. Ellen Voie did not reach out to the abandoned female who was then living in her car in a Wal-Mart parking lot following her CR England training experience but she did reach out to CR England for sponsor dollars. Have they changed their ways? Not according to a recent trainee who was cornered by her phase two male trainer and stated that she never heard of Women in Trucking before I asked her how the incident was handled on a recent Women Truckers Network Weekly phone conference.
This morning I met another recent CR England female student who alleges that she was asked to run hazardous materials when she did not hold a hazardous materials endorsement, she has been driving less than 6 months. She also told me that she had been shut down for running bad equipment by the DOT but told by CR England to roll anyways. She is now at another carrier and was able to get out of her lease contract by threatening breach of contract due to the poor equipment. Still, she said she has lost her car because of the poor pay and other conditions she experienced since entering truck driver training. She told me that she picked up a recruiting magazine and saw a female trainer she recognized in a CR England advertisement that she actually had as a trainer. This female student claimed the female trainer spoke more about her boyfriend woes than providing good training to her. We talked about how important good female mentors are and why the Women Truckers Network is so important for Women entering truck driving.
No appropriate sexual misconduct training is being offered at training carriers although volumes of free material has been sent directly to these carriers and to Ellen Voie personally over the past 5 years. Much of the material from working female drivers employed at training carriers who have the most high profile issues with sexual misconduct and are sponsor/members of Women in Trucking.
So what became of all the free material? The only thing produced that we can identify has been an ultra-secret anti-harassment document that is only available to the highest paying sponsor members. Free material was offered and now it is only for sale?
Personal safety of women entering truck driver training should not be for sale to the highest bidder, it should be free to all who want the information. Ellen Voie was provided free material for the good of all drivers and to protect Women entering truck driver training so that they could be safe and successful. It was given in good faith that Ellen Voie would do the ethical thing but she has failed to deliver.
Truck carriers have a requirement for Smith System classes and recertification for hazardous materials knowledge but in the year 2012, the year of the “War on Women” political football, a sexual harassment policy and teaching session as to what that means exactly is still non-existent although different genders are supposed to live and work together in a box the size of an elevator.
Ellen Voie made in clear in her Question and Answer on the Real Women in Trucking blog that WIT is NOT a driver organization, yet she has persisted to assemble Women drivers in her annual photograph to use for promotional materials. Each year, her personal income increases even though the number of Women truck drivers has decreased at her event. Is it because some have begun to realize they are being tricked to stand for a photograph that permits Ellen to use their image to garner more income for herself without doing anything to help the female driving population?
I attended the 1st Salute to Women behind the Wheel and I brought 2 other Women with me. One who was a former CDL holder but had no valid driving credential at the time of the event. The other Woman was never a CDL holder. Both were offered the chance to attend the Salute to the Woman behind the Wheel.
One was given an award for having over a million safe miles, though no one checked her credentials to validate her claim or if she even had a valid driving credential at all. The second Woman caused a disagreement in the Women in Trucking booth because she had previously made derogatory comments about Ellen Voie’s credentials to represent Women in any capacity. While I agreed with the observation, it was true that this Woman was not an actual truck driver. (Ellen Voie has never been a truck driver but got a CDL and wrote a book about it, she has yet to pull an actual load) I clarified that the second Woman was not ever a CDL holder at the event but the second Woman was determined to be recognized despite her cloudy credentials.
The truth though was that the credentials for many of the Women, including those in top honored spots have been in question since the first event and subsequent events. Miles have not verified, credentials were not checked, nor safety records. This information comes from my own personal experience and private conversations with the three Women in the front row of the photo widely used to promote Ellen Voie’s non-profit organization. There is no way to tell how many of the Women are actual CDL holders or if they are spouses of truck drivers because no accurate credential records were kept yet the photo was supposed to be for the Guiness world record which would invalidate it if there had been enough Women standing for the photo.
These Women stood for the photo because they thought they were making history and now many feel duped. I spoke to the people a Guinness World records recently and I am convinced no adequate procedure was followed at any Salute to the Women behind the Wheel event to appropriately validate the credentials to break a record to assemble the most female truck drivers.
The three Women in the front row of the photo from the 1st salute confirmed this to me from their experience with the event. Two are founders of the “Women Truckers Network” Weekly free phone conference events and the other is Ingrid Brown.
Women in Trucking has become a “buy a logo” non-profit organization and sadly this negates the integrity of any carrier who is associated with one of the carriers that are recently engaged in sexual harassment litigation that include rape and assault allegations in training.
Ellen Voie has persisted to seek Department of Justice Violence against Women grants for more funding to her organization when it is her sponsors that commit the most reported violence against women entering truck driver training.
Madeleine Albright Quote: “There’s a place in Hell reserved for women who don’t help other women.”
My question: What about Women who use other Women?
After trucking for over 25 years you know I loved reading your post thanks!
Quote: “While offensive WIT carrier member sponsors like CRST Van Expedited continue to have allegations about them on their unethical lease programs, the massive sex harassment case, plus a million dollar judgment against them for former female trainee, Karen Shank they still have not implemented any intelligent system for students in distress to find assistance from a qualified person” Endquote
to this day they have done absolutely NOTHING! CRST could truly care less about any driver let alone the women. I have asked them repeatedly (over 10 times) via email and on the phone, for a female co driver and the answer is always the same, however after sitting at a terminal as my last male co driver said “put out or get out” for the second time in 2 weeks as it happened with another co the week before. While there I met a man who had just received and showed me a co driver list containing 4 women, one was even from my home state! The terminal manager sent me text messages asking for nude pics and to see the twin sisters. I have met women in this company, myself included, who have endured some of the most horrendous situations imaginable and still even after the lawsuits CRST simply does not care. I reported sexual harassment, via email to upper management and didn’t receive so much as a response
I wrote the truthabouttrucking website and respectfully asked them to please stop promoting CRST as a way to get your CDL, I havent received a response yet but I hope to.
I am SO glad to have found your blog, a true Godsend, now I don’t feel so alone out here! THANKS and GOD BLESS YOU.
Dear Karmen:
I am so sorry to hear that CRST continues to do nothing about their sexual haraasment issues and retains the policy to hinder women trying to network with one another. I sent you a private email and hope we can talk. I know Allen & Donna Smith from http://www.truthabouttrucking.com and have never known them to endorse this carrier not only because of the sex harassment allegations but also the unethical lease program and poor training practices at CRST. I am wondering if you might be thinking of http://www.truckingtruth.com which is a knock off off the site created by the Smith’s but also does carrier recruiting for some of the worst carriers.
The law firm that handled the Karen Shank Case is out of California, Here is the link. Your information would be helpful probably for them to know that nothing has changed and perhaps they can help you fight back as well. I hope you have been documenting everything that has been going on.
Here is that law firm link.
Strikeback Law Bohbot & Riles
I would also like to invite you to join our weekly women truckers network phone conference. several of the gals are former CRST drivers who experienced what you are going through. The links for this conference are here on this blog and the blog called http://www.REALWomeninTrucking.com
Hope to hear from you in response to my private email.
Thanks,
Desiree
Karmen,
The lack of involvement, apathy, and indifference which has plagued the industry towards new drivers ( both men and women) is reprehensible. Leasing scams, poor driver training, and low pay just touches the surface.
We at TruthAboutTrucking or AskTheTrucker do not promote ANY carrier who abuses drivers whether it be through poor driver training, sexual harassment, or rip off leasing scams.
Desiree is correct, you must be referring to TruckingTruth.com who has been using my articles on his website ( includes my name) in an attempt to have people believe that he is “reputable” and “credible”
We had 2 or 3 shows about 3 years ago on Blog Talk Radio regarding sexual harassment and employer abuse in general. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/truthabouttrucking
They are in the archives and you can listen to them.
We plan on touching on this topic once again as we include the need for more regulations and accountability for driver training, We have written the FMCSA regarding this need as well as spoke to Anne Ferro ,administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, on a radio show that RIck Ash of the Trucking Solutions Group hosted.
As more people address the issues of driver training ( or the lack thereof) the more serious an issue it will become. Unfortunately, there are so many issues plaguing drivers that it has once again been overshadowed by: Low driver pay, EOBR’s, Increased regulations, PSP, CSA, …etc
These are ALL important issues and will take many people involved to get the awareness that they all deserve.
The problem is that working for a cause means hours of dedication to research, writing, phone calls, blogs, forums, social media sites, etc….
People start out with a fury, but then realize all the work it takes to follow advocating their passion/ conviction. Many give up, and it leaves much of the work load to just a few. The old 20/80 Rule.
I am male and an ex driver, but I applaud your blog and seriously hope you can keep up the great work. It bothered me back then, that female drivers were treated as distractions for the male drivers instead of viable drivers providing the same service as their male counter parts.
Thank You for the comment. I truly feel the key to shining a light on this topic is for more male drivers to stand by the side of female drivers who they know to work just as hard, sometimes having to work harder to be thought half as good. More Men speaking up rather than remaining silent it the ticket to make change. I appreciate you stopping by my blog.
Thanks,
Desiree
Passion can be used to lead and it can be used to exploit. I’m sorry there are so many women in trucking being exploited by the leadership of the very organization formed to protect them.
Keep on sharing.
Luke
PS- If you’re in Savannah any time soon, I’d love to do a shoot.
Keep up the good fight. I think the more important information like this post you put out there the more support you will get. I for one feel for all woman truck drivers out there and I really hope you guys can achieve equality soon. Thanks for the read.
Thank You for the encouragement. Tomorrow night we launch an internet radio program where we can choose the sponsors. This will help us in our fight to expose the truth about CDL Training scams and the carriers like CRST who have done little to nothing to change their ways even after the massive sexual haraasment allegations and judgements against them. Organizations like WIT have done little more that provide a smoke screen “buy a logo” which seems to be the cheap way out of correcting the situation.
Our internet radio program will air every other Tuesday night on blog talk radio, We appreciate the support. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/womentruckersnetwork