Woman with a shoulder injury

soft shoulderDefinition: A soft shoulder sign means that the lane or shoulder running along the side of the road is made of gravel, packed dirt or a combination of both. Soft shoulder signs warn motorists that the road is unstable and not suitable for driving.

Every week you and your drivers are delivering loads for customers. You travel the nation in your trucks and navigate the roadways as best possible so you can run your operation efficiently. Creating and keeping customers, recruiting drivers, keeping the equipment in good condition – it's a lot to put on your shoulders – on anyone's for that matter.

Every road is different. Hopefully most of the roads that you travel have a shoulder. A shoulder which gives every driver a little bit of 'driving- grease'…. some additional room on the asphalt surface – bit more safety; room for a margin of error when you are driving hundreds of thousands of miles/kilometers every year.

But some of these roads have soft shoulders. Shoulders which aren't paved – made of gravel or dirt – on secondary highways where the speed limits aren't as high, and where the driving is more exacting.

When you drive a truck you are always aware of 'the shoulder' …whether it's hard, soft, or there at all!

Behind the scenes in trucking businesses there are the Administrators – the people in the background who make sure that everything works. It doesn't work if you do all this driving and forget to invoice the customer. It doesn't work if you can't afford to pay your driver. It doesn't work if you can't comply with regulators. If you try to cut corners, inevitably you will tip over into the ditch. Hopefully you invest in some trucking software to ensure you have a foundation for success.

Many times the role of the administrator in a trucking business falls to women. They are the ones who do the paperwork, who keep the administrative side of the business in order. And so many times, this isn't their only job. They're not only working as an administrator in the trucking business, but often holding down another job AND running the household AND are the primary parent when the husband is on the road. He carries the load on your trucks. She carries the load at home.

juggling

At Tailwind, over 40% of the time, it's women that we talk to. The stats say that 97% of truckers are men, and only 3% women. But the times they are a-changing, and as demographics and norms of society change, more and more women will be driving.

My point is this. While women play a significant, and under-appreciated, role in the trucking industry, their impact on trucking will only grow beyond administration to other areas. It will extend in a greater way to driving and dispatch.

But it is important to take a moment and appreciate what women are doing for the trucking industry right now. To recognize what an amazing job that is being done right now by the women who are providing structure to the hundreds of thousands of small trucking companies across the continent.

So, to you guys – as you drive home along the interstate and take the exit to one of the secondary roadways – take a quick glance at the shoulder streaming by as your rig travels down the lane. And think about this: think of that other shoulder – the shoulder waiting for you at home. Think of your wife's shoulder – your fiancé's shoulder – your girlfriend's shoulder. Think of their contribution, to not only your business, but to your household, and to your life.

And when you get home – take a moment to caress that shoulder. Thank her for all that she has done for you. Kiss her on the cheek and be happy that you have arrived home safely to see her once again. Yes – there is a lot on her shoulders but that simple act will certainly lighten the load.