Combining working life and home not that easy By TAMMY McLEAN YOU CAN see Teri Gordon driving her International truck all over the northwest, Just Terri and the highway — from the log yards of Camaby to the roads west of Prince Rupert, She’s one of just a few female luck drivers in Terrace who makes the special sacrifice of running both a family and a big Tig. It’s not for everyone, You work extremely long hours, put on bundreds of miles and try to keep road rage under control. Only to turn around, come home and instantly become Mom for the rest of the evening. That — every day — is the life of a woman truck driver. A mother of two, Terri has been driving semi for three years now. “I tried mechanics, that didn’t work out,’’ she said, ‘I tried scal- ing, well I failed. Trucking was the one thing I succeeded in.”’ She trained three years ago with her father as the traincr. It was months of grunt work. Everything from greasing the truck to climbing. under the tractor-trailer to set up the brakes to struggling to find the strength to lift the bunks, and chains. All the while praying for good weather. “Knowing how to drive a truck is just not good enough,” she says. ‘You have to be able to do the whole jab.” Terri’s father, Bill, bas simple advice for women entering the field: ‘‘Accept the commitment. Take the guff. Don’t rely on someone else to do the work for you.” Terri didn’t let hard work or tough words get in her way. She persevered through many arguments, disagreements and tears of determination to earn ber litle as a professional truck driver. ' Now an owncr-operator, she is’ well on her way. But the-- highway - was -not- without frost heaves. “It was intimidating at first,’ she said of the decision to enter TRUCKER Terri Gordon such a male-dominated career. “T felt stupid when I missed a gear, I mean men miss gears. It’s okay, no big deal. ] felt stupid.”’ Now she says she feels like one of the guys, and appears confi- dent in her achievement. How does a professional driver who’s a mother as well juggle the long hours and parenthood? ‘You get no sleep, work your fingers. to the bone,’’ she says, “Even with a supportive old man, I still have to have that quality time with my children,”’ Her motherly instincts kick in the instant she walks in the door. “1 still cook supper, bathe the kids,”” she says. ‘I just can’t come home and crash on the couch, It gets pretty stressful.”’ Like other mothers in the work- force, Terri misses some school events or special days because of work. On occasion she invites the boys to come afong on the road. “They love it,” she says with a smile-! ‘Well, the oldest one does. My youngest is ready to pack it in for the day after the first trip.”’ Trail blazers like Terri are prov- 7] ing to all that women can do it, Other women considering the career should carefully think through the implications, how- af ever, and how it could affect their kids and spouse. “You never know what your hours will be,’? Terri says. ‘“You really have to think about the conseqrences of being on the road all the time,”’ Once the decision is made, proper training is the Key. ‘Make absolutely sure you have an experienced trainer that’s willing to take the time to tain you, no matter the frustrations,’ she says. ‘You don’t want to be left stranded out there,” Several companies don’t have straining in place, so prospective drivers have ta rely on good train- ing elsewhere. “As long as you have the train-- " ing behind you, the industry will always consider hiring a woman driver,” says Bruce Thieseen, Western Seaboard’s dispatcher in Terrace, ‘We were somewhat concerned as to how the male drivers would behave towards Terri, but they turned out to be very supportive.’ Leaming the ropes from some- one else is often the best route to a Class 1 licence. Even those whe go to driving school or take the four-day course at Northwest Community College are often better positioned to get hired after gaining further experi- ence riding with a veteran. “Tt was a bit of a novelty around here for a while, since Terri was the first woman we had hired in this location,’’ Thiessen says, ‘‘It turned out to be a posi- live experience — we wouldn’t hesitate biring another.” Those are encouraging wards for women to think about. In a town like Terrace where trucking is one of our main in- dustries, more and more drivers are sought. If driving truck sounds like the career for you, then what are you waiting for? Get out there and just do it! The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, May 5, 1999 - BF TERRACE €O-OP GAS BAR Forestry Means Jobs In Terrace! 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