A thread on the trucking forum recently discussed the physical strength required to be a truck driver, starting with the following question:
Please don’t laugh too hard…but as a 50 year old female, it must be asked…
How much physical strength is really required? I’m 5’3″…and a half. I’ve seen pictures of female truckers and my first thought is “I can do this.” But then I see job descriptions that say one must be able to pick up 100 pounds.
I’m hoping I won’t have to load/unload. I just want to drive.
The responses gave a practical view of the labor involved, including insight from female drivers that successfully deal with similar physical challenges. LavenderTrucker shares her experience:
Well, I am a woman… and I am no amazon… I am 5’3-5’4 and around 125 – 130lbs and in my mid 40’s… I am also pulling flatbed… so, the tarps are heavy, maybe around 80lbs, but usually I only have to move them on and off the fork lift, and pull them off my load.
For me I don’t think the work is so much about heavy lifting, but, just lot’s of different steps, Like in tossing the straps over the loads, then securing them.,. The winch bar isn’t necessarily that heavy… only it does seem to be heavier on the last strap than it was on the first.. LOL
For me, since I am pulling a flatbed, I also have to be comfortable and able to climb… on my truck, on top of my load.. so, it helps to be in shape. Usually again the fork lift guy will give you a lift to the top of your load… But, sometimes to, you are climbing up and down a couple of times and they have other things to do… It takes a little muscle and work to secure the tarp with the bungees and all… but again, it isn’t one big heavy lifting thing… it is a lot of tugging, pulling, streatching and hooking over and over…
Preparing for the tough work with weight lifting and strength training can be a crucial advantage, as proven by Texas Nana:
I’m 53, overweight (but I’m losing it by george!), have bad knees, and have always been a delicate little flower of Texas. Seriously, for 10 years I didn’t even put gas in my car…I am that pampered by my husband.
You can do and achieve what you desire enough. I wanted this job. I WANTED it BAD. So eventhough I had a severe leg and hip injury just before moving to AZ I began a work out program, bought a set of cheap weights and began lifting weights.
Last year Swift still had the work well program and we had to meet a higher requirement than just the DOT requirements.
I worked until I could meet the weight requirements of the work-well exam which was:
With a heart monitor on you had to lift 3 times from floor to waist 30lbs, 50lbs, 75 lbs. Then lift those weights 3 times waist to shoulder (placing on a shelf)Then carry 85 lbs for 150 feet. Then push at least 100 lbs which is done with a gauge device against a block. Then you pull 100 lbs with the same device. Finally you step three times onto a 26″ platform (which they had a bit high so it was actually 30″)
I did it. I had problems with the platform but I did it with the encouragement of other students
Big Don gives a Freight Handling 101 overview on what to expect:
The reality of it is, there are very few truck driving jobs where you won’t be required to load/unload or at least help in doing so. Even companies that advertise, “We are 98 % no touch freight,” still has that 2 % to play with.
In this business, you really never know what you are going to run into, that you will have to handle. When you deal with trucks and freight, anything can, and likely will happen.
Now I’m not trying to discourage you here. Not at all. I just want you to be aware that you are not going to find a job that is “just driving.” You have to be able to slide your tandems, if needed, raise and lower the trailer jacks, and believe me, some of these can be REAL ugly. You also will at some time in your career, likely have to jack up a fully loaded trailer that you have “jumped the 5th wheel on.” A REAL PITA, not to mention embarrassing as the dickens! You will also likely have to throw chains in the winter time, at least sometimes.
However, as Truck Driver said, most of the time, you can find someone to help you out if you are in a real jam. Particularly if you really look like you do need the help.
Most big companies will give you their own DOT physical, and included in that will be a strength test as well as a test of your “staying power.” But if you are really concerned about this, go down to your nearest truck stop and just watch the drivers. You will see folks there, that will make you just know that you will be fine!
Read the rest of the thread here…
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I was wondering what Big Don meant by “staying power”. I’m overweight and I smoke. Is this like cardio?
Yeah, there are times when you will be asked to do some physical labor. I spent 5 years OTR and in that 5 years, I did so little work on the job that my general physical condition went way down. So….the amount of physical work really depends on the company you are working for and the kind of frieght they haul. The driver is right, stop by a local truck stop. Some of the drivers there are so overweight that they can barely walk let alone unload a trailer. IN OTHER WORDS, you should be just fine. 😉
I’m glad i found this page. Answered questions i was usually too embarrassed to actually ask!
if you dont wanna load/unload, work for a company that in no touch frieght
If you can pass the dot examine your fine. You can hire people to lift things for you. If you cant find someone to hire,smile at the driver next to you he will instanly do it for you, how ever he might not stop talking to you.
I’m 5’2 or 3″ and weigh 150 lbs. I’m 60 years old but I feel 50 most of the time. Do you all think I can be a truck driver? I’ve applied and been accepted by several companies. By the way; any opions on the best companies to drive for?
Hmm… The only thing that gives me pause is the 26″ platform. I’m horribly overweight. I can lift 100 lbs easily. I have a niece that is 100+ and I’ve carried her to her room while fighting me the whole time and also dead asleep. However, stepping up really high is difficult (unless there is a handhold). I do know that I can get in to a truck though.
Sweetie, those strength requirements, I’m sorry to say, are designed to prevent women and partially disabled but otherwise capable people from being hired. The truth is — and I’ve been trucking since 1975 — you can go for ten years or more with most of the big name trucking companies without ever touching a piece of freight. And the strength required to drive a truck and crank the landing gear is next to nothing. It’s unfortunate because the most important thing is highway safety, not how much weight you can lift. If I were a woman truck driver and was discriminated against by one of those so-called strength tests, I would file a Title VII sex discrimination complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Good luck!
My question is if i am in a company that has no touch freight and they still require me to lift 60 lbs in order to pass a physical, is there some type of action i can do to stop this, due to the fact is im a female 5’2 and weight 150 lbs myself. I have been a truck driver going on for 10 years now. If i had to pick up 60 lbs or more every day then i would not be able to do this job. I think it stinks!!!
thanks
The physical is based on the following formula (220-age)*.9. So a person at 60 years of age
(220-60)*.9=144 as you perform these test if your heart rate is equal to 144 you flunk the test.
If your 30 yrs of age it turns out to be 166…so it basically discriminates against age. The older
you are the less likely it will be for your heart to stay within the lower range.
It’s more a matter of toughness and smarts than brute strength, as is so often the case. Learn to use the natural levers of your body, and have some tools available. I remember one old, old, old lady trucker (actually I didn’t even realize she was a she for a month or two) and she couldn’t have weighed much over 100 lbs soaking wet, but she was running a tanker truck and dragging the hoses around and getting the job done: like any experienced trucker she had a set of useful wrenches and bars. Most of the tricks these people learn are how we all should be doing it, it is the macho dudes who grab hold and try to butt heads with heavy loads, cranky valves, doors, ramps and loose loads and end up tearing muscles. A few moments of consideration often pays off, and I have laughed at myself when a girl comes along and uses a simple tool with ease where I was grunting, skinning my knuckles and bumping my head.
My question is, I am considering becoming a truck driver, but want to start off OTR. What companies pay for schooling and then get you into OTR right away?
Dave, one of the very best company driving schools (with driving jobs) I know of is also one of the oldest … Midwest Coast Transport (MCT) out of Sioux Falls, SD. Check them out at:
http://www.midwest-coast.com/index.cfm?ptype=article&article_id=26
Wow how things have changed in 12 years
I last drove for a flatbed company & we didn’t have no fitness weight test to do
Yep I had a 7′ ladder that I had to use like Santa climbing up a chimney to put a tarp on a huge A/C unit that had 3″ of snow on it wasn’t no fork lifts around for you to use
I didn’t see anything told to these people who want to drive,so I toss in my experience
You want to do this be ready for long term away time
Less it’s changed I was out 8-10 weeks ( 2+ months) at a time with 1 week home time before it’s back to the road so that’s another thing for newbies to think about
If you want lots of home time then stay local don’t go OTR cause that truck will be your new home
Yep no such thing as “No Touch Frieght” what that basically is saying is you won’t have to load or unload in most cases more like drop & hook & book stuff ,but you might in some cases have to deal with things that are not related to the cargo like frozen handles / frozen trailer brakes / bad pigvtail plugs even simple stuff like burned out lights on the trailer those are part of your pre trip
This ain’t Smokie & The Bandit or B J & the Bear type trucking it’s real deal & if you want to give it a try then do so just look at what you want to do & what all is involved with it
Do you want to run team or solo ?
Most newbies need to run team til you get some road experience then you can try your wings
Reason I say that is by running with someone with road experience you will get pointers that you can use in situations
Running Solo your own your own & you might learn the hard way on certain situation,but that’s part of the game
Oh & if you drink or use funky stuff then wrong job cause you have ANY TYPE of accident you have to take a chem test with in a short time & if you flunk the test you might be done driving
I know theres plenty out there playing the game,but just a matter of time til they get bite
Stay clean & you will have no issues with those test
Had a young 4 wheeler decide she her radio was more important then what was coming down the road & she was very lucky
Took the nose off her car put the passenger door in the passenger seat then put the rest of the car on the left side of the road
She got cuts & bruises
My damage was a bent front trailer tire that still was aired up nothing else
She got the ticket & that was during “Hell Week” which is when DOT & all cops are knit picking on all trucks running on the roads
That’s another thing for newbies to look at is you will no matter how safe you drive you do have the chance for being in an accident with a nasty outcome
If it’s you against a car … odds are in your favor … accident head on in snow/ice with another truck or rearending a truck in fog …. better have your stuff in order cause the odds are not in your favor
Ok don’t want to scare’em off with the stuff they will come across while driving,but I just want to put somethings out for you newbies to look at & decided if you really want to do this or just was thinking about it cause it’s the real deal once you get behind that wheel & there is lots of responsibilty being a truck driver
Sorry if I scared any newbies,but I want you to get some idea on what’s involved in this job
I’m having to start out at the bottom cause I’ve been off the road too long & there’s been changed since then & I got to go back to school then get back out there again
Give it a try if you can handle things then welcome to the world of trucking,but if you can’t don’t feel bad that it didn’t work out cause it just takes a certain kind of person to do this job & some people are just not what it takes
Great collection of responses that you have posted Samuel. Also so real good comments. It’s kind of a catch 22. Most large OTR carriers actually require very little loading and unloading and when they do, it’s less than 100 lbs at a time. Most of the time they have lumpers available to do the job for you.
Having said that, most quality companies will required you to be able to lift a certain amount because as was stated, you just don’t know what you will face. A good trucking company can’t end up with someone calling saying they can’t physically perform and there is no one to come to the rescue.
For a person in good health, you can easily do some strength training to be able to pass the strength tests, don’t worry so much about actually having to lift if you go to a company that says it is 97% (or better no touch). That’s 3 times out of a hundred having to load or unload, surely that isn’t too much to keep you from pursuing your desires.
What I always encourage drivers is to actually load and unload whenever they can, unless they are tired. You just read how many drivers are out of shape and overweight. Why not use the loading and unloading to get exercise while getting paid.
Too many of us are suffering from health problems not only for not eating right but not getting enough exercise. It’s really time for us to change the way the we look at things. Better to be proactive and try to stay in shape than to end up dealing with health issues later.
I woke up one day and realized that I was 50lbs heavier! I decided it was ridiculous and got rid of it in around 6 months by changing diet and doing a little exercise. Blood pressure went down, cholesterol went down. I probably avoided some other issues.
Any of you can do the same thing. Just decide you are worth the healthier body and lifestyle and take it day by day. It’s important. Please consider.
Good words, Hervy, and congratulations on your health accomplishments! And … great attitude!
If I’m 5’5 and 240 and I have high blood presser can I drive a Semi-trailer truck
Yes, but your doctor will have to prescribe something that will bring your BP down to an acceptable level. Should not be a problem.
you can do anything you prepare for, work hard at, an wanna do..that simple. i recommend be in shape…but can work around it prob if you’re not. just inform yourself about all aspects of the job, in deciding. an go for it.
I am a 4′ 11″ 42 year old female. My friends tell me I can’t reach the pedals to drive a big rig. I have never been in one so I am not sure. I want to pursue a trucking career to see the country (my friends also think I can’t see over the steering wheel), make better money, and get out of the 9-5 daily grind. I don’t have any health issues but am working on strength training as sitting in an office all day (and pasta) have taken their toll…..anyway, is there a height requirement that will stop me from getting into trucking?
I’m 56 yrs, 5′ & 146 lbs & about to start my career as a truck driver. I went to a driving school & they recommend putting a pillow behind my back. It helped. You can do this! Don’t let anyone tell you differently. Follow your dream!
Karen is right.
Wife is 5.0′ height, and close to 110 lbs. She was OTR for 8 years, driving the full 48 starting with a team on a dry van, solo with a refer, and later did I-5 route runs with tankers. Like the guys here said, learn to use your body’s most efficient manner to pass the physical capacity sections of the DOT exam. Trucks vary, and the Kenworth/Peterbuilts tend to have higher dashboards, where Frightliners like the Cascadia feature slightly lower dashes and also feature seat mounting frames that can easily be moved (several mounting hole options) forward, while still allowing the seat to adjust fore and aft. She had no problems reaching the pedals. Her simple tip for making money and surviving on the truck is to load up on decent food for the truck. Keep the wheels moving by staying out of truck stop cafes and other time wasters. Get fridge, microwave, and hot water pot. Trucks stops are for refueling and showers if you are teaming, not for losing time because you think you deserve a chicken fried steak. Buy the best canned, frozen, or dry pack meals with some fresh food at WalMart super centers when doing a driver change. She’d walk in a truck stop getting fuel and guys were drooling smelling her french pressed coffee and simple toaster waffles with fresh berries. Raked in bug bucks from big orange, several team of the months, milage bonuses, etc.
Every time I pass a small woman driving a truck I think to mysel, “does she have the forearm strength to maintain that truck on the road when that steer tire blows?” And, yes, they do blow. Took everything I had to keep my rig upright and I’m a 6’2″ 200lb extremely strong bed bugger. Forget about loading and unloading your truck, can you keep it on the road without killing the family of five next to you!
Not intended to be a knock towards women drivers. I think the same thing when I see any driving school reject casually gripping the wheel with one hand. It’s not a damn car. It’s an 80,000lb hunk of metal, plastic , and rubber that needs to be respected.
Hi all. Quick question/concern I’m having. So I just recently completed truck driving school and have applied to two separate companies. Both companies required me to do a ‘squat test’. Meaning you have to squat down, walk five feet through a 4′ tube thing, without touching the ceiling or the sides.. or falling, of course. I’m kinda tall and and a touch overweight, but I could handle every other test but this one. I kept hitting my head on the ceiling so much that I had to try and hold it down, which screwed up my balance. So, I guess my question is: Is this test normal? Do all/most companies require this? I’d hate to think my truck driving career has gone down in flames because I can’t limbo under my truck…
I’m 20 years old, I know most companies don’t like under 21. But I am 5’2 and very overweight. Although,i have been involved in sports my whole life, is there a weight requirement? And would this be easy or do able for me?
In 5’10 and 297 pounds. I’m overweight but Im extremely physical and strong. Would I have a problem passing my physical? And also, my neck is exactly at 17 inches. I might as well lose a good 50 pounds so I don’t have to do the sleep study right?