Women in the Trucking Industry
.jpg)
Earlier this week, Bloomberg Business published an article on the number of female truck drivers entering the industry to curb the U.S. driver shortage. Not only have a record number of women confidently stepped into this new role, but the article goes on to show facts that these females are outperforming their male counterparts.
Just last fall, NPR's All Things Considered aired a special segment, entitled: "To Reverse Driver Shortage, Trucking Industry Steers Women to Jobs." The news story outlines how America's trucking industry is slowly turning to women to bolster their numbers after the Recession of 2008.
Here are some facts about women in the industry, compliments of the Bloomberg article cited above:
- According to American Trucking Associations, women account for 5.8% of the 3.4 million U.S. Truck Drivers, compared to 4.6% in 2010.
- More women are willing to go solo on the road, Swift Transportation's COO Richard Stocking estimates that about 6-7% of his 19,000 drivers are female, and about half of them drive alone.
- Accordign to Werner Enterprises COO, Derek Leathers, women drivers are outperforming males in their company with regard to accidents, inspections and compliance issues.
In this predominantly-male trade, many women have found comfort in solidarity. In this spirit, the nonprofit Women in Trucking Association (WIT) formed in 2011 to "address obstacles [and] encourage women to enter careers in the trucking industry." The association works to encourage employment of female drivers and offers scholarships to women pursuing a career in the trucking profession. For more information on WIT and their purpose, visit www.womenintruckingfoundation.org or follow them on Twitter.
Along with Con-way, TrueNorth and Truckers Service Association (TSA) commends these incredible women for making an impression on America's trucking industry:
TrueNorth Keeps You Safe on the Road
At TrueNorth, our mission is to assist transportation companies and their people with protecting and maximizing assets, resources and opportunities. Learn how TrueNorth's Transportation Division can help you achieve your goals and provide peace of mind while you're on the road. Call us today at (800) 877-9637.