Along with many professions, trucking is considered as a male job.
The gender breach in the trucking industry has grown boundless that it is hard to even picture women truck driver.
While truck driver shortage continues to be one of the greatest challenges, female drivers represent a large workforce that needs to be kept in mind.
Women are more and more attracted to this line of work because there is equal pay and a big demand for this type of business.
Statistics
Between 2010 and 2019, the number of women truck drivers in the U.S. increased by 68%.
Regarding the statistics from the Department of Labor, the current number of professional truck drives in the United States is 3,364.000, from which 7,8% percent are female drivers meaning 262,392. See our trucking facts infographic for more stats.
According to the Women in Trucking Association, women make up just about 10% of all truck drivers in the United States and it is recorded a 2% increase since 2019.
Report by the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford, male drivers are more likely to be involved in crashes than female.
Challenges for women in trucking industry
→ General Characteristics
An average woman height is 5 feet and 4 inches which is 6 inches shorter than the characteristic male driver.
The typical female weight is 160 pounds, while male is 213 pounds.
Generally truck cabs are built to fit the physical size of a man.
It’s harder to reach the controls and get the seats adjusted into a comfortable position while keeping the feet on the pedals.
Ellen Voie the CEO of the Women in Trucking said “It’s important for manufacturers to make trucks more female-friendly through moderate design changes for seats, pedals and gauges.”
She has met the Peterbilt engineers at the manufacturer’s factory also addressed the Future Truck Committee at the ATA’s Technology & Maintenance Council Conference.
→ Safety
The most important aspect in being a professional truck driver.
Women wish to feel safe and secure in their working surroundings.
In a survey conducted by Sawgrass Logistics, female truckers rated a 4.4 out of 10 on how safe they felt at their occupation.
Nighttime and sleeping arrangements are indeed the riskiest considerations for female truckers.
Parking overnight in an isolated spot with few or no people around can produce a feeling of vulnerability and insecurity.
When it comes to restrooms and showers women truck drivers feature lot difficulties too.
Travelling across the country and stopping at different truck stops can lead into diversity of people personalities.
Solo drivers may feel for the most part uncomfortable.
Shady characters can easily become aware that they are driving alone.
→ Hygiene
A difficult task while driving for a whole day.
In view of the fact that this is not a big concern for male drivers, it definitely is for women.
We highly recommend to always pack a wet wipes and baby powder with you on the road.
→ Family and Home Time
Trucking can take its toll on relationships and family life.
This indicates an approximately of 280 nights away from home each year.
Research has shown women are more likely to be caretakers in the family.
Many mothers remain struggling with child care support.
→ Right Carrier
Finding the right carrier can also be an issue for women drivers.
Many companies promote their trucking career opportunities, but not that many implement those in reality.
It is extremely important to choose a company that has a large impact on a woman truck driver’s sense of individuality and value.
That can make women feel safe and appreciated in a male-dominated industry.
Some of the problems are out of the companies’ reach and drivers are facing them on their own. Read more on that topic.
Opportunities for women in trucking industry
→ Travel
Driving can be an ideal job for some women who like the freedom of open road, travelling and seeing the majority of the states.
Professional driving allows the opportunity for a flexible schedule and the opportunity to travel while getting paid.
There are many roadside attractions that are worth a stop to stretch your legs and take a great pictures.
We’ve picked 77 awesome roadside attractions.
→ Pay
Trucking is currently one of the highest-paying jobs.
It is one of the few businesses that truly offers equal pay for equal work.
Professional truck drivers are being paid based on the number of miles driven.
That mean that regardless of the gender, for the same miles driven, drivers get the same pay.
→ Government Support
Partnering with the Women In Trucking Association, an advisory board will be formed to classify, report, and address ways to increase the positions of women in the trucking industry.
Who was the first woman in trucking?
Luella Bates is the first licensed woman truck driver.
She was the first of six female employees of the Four Wheel Drive Auto Co.
Bates` career started when U.S. entered into World War I.
Because many male drivers had to go in the military, many jobs were left unfilled.
Bates and her fellow female drivers needed to pass a training period.
When that ended, they worked as a test drivers for trucks built by the company.
With opportunity like this, they gained an experience driving a lot of miles under a variety of road and weather circumstances all the way through Wisconsin.
When the war ended, and men came back mostly of the women became unemployed.
But that was not the case for Bates.
Related reading: History of trucking in the US
She stayed with the company. Recognizing her hard work and enthusiasm, the company made her an ambassador and sent her on her first tour in 1920.
This trip was part of FWD and Francis Hugo’s ‘Safety First’ advertising campaign.
Bates visited 25 towns and became the first woman to receive her license in the state of New York.
On May 1920 Popular Science Monthly article wrote: “Not only does Bates drive her own truck, but she does all the repairing herself.”
She became the face for women in the truck driving industry and gave an inspiration for women who had the same love for the transportation.
Famous women in trucking
Here are just a few of the amazing women who have shaped this industry:
Lillie Elizabeth Drennan
Lillie Elizabeth McGee Drennan (1897–1974) was the first licensed female truck driver in Texas and owned the Drennan Truck Line in Hempstead.
Rusty Dow
Rusty Dow worked as a truck driver for the U.S. Army Engineers/Alaska Defense Command during World War II.
Mostly she is famous for being the first woman to drive a fully loaded truck the entire length of the Alaska Highway in 1944. She completed the 1,560-mile trip in only 7 days.
Mazie Lanham
Lanham was the first woman to drive a UPS package car in May 1943.
Adriesue “Bitzy” Gomez
Bitzy was a female truck driver and part of the 1970’s Coalition of Women Truck Drivers.
She fought against discrimination in the industry, dealing with issues such as sexual misconduct and women’s bathrooms at truck stops.
The result of her work was crucial in creating equal opportunities for women in the industry and making it safer.
The official magazine of the Women In Trucking Association, every year chooses the best performers in the trucking industry.
The choice is not only made by their career accomplishments, but also for their extra support to other women.
Individuals recognized as 2021 “Top Women to Watch in Transportation” are:
– Carmen Anderson, company driver, America’s Service Line
– Reghan Grasty, associate general counsel, Apex Capital Corp.
– Arelis Gutierrez, president, Aria Logistics
– Susie DeRidder, company driver, Armour Transportation
– Darlene Wolf, senior vice president of strategic partners, Arrive Logistics
– Chelsea Woodhead, chief people officer, Arrive Logistics
– Lisa Massello-Hodges, safety manager, Asset Based Intermodal
– Bonnie Supan, vice president of operations and finance, Brenny Transportation
– Nicole Glenn, president, Candor Expedite
– Jennifer Wong, head of sustainability, Convoy
– Suzann Fakhoury, vice president of operations, Crossroads Equipment Lease and Finance
– Tracy Mack-Askew, general manager & strategy executive, Daimler Trucks North America and more.
Female owned trucking companies
These female owned trucking companies are open and dedicated to getting more women into the trucking industry.
Veriha Trucking
Veriha Trucking was founded in Wisconsin 1978 by John Veriha.
Today they provide transportation solutions in 48 states and parts of Canada.
AGT Global Logistics
Angela Eliacostas is the founder of All Girls Transportation (ATG).
She first entered the trucking industry while helping her father fuel. At his trucking company, she also washed and parked the trucks.
Now, she has more than 25 years of experience. Her company offers quality transportation services.
Knichel Logistics
Knichel Logistics is a woman owned and operated company.
They are certified as WBENC-Certified Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) and Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB).
The company was founded in 2003 by William Knichel and Kristy.
Their main goal is providing intermodal, less than truckload, full truckload, and specialty services.
Rihm Family Companies
Founded in 1932, the business extents over 4 generations of family and their first business Rhim Kenworth one of the oldest and largest trucking dealers in the United States.
Now this company is owned and operated by Kari Rihm.
She won 2015 Influential Women in Trucking award.
Aria Logistics
It was founded in 2013 by Arelis Gutierrez.
This company is member of the Women in trucking Association.
They are partner with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Brenny Transportation Inc.
Brenny was founded in 1996 by Joyce and Todd Brenny.
It is certified Women Business Enterprise.
It is also named as a Top Place for Women to Work by Women in Trucking.
Kenco Logistics
It is the largest woman-owned third-party logistics (3PL) provider in North America.
The company is certified by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).
Conclusion
Gender diversity brings new perspectives and innovation which leads to increased business performance.
Women make a positive difference in the trucking industry every day.
Being less aggressive drivers, having more patience and are less likely to cause an accident, can surely make them safer drivers than men.
The truck driving industry is making a change.
Every year more female truck drivers are hired in this industry.
We support and encourage our female truck drivers as they pursue their careers.
Many women drivers have said “Yes” to a truck driving career with Freightech.
We are striving to increase that number every day.
