Women in Trucking

66 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 12 The body that governs safety concerns is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Their goal is to make our roads safer by ultimately creating a future with zero roadway fatalities. Their approach encompasses safer read design, safer vehicles, safer speeds, safer people, and post-crash care. Other associations are stepping up to the plate and advocating the need for women to help address the overarching safety concerns held by the industry. For the Women In Trucking Association (WIT) the answer to conquer safety issues is simple; hire more women as commercial drivers. Since 2007 the nonprofit organization has worked tirelessly (no pun intended) to increase the ranks of women employed in the trucking industry, to address obstacles that might keep women from succeeding, and to celebrate the success of our members. Fifteen years ago, there was no data concerning women in the trucking industry. In fact, very few carriers even knew the percentage of female drivers in their own fleets. Women weren’t considered statistically significant, so data were not separated by gender. The Department of Labor reports women comprise under eight percent of all commercial drivers, however, they include “driver sales workers” in their data. The Women In Trucking Association conducted a survey of members and found women make up just under fourteen percent of over-the-road drivers, which is primarily tractor trailers. The WIT pushed for more information from trucking companies, insurance carriers, and the federal government regarding female drivers. Finding data was difficult, as much of the information available did not indicate the gender of the operator. In fact, even today the roadside inspection reports do not have a gender designation on the form. WOMEN IN TRUCK ING (WI T )