Women in Trucking

68 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 12 study. Dr. Rachel Aldred studied different modes of transportation, from bicycles to motorcycles, buses, cars, and commercial trucks. She found trucks to be involved in one out of every six deaths on the road. Dr. Aldred included gender in her research and found that men were, “twice as dangerous to other travelers.” She said that male commercial drivers were four times as dangerous as women. Her recommendation was for, “policymakers [to] consider policies to increase gender balance in occupations that substantially involve driving, given the greater likelihood that road users will be killed if men rather than women are driving…” The Women In Trucking Association firmly agrees that more women should become professional drivers, not only because they will make the roads safer, but because these are great jobs for both women and men. The biggest challenge for the WIT remains convincing women they can do this job. There is a misconception that trucking is a “man’s career.” Many women assume they would need to be mechanically minded, or exceptionally strong to handle the cargo. The WIT argues that this isn’t the case anymore. Most loads are not touched by the driver, who truly transports the trailer from the shipper to receiver. Some of the ways the Women In Trucking Association addresses these misconceptions include its Image Team drivers who provide media interviews, conduct product assessments, and do ride-along with legislators, regulators, and members of the media. They can share their insight one-on-one with someone who may be able to create change in the industry. The WIT also created a driver ambassador program which includes a trailer we call WITney. Inside the trailer is a learning environment including videos and touchscreen tablets that offer interactive sessions about things like WOMEN IN TRUCK ING (WI T )