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If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.

– John Quincy Adams

What do we know about women in trucking?

By Ellen Voie

Most of us would agree that there are more women employed in the trucking industry today than in the past, but do we really have a grasp on the advances women have made in this predominantly male dominated industry? How can we use statistical information to better understand the differences between men and women in transportation?

Historically, trucking has been a man’s domain because of the physical requirements needed to operate a rig. That changed when power steering, power brakes, drop-and-hook operations and more home time became the goal of carriers and drivers. No longer is the trucking industry restricted to big, brawny men who are required to wrestle with 32,000 pounds of “finger printed” freight each day.

Women have always been visible inside the cab, under the hood or in the terminal, but the exact number of women drivers currently on the road is difficult to define. According to research conducted by Global Insight for the American Trucking Association in 2005, the percentage of women in the truck transportation industry in 2000 was 4.6 percent, based on U.S. census figures. This same report shows that the percentage of women in the truck driver workforce has hovered around five percent since 1994, peaking in 1997 with just over five percent. They are also projecting that only 4.1 percent of the driver workforce will be female in 2014.

If you were to use the U.S. government data for statistical information regarding women in transportation, the numbers vary between segments of the industry. The 2006 U.S. Table of Employed Civilians from the January 2007 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics by industry show that 5.2 percent of “drivers, sales workers and truck drivers” are female.  (This is in comparison to 6.1 percent of women employed by “refuse and recyclable material collectors.”) The Canadian Trucking Human Resources Council has estimated that the percentage of women in trucking in Canada is only 3 percent, much lower than its neighbors to the south.

Strategic Programs, Inc. (www.strategicprogramsinc.com) is a Denver-based company that conducts exit interviews for many of the largest carriers in North America. Their database includes information from more than 31,000 driver interviews. Their demographic data shows that 10 percent of company drivers are women, and 11 percent of independent contractors are women. This seems to be a little more acceptable in regard to the growth of women in the industry. Despite the seemingly visible numbers of women behind the wheel and in the office, the percentage seems to remain constant (according to the statistics.)

Daimler Corporation (www.daimler-trucksnorthamerica.com) asked Women In Trucking members to respond to a survey about women in the industry in November of 2008. Their research, which included 462 drivers, showed that women were more likely to be company drivers (41 percent) as opposed to independent owner-operators (15.2 percent.) However, for leased owner-operators, women and men ranked nearly the same in their percentages (43.8 for women compared to 43.4 for men).

In reviewing the research from Daimler and Strategic Programs, some statistical information surfaced, which may or may not surprise you. For example, Daimler discovered that women were more likely to choose a truck based on the cost of operations (81 percent) than men (66 percent). Fuel economy was the second priority for women (77 percent versus 63 percent for men).

The No. 1 item that determined men’s choice of tractors was the engine (61 percent versus 53 percent for women.)  The other determining factor for men was a truck that they were “proud to drive” (35 percent versus 24 percent for women). Purchase price was more of a factor for women (74 percent) than men (59 percent).

You can draw your own conclusions about these findings, but it appears that women may be focusing on issues that affect their bottom line more often than men. It is also interesting to note that Daimler learned that the majority of women’s complaints still center on a lack of respect, both from their peers, the truck stops and the manufacturer’s service representatives.

Women In Trucking was formed to encourage and support women who are looking at (or are already a part of) the trucking industry. You can become a part of this non-profit organization and help us reach out to more women who wish to pursue a career in trucking, as drivers, mechanics or office personnel. Join Women In Trucking (www.WomenInTrucking.org).

Ellen Voie is President/CEO of Women In Trucking, Inc.

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