02/03/2015

Women in Trucking: A Story of Perseverance

Over the past year, women have been the talk of the trucking industry. The numbers of female truck drivers are on the rise, and the challenges that come along with being a woman in the industry are becoming better known. We spoke to some women in trucking to get a clearer picture of the current situation.

More women behind the wheel

Some say it’s because of the national driver shortage, and others say it’s because of rising wages, but the fact remains that there are more women in the driver’s seats of big rigs now than ever before.

In fact, the percentage of women in trucking (versus men) has more than doubled since 1990. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women made up only about 2.1 percent of truckers in 1990, but in 2012, they were up to about 5.4 percent. These numbers may not seem drastic, but considering we’re talking about thousands of truck drivers, that’s pretty significant.

Even events outside of commercial driving, like the National Truck Driving Competition in Pittsburgh, have seen an increase in female truck drivers. Their most recent competition event in August 2014 had 11 female participants, which is more than they’ve seen in over 77 years of hosting the event.

Some women are attracted to the truck driving industry because of the salary, but others are motivated by personal struggles.

“I was recently divorced with a young daughter and needed to get back into the workforce fulltime with a good income to provide a good life for my daughter,” said Joanne Fatta, a 15-year trucking veteran.

Fatta was able to use state funding to go to driving school and has been with the same company since graduating over a decade ago. She was the only female driver at her company for many years.

“As truck drivers, we also unload trailers, which is very physically demanding. I stuck it out through many work-related injuries and was awarded driver of the year for 2013, which is a huge honor at my company,” Fatta said.

For other women, the reaction from the public is motivation to keep them in the driver’s seat.

“Honestly, I love the looks and reactions I get from other drivers and customers,” said Monica Horne, a trucker in her fourth year of driving, “men look at me in almost disbelief or amazement.”

The unique traveling opportunities are also a perk for female CDL holders.

“I always tell people that I’m a paid tourist, as I’ve seen some gorgeous places,” Horne said.

“I keep a journal of our travels and share with friends, and I have even self-published four volumes,” said Chris Miller, a truck driver for seven years. “My husband and I do the lower 48 states and Canada.”

Facing unique challenges

Although more women are making their way into the trucking industry, they sometimes face challenges that may hinder their overall success – or halt them completely.

Sexual harassment is one of the biggest issues that women, in particular, are facing in the trucking industry. While this can happen on the road or during training, sexual harassment also comes in more forms than you might think. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, sexual harassment is a blanket term that refers to any situation where a person is harassed or discriminated against because of their gender.

Some women are encountering these discriminations in the CDL training process. In a recent federal court case, a judge ruled that New Prime, Inc., which is one of the nation’s largest trucking companies, violated a federal law by requiring that female truck driver applicants be trained only by female trainers. This was hindering the number of female students graduating the course because there were only a few female trainers available for students. This was ruled as sexual harassment and discrimination by the federal courts.

“It’s still like the 1950’s out here,” remarked Desiree Wood, President of REAL Women in Trucking, referring to classic gender roles in the transportation industry. According to Wood, women are having a hard time being seen as equals behind the wheel of a truck.

“Simply put, women are invisible in this industry,” said Wood, “they need support.”

Support Groups

Some individuals have seen a need to offer support services for both current and prospective female drivers. Those with experience in the trucking industry, like Wood, have seen the struggles women go through to get their Commercial Driver’s License, let alone actually getting a job as a paid driver.

“Only one in six women who attempt to get their CDL actually makes it,” Wood said.

She feels that many of these women fall through the cracks of the system and are kicked out for unfair reasons, like not passing dock loading tests due to lack of one-on-one training time. This is one of the main reasons she offers a free membership for female trucking students to her grassroots association, REAL Women in Trucking.

REAL Women in Trucking offers information for students about CDL testing and the trucking industry, as well as advice from experienced female CDL holders. For those with six months or less of truck driving experience, Wood offers virtual mentorship with follow-up phone calls through each step of the training and testing process, as well as an emergency crisis phone line.

“The numbers of women in the trucking industry are going up, but they could be even higher if women got the support they need to make it through CDL training as well as their first year of commercial driving,” Wood said.

For more information on REAL Women in Trucking, please visit www.realwomenintrucking.com.