With rising demand, the trucking industry needs to get smarter in order to address the shortage of workers it’s facing. According to American Trucking Association, there is an urgent need of 48,000 drivers nationwide. They also project that this shortfall is only going to rise in the coming years. Do you know that out of all the workforce in the United States, 47% consists of women workers? But when you see the stats in the trucking sector, women drivers are only 4 – 5%. This has been the case for more than 2 decades now. If we can get more women drivers, this shortfall will quickly come down.
In this article, we will debunk some myths about women drivers and how we can get them on the road.
Women Drivers Are Safe
Women can drive trucks as well as men. There is enough data supporting that women have better records than young males. Women are known to drive slow and with proper care. This is the reason why most accidents that happen involving a women driver are far less damaging. The Woman in Trucking association is a cool new initiative that is aiming to spread more awareness and bring in more women truckers.
Some Hurdles
Besides raising the awareness there are some hurdles that prevent more women taking up this profession. The design of the cabs, taxis, and trucks are particularly made for the male drivers. The government authorities and the vehicle manufacturers also have to play their part here. This won’t be coming quick but with consistent effort, we can build vehicles suited for both males and females drivers.
Since the number of women drivers in the trucking industry is extremely low, most training schools don’t have any separate arrangements for girl trainees. They are often made to stay in the same lodging with male students and use the same facilities. This can be uncomfortable for most females passionate about truck driving.
Stereotypes
Another problem is the stereotype people who believe that women are not good drivers and they can’t withstand the toughness required to become a truck driver. This is not true. We have seen many amazing women truck drivers, with a cleaner track record than most men. Women can do everything that men can; whether it is driving the huge trucks or being in the Army.
We believe trucking businesses need to get more involved here and hire more women drivers. This will create role models and encourage more females to follow their dreams.
Some women are also afraid of taking up trucking as their profession. They often consider this as a man’s job. With some efforts, training, education, and awareness from the stakeholders in the trucking industry, this can change. Getting more female drivers in trucking is the only solution to the shortage of drivers that we have on our hands. We have the solution already, what we need is a little proactiveness now!