Close your eyes and picture a Truck Driver. What do you see?  While these images will vary from person to person, it is likely to envision this one commonality…the Driver is a man.

Unfortunately, this is a stigma that has plagued the trucking industry for years, but there is some truth to it. According to the Women in Trucking Index data from 2022, women make up about 14% of professional drivers and 36.7% of leadership roles in C-suite and supervisory positions. While these numbers have slowly risen over the years, they have a long way to go toward gender diversity.

The good news? The trucking industry is becoming more diverse than ever before. Organizations like the Women in Trucking Association are encouraging women to find employment in the industry and helping to minimize obstacles that might stand in their way.

Women Can Improve the Driver Shortage

 

Since 2018, there has been a shortage of over 60,000 Truck Drivers in the US.  This shortage is predicted to climb to 100,000 by 2024.  As a result, more Drivers are needed than ever before to fulfill the consistent need for goods and products shipped across the country.

Women can help alleviate the shortage by becoming the new face of the trucking industry.  Many Drivers are aging out of their jobs and getting ready for retirement. As this continues to happen, more openings for Drivers and other positions within the industry will open, creating opportunities for many.

 

Minimizing Obstacles for Women

 

There are still challenges to be addressed when it comes to recruiting women into the trucking industry. One of the biggest concerns for many women who might be interested in this career is that the industry itself was designed for men. For instance, trucking equipment was designed with male use in mind, so it can take some getting used to.

Some women might also be intimidated coming into a workforce that is dominated so heavily by men. Considering a trucking career might be overwhelming. Understandably so.  However, women can remove this fear by replacing it with knowledge and the humility to ask questions in order to build confidence. 

These are issues that need to be addressed on a large scale, but they also need to be addressed by individual trucking companies. As more women join the industry, the national progression of addressing these challenges will become essential.

Women are Needed to Drive Trucking Ahead

 

Private transportation businesses are starting to realize just how crucial women can be in the future of the trucking industry. Kopf Logistics Group is one of those businesses. Our family-owned company proudly employs women in critical positions, including our Vice President and our Director of Recruitment.  We encourage women to join our team as Drivers, Independent Freight Agents, Office Staff, and Executives.

As the trucking industry continues to grow and thrive, there will continually be a need for people to move goods from one part of the country to another.  Now is the perfect time for women to step in and become a larger part of the industry.

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Are you a woman seeking to work as an Independent Freight Agent?  LEARN MORE – or – contact Jeanie today at 574.349.5600.

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