What women truck drivers can expect in the next 12 months
As we enter the new year, it’s time to look ahead to 2015 and the many things we will be facing as an industry for the next 12 months. While many of these are beyond our control, some beg for change in both attitude and current 
practices.
Let’s look at some top issues for 2015 and how we can end the year in a better position for 2016.
The capacity crunch is a reality. Professional drivers aren’t as easy to find as they were in the distant past. What can this industry do to ease the pain? First, expand the driver pool by looking outside current demographics. Of course we need to recruit more women, but what about finding ways for others to become professional drivers?
What about job sharing? Could a summer worker (golf courses, water parks, boat rentals) be cross-trained to drive only during the winter months? Would carriers allow part time drivers? What about all those school bus drivers who have summers off?
Moving to equipment challenges, truck cab designs will become more driver-focused and ergonomically adaptable. As more women enter the industry, the equipment will need to better accommodate a broader range of sizes. Adaptability will be important, especially for husband-wife teams. However, creating a tractor-trailer that is safer, more economical and more comfortable is the goal. Steps, seats, steering wheels, seat belts, and other parts of the cab will allow a wider range of body sizes so no one is prohibited from driving a truck due to his or her size.
One very positive effect of the capacity issue is the attention shippers are giving carriers in order to get their products delivered. Trucking companies are starting to rate their customers on dock time and driver friendliness. When shippers and receivers start valuing a driver’s time and respecting them as individuals, we all benefit. Watch for more positive interactions at the loading dock in the future.
Once the drivers, carriers, and the entire industry gain the respect of those outside of the industry (including regulators), many of our driver capacity issues will lessen. These changes won’t all occur in the coming year, but we can move toward addressing these challenges in 2015 and end the year better positioned for 2016.
Written by Ellen Voie, Founder of Women in Trucking
Ellen Voie is founder of the Women In Trucking Association, womenintrucking.org. Ellen’s background in the trucking industry began in 1980, when she earned a diploma in Traffic and Transportation Management while employed as Traffic Manager for a steel fabricating plant in central Wisconsin.
