Just a few decades ago, the concept of women truckers was foreign. However, the trucking business has evolved significantly in recent years, and female truckers are now becoming much more common than they once were.
Many organizations are actively incentivizing women truck drivers to join their ranks. Below, we’re going to highlight some interesting statistics about women truck drivers and explain why this profession has become more appealing to females.
Female Truck Driver Statistics
Approximately 47% of the trucking business workforce is women. Roughly 7% are female truckers, and another 23% of all carrier employees are women in management roles.
The remaining 17% hold administrative or support positions within the trucking business. Examples include dispatchers and office personnel.
Professional Truck Driver Gender over Time
As evidenced by the chart below, the number of women in trucking has steadily been rising over the last decade. All data was collected from Zippia.
| Year | Women | Men |
| 2012 | 14.36% | 85.64% |
| 2013 | 14.87% | 85.13% |
| 2014 | 15.36% | 84.64% |
| 2015 | 15.19% | 84.81% |
| 2016 | 15.64% | 84.36% |
| 2017 | 15.92% | 84.08% |
| 2018 | 17.58% | 82.42% |
| 2019 | 17.29% | 82.71% |
| 2020 | 15.7% | 84.3% |
| 2021 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
While the percentage of women in trucking decreased between 2019 and 2020, that figure will hopefully rebound once 2021-2022 data is available.
Improving the Gender Ratio
Even though the total number of women in trucking has increased over the last decade, it is still not representative of female participation in the total workforce. However, several organizations are determined to change that.
Most notably, the Women in Trucking (WIT) Association proactively encourages female professionals to explore a career in trucking.
Additionally, WIT has partnered with the National Transportation Institute (NTI) to create the “WIT Index.” This index will help gather more accurate data regarding the number of women in trucking and management roles within the logistics industry.
Opportunities for Women in Trucking
The trucking business provides female drivers with several unique opportunities that they may not experience elsewhere. Specifically, female truckers can access benefits such as:
Equal Pay
Typically, pay for female drivers closely mirrors that of their male counterparts. Even new women truckers can enter the profession with the same earning potential as men. The opportunity to access equal and competitive pay is very appealing to women interested in joining the trucking workforce.
Benefits
Many trucking industry jobs offer sought-after benefits such as health, dental, and vision insurance. Additional benefits typically available to female truckers include retirement plans, vacation time, and flexible work hours.
These benefits may not be widely available in other professions that were traditionally associated with a female workforce.
Resources
Organizations like WIT actively support women who are interested in joining the trucking business. These organizations can provide women with valuable educational resources, inform them about scholarship opportunities to attend truck driver school, and help them find employment after they obtain their CDLs.
In addition to entities like the WIT, several carriers are actively recruiting female drivers in order to address the trucker shortage.
Change of Scenery
Truckers, especially over-the-road drivers, have the opportunity to travel and see more of the world. If female drivers are interested in exploring the nation, they can accept an over-the-road position and haul loads from coast to coast. Individuals working in office settings do not have this same opportunity.
Challenges for Women in Trucking
While the trucking business provides many unique opportunities to female drivers, there are still a few barriers to entry.
Women truckers who are passionate about joining the profession can overcome these barriers. However, they should be aware of these challenges so that they can make an informed decision when entering the trucking community.
Some of the most notable challenges for women in trucking include the following.
Truck Cabs
Most truck cabs are designed to accommodate large-framed male drivers. While modern truck cabs include multiple seat and steering wheel adjustment features, they have their limitations. As a result, female truckers with a smaller frame or shorter stature may find it difficult to achieve a comfortable driving position.
Safety
Despite the fact that the trucking industry has become far more welcoming to female drivers, truck stops and parking lots can still be dangerous places.
This concern applies primarily to over-the-road drivers who must stop overnight. As a result of this safety issue, many female truckers elect to accept local driving positions instead of over-the-road opportunities.
Work Schedule
While truck driver work schedules can be flexible, some drivers may be required to spend extended periods away from home. In addition, many drivers work long hours to maximize their earning potential. The more miles a driver logs each day, the faster they can drop off their load and pick up another.
Why Women In Trucking Are Vital to the Logistics Industry
Like all other professions, the trucking business has its ups and downs. Female truckers can access perks like great pay, the opportunity to travel, and sought-after benefits.
However, they may be expected to log many hours behind the wheel. Also, they may have to stay in some not-so-safe locations if engaging in over-the-road work as well.
With all that said, supporting women in trucking will be essential to the future of the logistics industry. Hiring more female drivers and providing them with enticing career opportunities will help companies resolve the worker shortage and fill vacancies.
If you are a woman who is interested in starting an exciting new career as a truck driver, consider connecting with a group like WIT and exploring this great opportunity. Once you obtain your CDL, you can use a trucking service to find appealing employment opportunities that suit your career goals.
FAQ
Being a female truck driver is generally safe. However, female truckers must be cautious when staying overnight in parking lots or at truck stops.
Yes, more women have started joining the profession in the last few years.
The number of over-the-road female truckers is slightly lower than the total number of women in trucking. Female over-the-road drivers comprise somewhere between 5% and 7% of all over-the-road truck drivers.
