TLA30_AllPages_RED

2015 Mid-America Trucking Show, according
to FMCSA.
WIT also has the ear of truck manufacturers
to help them understand what women are
looking for in a cab, from ergonomics (can
small drivers reach the truck pedals, is the
grab handle within easy access, or can the
driver see over the hood, for example), to
amenities and access to closet space.
WIT President and CEO Ellen Voie said the
trucking industry has to do a better job of
letting women know that technology and
equipment such as automated transmission,
better ergonomics in the cab and improved
truck stop facilities for women are just a
few of the things that have changed for the
better in trucking over the years.
“The industry has changed, the job’s
changed, trucks have changed,” she said.
“It’s a lot different now.”
Regarding personal safety, WIT has
pushed truck manufacturers to include a
button inside a truck cab that drivers can
press if someone is trying to rob them or
threatening their personal safety. “We have
alarm systems in our homes, why shouldn’t
drivers have the same in their truck cabs?”
said Voie.
Another idea is a cab with enough room
built under the passenger seat for a portable
potty, because when it comes to navigating
the truck stop at night to use the restroom,
most women won’t, one OEM survey found.
Women truck drivers in the same survey
also said a facility built into the cab was too
unsanitary if it was going to be used by other
drivers in say, slip-seat operations.
WIT commissioned its own “Best Practices”
survey by Sawgrass Logistics and found that
on a scale of 1 to 10, women truck drivers
rate how safe they feel on the job only at
4.4. Plus, 37 percent said they’re treated
differently from men by their employers —
and not in a good way — noted Voie.
But while women surveyed had low marks
for how safe they feel on the job and ranked
safety as the most critical aspect in attracting
more female drivers along with family and
home time, employers ranked “everything
but safety as a priority for women drivers,”
the Sawgrass survey noted.
And in listing what intimidates women
most about becoming a truck driver, safety
ranked second, including personal safety,
safety on the road, dangerous infrastructure
and the driving task itself. The thing women
said was most intimidating about becoming
a truck driver was operating the equipment.
Those surveyed also bemoaned the lack of
female trainers, the lack of online training
and an absence of mentors who could help
them adjust to the lifestyle.
Many women recruits are afraid to be
alone in a truck with a male trainer they
don’t know, according to panelists who
recently discussed obstacles to bringing
in more women drivers to the industry. It
was sponsored by Omnitracs and featured
Omnitracs’ Senior Director of Analytics and
Modeling Lauren Domnick; Sherri Garner
Brumbaugh, president and CEO of Garner
Trucking; and Voie.
The discussion was open to individual
drivers and members of the news media.
Carriers must do a better job of training
new recruits not just on how to drive a truck,
but about the lifestyle, and communication
is key, Brumbaugh said. She added that
there need to be peers in place to discuss
the challenges of being away from home
for long periods of time and that carriers’
communication channels must be open
Industry respondents said the things
that will bring and keep more women
drivers in the industry are:
4 Flexible schedules
4 Equal treatment
4 Safety
4 Advocacy
4 Training
4 Recognition
4 Respect
4 Equipment modification
4 Support services
4 Well-being programs
16 TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY | www.Truckload.org TCA 2018