As a trusted provider of CDL driver jobs in PA, TQM Logistics knows that companies have long struggled to keep open trucker positions filled. The situation has only gotten worse due to high turnover, retirement, and increased demand for goods, propelling an increased need for drivers. A key demographic is consistently missed in the industry’s recruiting efforts — women. March is National Women’s History Month, and we thought we’d take the time to reflect on a positive trend that’s gaining traction.

The Importance of Women in Trucking

American Trucking Association states that from 2010 to 2018, the trucking industry saw a 68% increase in the number of female drivers.  While women represent almost 50% of the general labor force, they still account for fewer than 5% of all truck drivers.

Since over 90% of truck drivers are male, trucking has long been acknowledged as a masculine profession. Thanks to this unconscious bias, employers may not even be aware that their recruiting efforts primarily target men. Many female job seekers simply don’t have the trucking industry on their radars. For this reason, Ellen Voie founded the nonprofit Women in Trucking Association (WIT) back in 2007, aiming to promote gender diversity and minimize challenges for women in the male-dominated trucking industry.

“People hire people who look like them,” says Voie. “That has made it harder to get more women in leadership roles in transportation.” The issue isn’t that organizations do not want to hire women, she claims—it’s that “they just don’t know how.”

Industry Revolutions Per Minute

The growing worker shortage statistics, coupled with the ever-increasing demand for goods all over the nation makes this a seminal moment in the trucking industry. Thanks chiefly to the work of Voie and WIT, the trucking industry is taking essential steps to recruit female drivers — for both long haul positions and jobs that let them return home each night — and women are beginning to respond. While March is a time to reflect on the female leaders and accomplishments that shaped our current world, we continue to look forward to women’s role in changing the future for the better.

For more information about CDL driver jobs near MA, contact TQM Logistics today.