Focused initiatives have successfully impacted women in trucking

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women made up 14.7% of the total workforce in transportation and material moving occupations in 2004. Since then, the transportation industry has made massive strides in encouraging women to pursue careers in a variety of roles, from professional CDL driving to supply chain management. 

Elizabeth Simpkins, National Underwriting Officer for Inland Marine Specialized Risk for Travelers Insurance, says that there has been tremendous growth in women joining the industry in the past two decades.

By 2014, the percentage of women in transportation and material moving occupations had risen to 15.7%.¹  

“Within that group, we started to see data on women driving specifically being measured, which gives us a better picture of how the landscape is changing,” Simpkins said. 

In 2014, women made up 5.8% of truck drivers.¹ By 2024, 21.7% of all those transportation and material moving occupations were held by women,¹ and driver roles specifically held by women now account for 7.9%.¹ 

What factors are making more women decide that trucking is an occupation they’d like to pursue? Simpkins says there are a lot of reasons for this growth.

“People and organizations are coming at this from all angles,” Simpkins said. “You might be surprised at how much effort has been put into getting women interested in transportation, even for the very young.” 

One example is an initiative specific to women in trucking, called “Trucks are for Girls,” a program sponsored by the Girl Scouts. 

“This program teaches girls about careers in the trucking industry by giving them access to driving simulators, showing them how to operate trucks,” Simpkins said. “Young women can hear from engineers and talk about day-to-day jobs in the field, giving them hands-on experience so they can see everything that goes into working with these trucks and the equipment.”

Another driver of this trend, Simpkins says, is education. “More women getting into the workforce naturally increases their prevalence in a variety of roles and industries,” she said. “Supply chain management as a career path is a growing field for everyone, and both men and women are pursuing that.” 

At the university level, supply chain education is more available now than it’s ever been. 

According to Data USA, a source for government records, there were only seventy public universities that offered a four-year degree in supply chain management in 2012. Just ten years later, in 2022, that number had risen to 159. 

Many universities and community colleges are also offering two-year degrees in logistics, as well as training for Class A CDLs. There are now a variety of options available to American women to pursue careers in the transportation field. 

“The number of grants and scholarships available are just making this industry that much more accessible,” Simpkins said. “Rather than just falling into logistics or trucking as may have been the case before, women who want to plan their future are now actively seeking a career path in transportation.”

“Aside from higher education, there are a number of resources actively promoting women’s involvement in the field,” Simpkins said. 

Women in Trucking and the American Trucking Associations, Simpkins says, play a huge role. 

According to Simpkins, there’s now more general awareness about openings in the transportation field. 

“We’re encouraging women in all stages of their careers, which helps them get involved deeply with some of the challenges that face the industry,” Simpkins said. 

Unfortunately, women still face many challenges in trucking. “Truck stop safety has been one big issue for a while and continues to be one,” Simpkins said. “Many women feel vulnerable at truck stops because they might be poorly lit, they often don’t have robust security in parking lots, and issues like that can make anybody feel unsafe.” 

Restroom and shower access is also a concern, Simpkins says, as many locations still lack female-focused amenities. Women in Motion is working with Trucker Path in that regard, and that’s just one of the initiatives that’s helping women in trucking. 

“Over 100 truck stops and counting have joined this effort to address the concerns of women on the road, and that’s received a lot of good feedback,” Simpkins said.

The Trucker Path mobile app has now added features to help women identify and locate facilities with specific safety amenities and facilities that are ranked highly by women who are on the road. 

“If you’re a woman who’s interested in the trucking industry, there are so many roles where you can fit,” Simpkins said. “It’s important to let young women know that you don’t just have to be a driver if that doesn’t interest you. There are a lot of paths within the industry,” she said.

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1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics   https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11.htm

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