The topic of women in trucking is not new. The plan is to have people from all genders in all industries. Reports by Truckingdive indicate that the number of new female truck drivers has decreased. There could be many reasons as to why the numbers keep going down. As part of driver retention and attraction to the trucking industry, there must be some solution.
In Numbers
The number of women who work as student drivers and trainees has decreased recently. In 2024, women stood at just 10.7% of the student drivers and trainees, down from 15% in 2022. The numbers are not so encouraging. They might not surprise most, but they are not what one would want for the transportation sector. It is not just women; recruitment of young people has gone down.
The numbers are a reminder of how bad things were back in 2019. The number of women student drivers and trainees stood at 10.1% back then. Several young people feel the same way. Back in 2022, more young people had an interest and would go for driving. Currently, the average age for most young people is in their 30s.
Women represented around 8% of drivers in the sector between 2020 to 2022. The number dropped to below 7% in 2023. It also gives the 2019 vibes where the levels were just as low. The women in the trucking index show a drop off to 9.5% in 2024. The index stood at 12.1% in 2023. It indicates a decline in the number of women actively taking up the roles of truck drivers.
Why the Decline?
The numbers don't just fall without some cause. In this instance, there has been a general relaxation by the truckers as far as recruitment goes. Most of them have slowed down recruitment. The industry is not doing well. The prolonged freight downturn has meant a need to slow recruiting more drivers.
The ATA has made it its priority to identify what could be the barriers to women actively joining the industry. In the past, we have had issues with a shortage of drivers. The effort to have more women will serve two purposes. The number of women will rise, and at the same time, the industry will be ahead in the war against driver shortage.
There is a long way to go to have more female truckers. But a journey of a thousand miles starts with one step. ATA must look for ways to make the industry attractive to young people and women. One of the things that would make this a success is good pay for drivers. Another thing is making the work environment more conducive for female truckers and starting with good facilities for better pay. The little effort from here and there will have a significant impact. In 2024, the stigmatization against women in trucking is low, and the industry would be a perfect fit for women.
