Women Step Up to Fill the Gap in the Truck Driver Shortage

Women are Stepping Up

There is no doubt that the trucking industry is an equal opportunity employer. But one of the strangest things about the business is that it is a male dominated one. That probably makes sense to the average person because they think that trucking is a heavy-duty activity, lots of muscle to turn a big rig, and an accepted part of life put Dad in the driver's seat while Mom stayed home to be with the kids. But times have changed and so has the trucking industry.

Different Times and Different Needs

In today's modern rigs, muscling around a truck is strictly a thing of the past. All modern trucks come with power steering and power brakes, and they aren't at all very tough to maneuver. You can spin a steering wheel with one hand, just like in a car, and most loads are put on the truck or taken off the truck without much help from the driver.

Attitudes have changed too. Equal opportunity means women are not bound by the age old adage of being a housewife. Trucking industry news show that jobs are available for anyone, as long as you can pass the drivers test. And an equal job means equal pay, whether you are a man or a woman.

Drivers shortage

Right now, and for the foreseeable future, there is going to be a drivers shortage. The recession of several years back cost the trucking industry thousands of drivers, and in fact, 30,000 new drivers are needed at this moment, with over 200,000 predicted for the next 10 years to cover and maintain the losses. And the trucking industry is hoping that women will see the benefits, 38,000 dollar average income, with long haul drivers making considerably more, and get into the trucking business.

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