The workplace is changing for women across the country who decide to take on a new challenge in a predominately “male” industry – Driving OTR (over the road) in a Big Rig! Now more than ever, woman of all ages are getting behind the wheel in a new career path, or should I say “road”!
Truck driving has typically been a male dominated industry, and has held the stature of a “macho” job. Those stereotypes are changing and women both young and younger are taking the road. We have all heard the jokes of “women drivers behind the wheel”, but those days are in the past. Women have been labeled as the lesser of drivers, no matter what vehicle they are driving, when actually, it’s quite the opposite. In a recent study by the Insurance Institute of Highway safety done in 1998, women caused 27 percent of fatal crashes while men caused an astounding 73 percent.
“Men are by far the riskier drivers in terms of getting into accidents,” says institute spokesman Russ Rader. But women are involved in accidents more often because there are simply more women drivers, making up of about 65% of drivers on the road at any given time. That’s for personal vehicles. In the trucking industry, women make up roughly 10% – 20% of the workforce – And that number is growing steadily.
“Applications from women for a truck driving job have increased over 40% in the last 18 months,” according to Donnell Stevenson, director of recruiting for a truck driving job placement service. “Many women have reservations about driving an 18 wheeler OTR, but after their initial fears are over, many find enjoyment and great success.”
Many trucking and transportation companies are also finding a high success rate with women drivers. Companies such as CR England, JB Hunt, Swift Transportation, and Schneider are looking at the numbers and encouraging more women to apply.
There is plenty of room on the road for women truck drivers, and a new found driving career for women who set their sites on the horizon.
Tags: career, driving, job, swift, transportation, truck, trucking