WASHINGTON, June 18,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Transportation
Research Institute (ATRI) today released new research identifying
approaches to increase the number of women truck drivers entering
and staying in the industry. After quantifying six key challenge
areas facing women truck drivers, the research lays out an action
plan for the industry – with discrete steps for motor carriers,
truck driver training schools and truck drivers – all designed to
make trucking careers more attractive to women.
This research was identified by ATRI's Research Advisory
Committee in March of 2023 as a top priority to help further
understand the challenges women drivers encounter. The research
then promulgates specific strategies that the industry can
implement to increase the relatively small number of women in
trucking.
Among the challenges identified in ATRI's research were industry
image and perception, training school completion, truck parking
shortages and restroom access, and gender harassment and
discrimination.
ATRI's research included input from thousands of truck drivers,
motor carriers and truck driver training schools through surveys,
interviews and a women driver focus group to identify the
underlying factors that generate challenges, as well as strategies
for navigating and overcoming these barriers to success for women
drivers.
"ATRI's research gives a voice to the thousands of women truck
drivers who have found successful and satisfying careers in this
industry and encouragement to other women to consider truck driving
jobs," said Emily Plummer,
professional driver for Prime Inc. and one of the America's Road
Team Captains.
The research found that women are drawn to driving careers for
the income potential, highlighting the fact that pay parity for
women and men is much more prevalent in the trucking industry than
in other fields.
The analysis found that carriers that implement women-specific
recruiting and retention initiatives have a higher percentage of
women drivers (8.1%) than those without (5.0%). The report details
how fleets can put such initiatives in place.
"This report provides an important roadmap for the industry to
increase the number of women drivers," said Joyce Brenny, Brenny Transportation President
and CEO. "We have found tremendous success and improved safety
with our women drivers and believe others who utilize this research
will also experience success."
A full copy of the report is available through ATRI's website
here.
ATRI is the trucking industry's 501c3 not-for-profit research
organization. It is engaged in critical research relating to
freight transportation's essential role in maintaining a safe,
secure, and efficient transportation system.
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SOURCE American Transportation Research Institute