A Salute to Female Truckers

Is trucking just a man’s world? Women are proving they deserve a place behind the wheel of some of the nation’s largest motor carriers. The Women in Trucking Association (WIT), a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the conditions for women working in the trucking industry, held its first “Salute to Women Behind the Wheel” event on March 27, 2010, showcasing the achievements of women thriving in a male dominated industry.  The celebration was held at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky.

As more women pursue careers in the trucking industry, they continue to break barriers and strengthen the ideas of professionalism, safe driving skills and work life balance. The “Salute to the Women Behind the Wheel” event celebrates the achievements of female drivers and the high safety standards they bring to the roads.

This event comes at a historic time in the role of women in the transportation industry. Featured guest speaker Anne Ferro, the first female to serve as the Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, thanked the group for their service and commitment to safety. 

“This industry hasn’t recognized the contribution of women… for them to get recognition like this… they were so pleased,” said Ellen Voie, CEO and Founder of the Women in Trucking Association.

The event created the opportunity to recognize female accomplishments in the trucking industry, including the completion of safe journeys totaling 161 million miles. These trips were conducted by 104 women, all of whom earned awards for their mileage.   Among those honored, 14 women were awarded for completing 3 million miles, 29 for 2 million, and 61 women safely completed 1 million miles on our highways.

“There was a feeling of excitement, pride, and commonality. We were excited to be honored for doing what we do; we were proud to be a part of the first Salute to Women Drivers; it was awesome to know we all had the same thing in common,” said Pat Sterling, Owner and Operator of Diva Trucking, LLC.

While the goal of the event was to honor women who are trailblazers on our nation’s highways, WIT also aspires to change conditions for women in the trucking industry. The association educates, advocates, and encourages women in the transportation industry, and opens the eyes of young girls to future opportunities in trucking. WIT also works with carriers to make their advertisements appeal to women, encourage safety at truck stops and advocate for anti-harassment policies.

“We're not in this industry to look cute, act coy and sit pretty while someone does the work for us. Although we work just as hard as men and want to be taken as seriously - we are women!  We want to be respected and treated as fellow drivers who happen to be a woman,” Sterling said.

WIT is planning to host its “Salute to Women Behind the Wheel” annually, and next year hopes to break the Guinness World Record for the largest number of female truckers in one place. The record of 416 women was set in 2004 during an all female truck convoy in Dronten, Netherlands. This year’s WIT event welcomed 290 female drivers. Through continuous support, advocacy and education, WIT aims to increase the number of women in the trucking industry while fostering a safe, competitive and friendly work environment.
Voie says the association “wants to increase the role of women in the industry – not just behind the wheel, but under the hood, selling the car, in all ways possible.”