FMCSA names members of new Women of Trucking panel

16 women from various sectors tasked to recruit, retain female drivers

FMCSA names 16 to women's trucker panel. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

The Biden administration announced Monday a list of 16 women to serve on a new federal advisory panel aimed at boosting the ranks of females in trucking.

The founding members of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Women in Trucking Advisory Board (WOTAB) include five current commercial truck drivers, four former drivers, trainers and executives. They work for small, medium and large trucking companies and as independent owner-operators. Others represent trucking associations, labor and higher education.

WOTAB was authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law last year and based partly on data that found females are significantly underrepresented in the trucking workforce and women drivers are 20% less likely than men to be involved in a crash.

It is also part of the administration’s Trucking Action Plan, which is focused on improving job quality and recruiting more truck drivers.

“Women are significantly underrepresented in the trucking industry, holding only 24% of all transportation jobs,” said FMCSA Deputy Administrator Robin Hutcheson. “We anticipate many great ideas from the advisory board that will help expand equity and safely provide access to careers in trucking for women across the industry.”

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    6 Comments

    1. MLF

      Have you seen the attitude and bone head cutting off other trucks from women drivers. Yes there are a few very good women drivers. Very few. Good luck in the delusion.
      .

    2. Carol Timky

      Zero representation for female owners owner operators mechanics or lgbtqia women in trucking. Typical top down representatives with little to no time on the road. It’s the ATA minion board look that will fall flat on its butt. Maybe next time actually put people on this that can and do affect industry change every day. Weinrich from Iowa, Whittaker from Nebraska, or Nowak from Florida would all be candidates as they are true women owned businesses. Well hey let the ATA drones run the show again…

    3. Coletta Tomasik

      I’ve got 16 years of having a CDL. I decided last year I’ve had enough of being gone all week. It’s a hard life… Either your all in or your not. There is no in between. Hope u guys on the panel make it better for the future drivers.

    4. Joseph Turner

      Trucking business need a whole of fixing I am proud that the woman who wants to drive big rigs are accomplish to take the opportunity to get a start in that field but also watch out because the trucking business is run by unselfish men but I believe that a woman got a nice chance to make a change

    Comments are closed.

    John Gallagher

    Based in Washington, D.C., John specializes in regulation and legislation affecting all sectors of freight transportation. He has covered rail, trucking and maritime issues since 1993 for a variety of publications based in the U.S. and the U.K. John began business reporting in 1993 at Broadcasting & Cable Magazine. He graduated from Florida State University majoring in English and business.