Tag Archives: WIT

JumpStart Auto Repair, a Garage for Good

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While the trucking industry seeks more women to fill the roles of driver, technician and leader, the automotive industry has some of the same challenges. It’s still not common to see female mechanics working on your car.  Even less common is a shop run by women for women.

That’s the goal of JumpStart Auto Repair in Appleton, Wisconsin.  Their mission is to provide honest, reliable service to women, who reportedly make up 65 percent of all car repair decisions.

Their focus is even more targeted, as their partners are two domestic abuse shelters in the area, the Harbor House Domestic Abuse Programs and Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Services.  The number one reason someone will return to an abusive relationship. So, JumpStart LLC, a garage for good, was created. Continue reading →

A decade of steering toward diversity

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In 2007 a group of influential, successful women met in Las Vegas to create a mission statement for a new organization called “Women In Trucking (WIT).” These women knew what it was like to be outnumbered at every industry event where they would search the room for another female to make a connection.  Their goal was simple, to increase the number of women employed in trucking, from driver to board member, diversity was the challenge.

Although women are still a minority in trucking, the Women In Trucking Association is moving the needle. In the past ten years, we’ve made great strides in increasing the ranks of women through numerous initiatives.  To name a few….WIT-logo-10-year

The Girl Scout (Girl Guide) Transportation Patch was created in cooperation with the Greater Chicago/Northern Indiana Girl Scouts. The curriculum guide is available only from the Women In Trucking Association. Numerous troops across North America have learned been able to see a truck close up and learn about careers as drivers, managers and other roles in transportation. Continue reading →

WIT Image Team Member Donates Kidney

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Plover, WI (March 1, 2017)— Women In Trucking Association (WIT) announces Carol Nixon as its March Member of the Month. Carol is a WIT Image Team member and professional driver for Walmart Private Fleet.

Carol is being recognized for giving a kidney to a total stranger.

Carol and a fellow Walmart driver, Deb Pollard both attended the first annual WIT Accelerate! Conference & Expo in 2015, where Carol learned Deb’s husband, Craig, was on dialysis and in need of a kidney. Carol immediately offered to help.

After a series of tests to find out if they were a match, Carol made the decision to donate a kidney, even if Craig couldn’t be the recipient. That way, Craig might make it to the top of the list sooner.  However, after three long weeks of waiting, they learned they were a match and could proceed.  Continue reading →

You can influence the regulations that affect you!

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Compliance, Rules, Regulations and GuidelinesImagine you wake up at 3 am. to a fire alarm in your hotel room on the 15th floor. The announcement from the loudspeaker instructs everyone to exit the building immediately, without using the elevator. What do you do?

This recently happened to me, and after trudging down the flights of stairs and being guided to a parking lot across the street, I was not in a good mood. At least I had pulled on my jeans and grabbed a jacket, as some people were still in their pajamas and were shivering in the chilly morning air.

As you can imagine, we were all relieved, but irritated to learn it was a false alarm. The waiting line for the (very slow) elevators was long, so I decided to walk back up the stairs to my room.  Later, I asked a companion how  many stairs he had to maneuver and he told me he had just gotten into the shower and decided to take a chance that there was no fire and it was only a false alarm. Continue reading →

Nominate a Distinguished Woman in Logistics!

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WIT and Truckstop.com are seeking nominations for the 2017 Distinguished Woman in Logistics Award (DWLA). The award recognizes the achievements and leadership of outstanding individuals involved in logistics in North America.

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As a director on our board, I encourage you to submit a nomination by completing the form at http://www.womenintrucking.org/DWLA by January 13, 2017.

As you know, our mission includes celebrating the success of women who are pioneers in the industry. The DWLA program is open to high-performing women in any field related to logistics, including warehousing, traffic and shipping, supply chain management, third-party logistics, trucking, rail, and maritime cargo. Continue reading →

Are you a risk taker? Ellen’s blog for January

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Imagine you wake up at 3 am. to a fire alarm in your hotel room on the 15th floor. The announcement from the loudspeaker instructs everyone to exit the building immediately, without using the elevator. What do you do?

This recently happened to me, and after trudging down the flights of stairs and being guided to a parking lot across the street, I was not in a good mood. At least I had pulled on my jeans and grabbed a jacket, as some people were still in their pajamas and were shivering in the chilly morning air.

As you can imagine, we were all relieved, but irritated to learn it was a false alarm. The waiting line for the (very slow) elevators was long, so I decided to walk back up the stairs to my room.  Later, I asked a companion how  many stairs he had to maneuver and he told me he had just gotten into the shower and decided to take a chance that there was no fire and it was only a false alarm. Continue reading →

Never drive alone – WIT App

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The trucking industry is a close-knit community, especially for professional drivers. However, sometimes a familiar face may be hard to find when you’re out on the road.

Now you can know where your friends are through the new Women In Trucking (WIT) app by Trucker Sam. Currently available in Android version (IOS coming soon!), this app allows you to connect with your friends in real time. When you stop for the night at your favorite truck stop, you’ll be able to open the app and see which of your friends are in the area.

You determine who can see your location, so you can have family members track you as well. Your kids (or grandkids) can see where you are and your spouse will know when to expect you for dinner. Continue reading →

Does your recruiting ad attract women?

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What makes a word relate better to a male or a female? According to Kat Matfield, who created a gender decoder for job ads (http://gender-decoder.katmatfield.com), “we all use language that is subtly “gender-coded” and this affects job advertising as well.

Matfield based her web-based tool on a study by professors from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada and Duke University, Durham, North Carolina. Her goal is to remove gender bias in hiring, starting with the recruiting ads.

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Before Title VII of the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964, many job ads were grouped under headings signifying the specific gender of the applicant. For example, stewardesses looked under the job listings for women and truck drivers could find carriers hiring under the listings for men. Continue reading →

Ten tips to attract and retain women as professional drivers.

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#1. Let them know you WANT to hire women.  If your recruiting ad doesn’t include women, or worse yet, excludes women, you won’t get their attention.  Don’t always show a male driver in your ads, and don’t assume that the only woman in your ad should be the wife at home.  Go back and look at your recruiting advertisements and see if they appeal to women.  Ask some of your female staff members if they would respond to your company’s ad.

#2. Tell women WHY you are interested in hiring them.  For example, do you have a real desire to hire women as drivers because you believe they are capable and competent?  Women don’t want any special privileges; they just want a level playing field to compete for jobs as a professional, not because of gender.  Don’t ever patronize women or give them the impression that you are hiring them because you are filling some quota or making a statement.  We can see through that! Continue reading →

Women In Trucking drivers included in FMCSA Safe Driver Poster

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The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration was created in 2000 with the goal to reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities involving large trucks and buses.   If you’ve visited their offices in the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) building in Washington DC, you might have noticed a poster depicting accident victims who died in commercial vehicle crashes. The poster was presented in 2009 from the Truck Safety Coalition (trucksafety.org), an organization representing three safety advocacy groups that focus on truck safety issues.

The trucking industry, led by the American Trucking Associations, Inc. (ATA) approached the U.S. DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to suggest a more positive depiction of the industry. The idea of a commercial motor vehicle safe driver recognition poster was suggested and the FMCSA agreed to consider the proposal. Continue reading →