Tag Archives: Women Drivers

Women In Trucking Facebook group celebrates ten years!

Ten years ago, Facebook was emerging as one of the top social media websites and Women In Trucking member, Sandy Long, recognized its potential.  She reached out and asked if she could start a WIT group on the site.  She wanted a place for female drivers to be able to ask questions, network and find new friends.  She saw the value in connecting drivers with technology.

Although Sandy passed away a few years ago, her legacy remains in the WIT Facebook group, which now includes nearly 11,000 individuals in the trucking industry.  Both men and women visit the group to talk about things that affect their roles as professional drivers. While the majority are truck drivers, there are others who are on the site to learn or to network.

You may be surprised to learn that the page is moderated by professional drivers.  They take turns watching the site for compliance.  In fact, while WIT staff check in on the site, the admins are vigilant in ensuring the posters follow the rules, which they must agree to before approval is granted into the closed group.

Continue reading →

We’re listening to our members

The Women In Trucking Association board of directors has a goal to be a resource to the industry.  Whether that means trucking companies, drivers, the government or our members, we want to provide you with the best information (tools) to reach your objectives in creating a more gender diverse workforce.

In 2017 we teamed with Sawgrass Logistics to learn about best practices in hiring female drivers. We learned a lot and have changed our programs to reflect these challenges. However, we continue to survey our members to find out what they want from us, their association.

Continue reading →

Don’t be the victim of a scammer

Leave a reply

The email started innocent enough.  The question from the CEO asked if the employee had a moment to “get a task done.” The sender asked the reader to purchase eight eBay gift cards valued at $200 each for a total of $1,600.  The employee was then asked to scratch off the silver lining and send a photo of the codes immediately.

The employee was new at the company and complied with the request, which, unfortunately, was from a scammer.  The cards were purchased before the employee realized it was a scam; fortunately, the codes were never sent to the spammer. 

Continue reading →

2020 New Year’s Resolutions

If you’re like many of us, you probably made at least one New Year’s resolution recently.  According to TheQuint.com, the most common new year’s resolution is to get in shape, or at least, to make an effort to work out.  That’s probably why January is the top month for sales of exercise gear and clothing. 

Why is January 1st such a popular time for us to try and make changes in our lives?  A new year offers us a fresh start, and a way to put our past behaviors to rest.  In 1740, John Wesley, an English clergyman, held the first Covenant Renewal Service on New Year’s Eve.  The service was a time for thinking about past mistakes and resolving to do better in the coming year.

Continue reading →

Is the playing field level for women at the loading dock?

Each year the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) asks drivers and carriers about their top concerns.  As you can imagine, the drivers list differs from the trucking companies’ list, but some issues do affect both groups significantly.

Detention and delays at customer facilities was one of the issues that was important to both groups.  It was the fifth concern for drivers and number sixth on the list for carriers. Delays at the loading docks reduce a driver’s productivity and decrease the level of compensation for both drivers and their companies.

ATRI gathers date through an online survey website but they also collect responses in person at the Mid-America Trucking Show each spring.  This year they received over 1,100 responses from drivers. Thirteen percent of the drivers were female, which is actually much higher than the industry average of ten percent. Most of the respondents were company drivers, but surveys were collected from owner-operators and independent contractors as well.

Continue reading →

What is your intent?

Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeline Albright once said, “There is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.”

In this age of social media which allows anonymity and seems to breed contempt, there are too many people who hurl insults at one another without much thought to how it reflects on her (or him).  

I read some of these nasty or offensive comments and it makes me wonder: What is the intent?  Is the poster trying to offend people or is she just a negative person all the time? Is everyone so angry they just react to everything with rage?

Federal TaxExcise
Continue reading →

You missed it!

Leave a reply

We just wrapped up the 2019 Accelerate! Conference and Expo in Dallas, Texas.  If you weren’t one of the 1,123 registered attendees, you missed one of the most inspiring, educational, and motivational events of the year.

The presentations ranged from driver recruiting (with a focus on female drivers) to communication styles to self-defense.  Every speaker was a recognized expert in her (or his) field.

Continue reading →

What if it was YOUR daughter?

Leave a reply

Your 24 year old daughter calls you with the exciting news that she has completed her training and is ready to start her new career.   She worked hard to earn her diploma and is anticipating her first business trip.

Although she is eager to start her new job, she expresses her concern that her employer has asked her to share a room with a male co-worker.  You’re shocked that any business would expect men and women to share sleeping quarters, but she reassures you that the company has very strict policies on harassment and fraternization. 

Then, she tells you that her co-worker is actually her superior and he will be evaluating her performance and reporting back to the company.

You find the entire situation discomforting and you worry about your daughter’s safety.

Continue reading →

Women In Trucking Association, A voice for gender diversity

Regan is a professional driver for YRCW.  When she started working for the carrier, she identified as a male but has since transitioned into a female.  She is one of the members of the gender diversity task force recently formed by the Women In Trucking Association (WIT) to understand the needs of the LGBTQ community better.

We realize there is a growing number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer professional drivers and other transportation workers.  As the voice of gender diversity, we want to ensure we are inclusive and to create an awareness within the trucking industry.

Continue reading →

Our Roads Our Safety

For those of us in the trucking industry, we are well aware that the four-wheeler causes most crashes involving a commercial truck.  It’s frustrating for all of us that student drivers to senior drivers are unaware of the blind spots, stopping distances and the massive weight of a tractor-trailer.

Every time the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) creates (or changes) regulations that affect professional drivers, I hear complaints that they are the safe drivers and someone needs to educate the motoring public.  These drivers feel as if the rules should apply to all drivers and not just those in 18-wheelers.

What they don’t understand is that the FMCSA CANNOT regulate cars.  They were designed to regulate trucks and busses, and that’s why they have “Motor Carrier” in their name.  The states have more authority to regulate automobiles, but the only federal agency that creates rules to govern cars is the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.

Form 2290 – Federal Vehicle Use Tax Return is now Due for 2019-20 Tax Year. Choose eFile at www.Tax2290.com and report it today!

Continue reading →