The U.S. Department of Transportation recently appointed 16 founding members to its Women of Trucking Advisory Board mandated through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Members include fleet drivers, administrative leaders, and an independent owner-operator rounds out the 16 advisory board members.
“America needs truck drivers like never before, yet women — half the American people — have long been underestimated and underrepresented behind the wheel and in jobs across this sector,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg reportedly said. “Getting to know women in trucking, I have heard about their passion for the job as well as the challenges they face, and this experienced Women in Trucking Advisory Board will help us address these issues directly.”
The group is tasked with coordinating female-inclusion efforts with trucking associations, non-profits, and for-profit freight hauling companies to support a more gender-diverse workforce. Women continue to be underrepresented in truck driving positions. However, the number of over-the-road women drivers has risen to an estimated 13-16 percent, with overall employment nearing 50 percent. Members of the Women in Trucking Advisory Board include the following.
- Anne Balay: Service Employees International Union
- Joyce Brenny: Owner-operator and founder of Brenny Transportation/Brenny Specialized
- Jerri Banks: Owner of Life on the Road Recruiting and Transportation Services
- Elisabeth Barna: Vice president of the American Trucking Associations
- Enjoli DeGrasse: Deputy director of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters
- Marie Druckenmiller: Director of transportation at Amazon
- Erin Ducharme: CFO at H&L Bloom/Bloom’s Bus Lines
- Laura Duryea: Manager of recruiting, retention and driver development at Boyle Transportation,
- Marquita Jones: J.B. Hunt truck driver.
- Kellylynn McLaughlin: Schneider National Inc. truck driver.
- Dianne McNair-Smith: CEO at 3 Girls Trucking Academy
- Sharae Moore: Founder and president of She Trucking Foundation
- O’Sheauna Parker: Haul truck driver
- Emily Plummer: Prime Inc. truck driver.
- Soledad Munoz Smith: Vice president of operations at Munoz Trucking
- Nicole Ward: Co-owner of African American Women in Trucking Association
With a truck driver shortage hovering around 80,000 and growing, attracting a wider demographic is essential to the U.S. supply chain. The Women of Trucking Advisory Board will reportedly gather information and deliver recommendations to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s acting Administrator, Robin Hutcheson, who is awaiting Senate confirmation to officially run the organization.
The goal is to identify trends and pain points that can be addressed in ways to bring more women into the freight transportation industry, particularly as CDL holders. The board is expected to provide recommendations along the following policy lines within the next 15 months.
- Evaluating barriers and trends that impact women in trucking and ways to support them in pursuing careers in the industry.
- Identifying opportunities to expand trucking roles for women and increase their overall numbers.
- Advising on policies that provide education, training, mentorship or outreach to women in the industry.
- Reviewing opportunities to enhance safety, training, mentorship and education for women in trucking.
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