With companies seeking to fill a national truck drivers shortage and an increased number of women earning their CDLs, the freight hauling industry offers Hispanic women stable careers.
In 2010, only 4.6 percent of the truck driver workforce consisted of women. But by 2018, that figure improved to 6.6 percent. Recent reports indicate female truckers make up anywhere from 7-9 percent of tractor-trailers operators are women. Women hold down upwards of 16 percent of all jobs among all professional driving occupations. Although a significant gender gap exists, technology, safety, and good salaries are attracting an increased number of women, particularly Latinas.
“You can change your life and make great money at this job, and you are going to feel like you have a job with purpose,” Real Women in Trucking president Desiree Wood reportedly said.
Latinas 20 years old and above posted a 5.5 percent unemployment rate with approximately 57 percent engaged in the workforce, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But the more concerning statistic involves their historically low wages. Latinas reportedly earned an average of $705 weekly or $36,660 in 2020. By contrast, the median household income exceeded $67,500 last year, according to the U.S. Census.
“I didn’t know that much money in one week can happen,” CDL trainee Vanessa Rivas reportedly said. “My dad had to understand. It’s not a man’s world anymore when it comes to trucking.”
Other Latinas who have put in their time and miles indicate the salaries are worthwhile. The mainstream media is typically quick to write splashy headlines when big-box outfits offer salaries in the six-figure range. But the tires-on-the-road data points to a career that pays better than many jobs requiring a two- or four-year degree. After paying their dues, trucker drivers of both genders and backgrounds can earn a comfortable living.
Following the 2008 financial market crash, Antoinette McIntosh traded in her six-figure office job for 18 wheels. She reportedly has no regrets for the career change and offers encouragement to other women of color.
“What a lot of people don’t tell you is this pays you better than a white-collar job in a lot of businesses. So, it’s not so much of a stigma anymore,” McIntosh reportedly said.
While an increased number of Latinas are testing the truck-driving waters, the industry-wide retention challenges apply to them equally. A stunningly high number of newly-minted CDL holders abruptly quit the field within nine months. Studies point to significant lifestyle changes, working conditions, and disappointment over salary expectations, as driving reasons for attrition. It’s essential to understand that Walmart may be doling out $90K for experienced drivers, but the median salary for heavy-duty vehicle operators was $47,130 in 2020, according to the BLS. That also means about half earned less than the average.
Like many industries, truckers often take lower-paying positions while gaining experience. The big paydays are typically down the road. But for Latinas who are too often situated on the low end of the economic scale, it doesn’t take long to improve financial health.
Source: nbcnews.com
Look, A woman has no business on the road. I been out here 44 yrs. Half of the male drivers don’t belong out here. Like that driver who killed people in Colo. He could not read English or he did not know what it was for. A run away ramp. He could have stopped and paid 1,000 to get the truck towed out instead of running in to everybody and killing 4.Anyway a woman can’t chain up, The ones out here driving look like linebackers and all are over 300lbs..Can they change a fuel filter on the side of North Dakota 3 am in the morning at 3am. I have. They would end up freezing to death
I have a class B CDL