An increased number of women are entering the truck driving industry, and educational support at one Wyoming community college resulted in its first female graduate from a CDL program.
Justin Smith moved her career forward by graduating from Laramie County Community College’s newly created CDL track over the summer. Her goal was to secure a good-paying position that offered a live-work balance. She wanted to spend more time with her two daughters and was able to line up a job with a local company before completing the community college CDL training course.
The single mother reportedly worked two jobs and still struggled financially before the trucking opportunity emerged. Smith would sometimes miss her daughters’ sporting events, concerts, and enjoyed too little quality time as a family. Leaning on her fiancé and organizations such as Climb Wyoming, the live-work equation has significantly improved
“You just got to be patient. But anything can be done,” Smith reportedly said. “You can’t just sit around waiting for somebody to come rescue you all the time. That’s not the way the world works.”
Although women still report gender-related obstacles, the trucking industry has become more inclusive in recent years. Reports indicate that upwards of 16.7 percent of CDL professionals are women and 7-10 percent or more may currently work as long-haul truckers. Some reports suggest that nearly 50 percent of the freight hauling workforce are now women.
Industry insider opinions differ about the reasons for the massive culture shift. Some see organizations such as the Women in Trucking Association (WIT) and Real Women in Trucking proving to be strong advocates for change. But even leadership such as Real Women in Trucking’s Desiree Wood recognizes the country’s significant trucker deficit.
“You pretty much just have to have a pulse (to get hired),” Wood reportedly said. “What I’d like to see is a path to success.”
But that’s precisely what Wyoming single-mom and newly-minted trucker Smith accomplished. She went from being overwhelmed with work hours and child-raising responsibilities to earning a CDL and securing a good-paying job. Reports coming out of Wyoming indicate she’s now running her own semi-truck business.
Smith was part of the first community college’s truck driver training program. The educational opportunity to fast-track people into the trucking workforce was the brainchild of Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon and Laramie County Community College president Joe Schaffer. The goal was to help buoy a workforce that some estimate needs an additional 80,000 truckers. Justin Smith, the first woman to graduate, was one of 10 students to complete the program. Other community colleges across the country appear to be following suit, and more women will likely benefit from CDL programs offered at the local community college level.
Sources: wyomingnews.com, usnews.com
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