Biden-Harris Administration Takes Step to Convey Extra Girls into Trucking – Drivers

The U.S. Division of Transportation’s Federal Motor Provider Security Administration (FMCSA) introduced in a press release the appointment of members to the Girls of Trucking Advisory Board (WOTAB) to recruit, retain, assist, and make sure the security of ladies industrial motorcar (CMV) drivers and strengthen the trucking business as an entire. 

The Girls of Trucking Advisory Board consists of 16 founding members, all ladies, with numerous backgrounds and experiences to supply balanced factors of view on addressing the challenges dealing with ladies within the business. Of those members, 5 are present CMV drivers and 4 are former CMV drivers, others are trainers, executives and authors. WOTAB’s members hail from 11 states and work for small, medium, and huge trucking firms and as unbiased owner-operators, non-profit organizations, trucking enterprise associations, and establishments of upper training. Collectively, WOTAB members have greater than 80 years of driving expertise with vehicles, motorcoaches, and ports and greater than 275 years in trucking and different modes of transportation. 

Girls of Trucking Advisory Board (WOTAB) Members

• Anne Balay, Organizer with the Service Workers Worldwide Union (College/Larger Schooling). 
• Jerri Banks, Proprietor of Life on the Street (LOTR) Recruiting and Transportation Providers (Driver Recruitment)
• Elisabeth Barna, Government Vice President, American Trucking Associations (Trucking Affiliation)
• Joyce Brenny, Brenny Transportation, Inc. and Brenny Specialised, Inc., Founder and President (Impartial Proprietor and Operator)
• Enjoli DeGrasse, Worldwide Brotherhood of Teamsters, Deputy Director (Labor)
• Marie Druckenmiller, Amazon, Director of Transportation (Massive Provider)
• Erin Ducharme, CFO, H&L Bloom/Bloom’s Bus Strains (Motorcoach)
• Laura Duryea, Boyle Transportation, Supervisor of Recruiting, Retention, and Driver Growth (Medium Provider)
• Marquita Jones, J.B. Hunt, Intermodal Driver (Feminine Driver)
• Kellylynn McLaughlin, Schneider Nationwide Inc., Skilled Driver (Feminine Driver)
• Dianne McNair-Smith, 3 Ladies Trucking Academy, CEO (College/Larger Schooling)
• Sharae Moore, Founder/President, SHE Trucking Basis (Trucking Affiliation)
• O’Sheauna Parker (Feminine Driver)
• Emily Plummer, Prime Inc., Skilled Driver (Feminine Driver)
• Soledad Munoz Smith, Munoz Trucking (Small Provider)
• Nicole Ward, Co-owner, African American Girls in Trucking Affiliation (Non-Revenue)

WOTAB’s launch is one other key initiative mandated by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Regulation and is a part of the Biden-Harris Trucking Motion Plan that’s targeted on enhancing job high quality and recruiting extra folks into the truck driving career.

“America wants truck drivers like by no means earlier than, but ladies — half the American folks — have lengthy been underestimated and underrepresented behind the wheel and in jobs throughout this sector,” mentioned U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg within the assertion. “Attending to know ladies in trucking, I’ve heard about their ardour for the job in addition to the challenges they face, and this skilled Girls in Trucking Advisory Board will assist us handle these points straight. We thank the members for serving and stay up for working collectively to carry extra ladies into trucking and to boost job high quality on this essential profession.”

Recruiting and supporting ladies in transportation is a key precedence for the Biden-Harris Administration. “Girls are considerably underrepresented within the trucking business, holding solely 24% of all transportation jobs,” added FMCSA Deputy Administrator Robin Hutcheson. “We anticipate many nice concepts from the advisory board that may assist develop fairness and safely present entry to careers in trucking for ladies throughout the business.”

In March, Hutcheson mentioned truck driver challenges firsthand in a trip together with an skilled driver. 

WOTAB will coordinate with trucking firms, nonprofit organizations, and trucking associations to assist ladies in trucking. The Board will present suggestions to the FMCSA Administrator and the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, in addition to sort out many points, together with:

• Evaluating obstacles and tendencies that influence ladies in trucking throughout the nation and methods to assist ladies pursuing careers in trucking.
• Figuring out alternatives to develop roles for ladies and enhance the variety of ladies within the trucking business.
• Advising on insurance policies that present training, coaching, mentorship, or outreach to ladies within the trucking business.
• Reviewing alternatives to boost security, coaching, mentorship, and training for ladies within the trucking business.