COVER STORY: Driver Safety
How Safe Do Female Drivers Feel
On the Road?
Never before have there been more opportunities for female drivers in the commercial freight transportation industry. As a driver, you’re a hero of the highway, a road warrior who can feel as though you have the freedom to roam but with a destination in mind. There’s no better way to see the country and satiate your appetite for travel. And in today’s market, you can make a very lucrative salary with competitive benefits and solid job security with the right company. But while professional truck driving can be a gratifying and rewarding career choice for women, it’s not without its concerns or drawbacks. For females, these concerns and challenges focus heavily on safety and harassment in a male-dominated industry. The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) recently published the 2022 WIT Female Driver Safety and Harassment Study, a research project that WIT plans to conduct regularly. This initiative was to gain a voice
6 REDEFINING THE ROAD Edition 3 | 2021
of the driver around safety and harassment issues. MindShare Strategies, WIT’s association management company and publisher of Redefining the Road magazine, deployed this research project that involved an online survey. During the months of July through September of 2021, female drivers weighed in through an online survey on critical areas of concern. Nearly 450 professional drivers completed the survey so the results are statistically valid. Approximately 47 percent work for for-hire motor carriers, 27 percent are owner-operators, and 11 percent drive for a private fleet of a manufacturer, retailer or distributor. This article shines a light on some of the biggest areas of concern. How Safe Do Women Drivers Feel? This is an important question that has a direct impact on how successful the industry is in recruiting and retaining female drivers. The good news is that a majority of females feel the trucking industry is a safe one for them. In fact, when asked if they feel trucking is safe for
