When Tammie Dean was an over-the-road truck driver, she had stopped to get fuel and was coming out of the truck stop when a male truck driver said, “Ma’am, you’re going out the wrong door.”

He wasn’t expecting a woman to come out of the door marked for professional drivers. But she assured him that she wasn’t lost.

“I said, ‘Sorry, I'm a truck driver. I'm going out the right door.’

“You didn't used to see a lot of women truck drivers compared to what you do nowadays,” says Dean.

Those six years as a truck driver and owner-operator give Dean an advantage when recruiting and mentoring women drivers at Lily Transportation, where she is the recruitment manager.

Lily Transportation is based in Needham, Massachusetts, but specializes in dedicated transportation services all over the country, hauling everything from food-grade products to car parts. The company has about 1,500 drivers across the United States.

Because a lot of those dedicated accounts are local or regional, they allow drivers more predictable schedules and more home time, something that tends to be especially attractive to women.

Dean started a program called Lily Ladies in 2019 after coming back to recruiting after her time on the road.

“I started it as a way to bring in more women to the company — and they love it,” she says.

“We want to be supportive to women and drivers and show them that trucking is just not a male-dominated field anymore, but there's a lot of women drivers out here in the industry as well.”

She estimates that 25% to 30% of the company’s drivers are female today, well above the number of when she started the program.

What is Lily Ladies?

When she talks to potential women drivers, Dean says, they are excited to hear about the Lily Ladies program.

The Lily Ladies Committee organizes regular events, workshops, and networking opportunities tailored to the needs and interests of women drivers. It provides a platform for sharing experiences, addressing challenges, and celebrating achievements within the Lily community.

There’s also pink swag with the Lily Ladies logo, she says, such as shirts and jackets.

“They like it because it's something different that a lot of other companies are not doing.”

In addition to Dean, Tonisha Brandyburg is also a recruiter and a CDL holder.

“So we experience both sides of the operation, not just in recruiting, but actually being in a truck and driving right alongside our drivers as well,” Dean says.

And that helps them guide and mentor other women.

Lily Ladies has its own Facebook page where the company posts videos, photos, and so on. “We have a lot of women that follow us on our Lily Ladies page and we're always adding ladies as well.”

Dean also communicates with drivers on social media as part of groups aimed at truck drivers.

How Lily Transportation Supports and Encourages Women Drivers

One of the keys of the Lily Ladies program is encouragement and support from other women.

Dean remembers her own mentors, including the male friend who encouraged her to get her CDL, and a female trainer who helped her get through her initial insecurity.

“I said, ‘I can’t do this; I feel like the truck is defeating me.’ And she just told me, ‘Stop letting the truck control you. You control the truck.’

“And it just kind of clicked. It was her support going through training to get my CDL that helped me.”

That’s the kind of support and mentoring that Dean wants to offer other women.

“I've had female drivers call me and a couple of them have been like, 'I'm not sure if I can do this.' But you talk to them, you mentor them, you coach them.

"Training and coaching is a big thing with Lily. We're always willing to train and coach any of our drivers.”

Dean says they encourage drivers to reach out and talk to them if they're having issues so she and her counterpart can be supportive and help address any problems.

Trucking: A Good Career Choice for Women and Men

Other women in the company who aren’t drivers appreciate the supportive atmosphere, Dean says, and like to wear the “Lily Ladies” apparel as well.

“We have a lot of women in our company — very supportive, very strong women, always eager to help and advise and support one another, help each other in our daily jobs.”

Asked where she would like to go next with the Lily Ladies program, Dean said she would like to increase the number of women in the company, but most important, to be supportive and demonstrate that trucking is a good career choice for women as well as men.

“So just a lot of encouragement to let them know, there's a lot of women in the industry already and it's growing more and more every day. Just encourage them to step outside their comfort zone and get their CDL and become a driver.

“For me, the best thing I ever did in my life was to get my CDL and get in the transportation industry.”

When asked what advice she would share with other companies looking to attract and retain more women drivers, Dean said, “Just be forthright with the women that come to you. Let them know what you have to offer. Let them know that you're supportive. Yes, we are in a male-dominated field. But just let them know what you have to offer.

“Be supportive of them. Listen to them. Drivers will tell you what they want. All you have to do is listen.”

Learn more about Tammie Dean, Lily Ladies, and truck driver recruiting overall on the upcoming HDT Talks Trucking video podcast.