Attracting more women to trucking — and keeping them —  has long been a goal, not just to help fill driver and technician shortages, but to bring in new perspectives and strengthen company culture.

Groups such as the Women In Trucking association, ATA’s Women in Motion, and even the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration have highlighted the importance of making trucking more accessible to women.

This is the third in a series exploring how trucking companies can boost performance, retention, and culture in today's more diverse workforce.

Part 1: More Viewpoints, More Ideas, Stronger Trucking Teams

Part 2: Building High-Performing Trucking Teams that Reflect the Real World 

Many trucking companies are finding that when they make things better for women, they make things better for everyone.

“Everything that you do that makes things better for women drivers makes things better for every driver,” says Mark Murrell, president of CarriersEdge and co-creator of the Best Fleets to Drive For program.

Safety and Security Benefits Everyone

Safety is often one of the first concerns raised by women drivers, but those concerns are hardly unique to women. Companies that have responded to those concerns find their changes appreciated across the board.

Murrell offers examples such as panic buttons on electronic logging devices, access to safe parking, and allowing pets in the cab. 

“Anything that is going to improve security is a positive in that area,” Murrell says.

What might start as a solution to a specific issue raised by women drivers often turns out to be a welcome improvement for all drivers.

Updating Family Leave and Support

At Atlas World Group, efforts to better support women led to reassessing policies around parental leave.

Previously, women had to use regular sick leave time if they gave birth. Beyond that, they faced unpaid time off. Atlas now provides short-term disability for employees who give birth and offers parental leave time for all new parents, whether they’re welcoming a newborn or adopting a child.

Q&A: NTI's Leah Shaver on What's Keeping Women Out of Trucking

The company also created a new space for nursing mothers — more private and comfortable than previous options. 

These changes not only support women but also send a broader signal that employees are valued in every aspect of their lives, not just for the work they do on the clock.

Mentoring for Truck Drivers and beyond

After six years on the road as a truck driver and owner-operator, Tammie Dean decided to do something to help support women drivers at Lily Transportation, where she is the recruitment manager.

Dean started a program called Lily Ladies in 2019.

“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.”

The Lily Ladies Committee organizes events, workshops, and networking opportunities for women drivers and other female employees. It provides a platform for sharing experiences, addressing challenges, and celebrating achievements, in person and on social media.

Plus there’s pink swag with the Lily Ladies logo, such as shirts and jackets.

More Women Break Into Heavy-Duty Trucking

The real purpose, Dean says, is to provide mentoring and support to women drivers, paying it forward for the mentoring she received from a female trainer and from the male friend who encouraged her to get her CDL.

Mentoring in general is big at Lily, she says. 

Playing to Different Strengths

If there’s a part of trucking where there are probably the fewest women, it’s in the shop.

Kaitlynn Aikin, a 20-year-old diesel technician at Southeastern Freight Lines' Fort Worth service center, acknowledges that there are some things she’s unable to do as well with her slight frame as her larger male counterparts. But that doesn’t stop her.

“You might have to do things a little differently, but there’s a way for you to do everything that a man does in this job,” she says.

Trucks Are For Girls!

For instance, she might need someone to help when lifting heavy objects.

“But I've also found with other tasks, like when we do transmissions, some of the connectors are hard to get to, but I can fit up in there and lay on top of the transmission.”

Atlas’ Kelly Cruse, upon hearing that example, points out “She brings something to the table, right?” says Cruse. “And that’s the thing. We’re looking at areas of the workforce that do tend to attract mostly men. She’s experiencing the workplace very different than everybody else. She's probably bringing new perspectives and she’s bringing different talents.”

In other words, it’s not about doing everything the same way — it’s about finding different ways to get the job done.

A Rising Tide Lifts All Workers

Many of the improvements that begin with addressing the needs of women turn out to be good ideas for everyone.

Whether it’s safer equipment, better facilities, more home time for drivers, more flexible policies for families, or finding new ways to do things, trucking companies are learning that having women as an integral part of the team helps them become more thoughtful employers overall — and more competitive in the long run.

When companies recognize and respond to what women need to succeed, the whole workforce — and the company — benefits.

How Female Trucking Leadership is Changing

Over the years, Mark Murrell says the Best Fleets to Drive For program has revealed an interesting evolution in female leadership at trucking companies.

“For a while, we were seeing cases where there were fleets that were women-owned or women-led that didn't have much diversity,” he says.

What was happening, he says, is these were often family businesses where a daughter took over from a parent and just kept running the company largely the same way their father and even grandfather had run it.

“And it really wasn't appealing to anybody but the traditional driver,” Murrell says.

“But in the past few years, that's changed, and we've seen some of the women-led companies really starting to have broader diversity programs across quite a wide range.”