Dive Brief:

• Women in trucking not only tend to drive further, have a lower termination rate, and a lower accident ratio, but also a longer tenure with employers than men at a time when turnover rates are excessively high, according to an Omnitracs analysis.
• For example, in 2016, women averaged 500 miles more per month than men, though at their peak in August, the ratio increased to 873 more miles per month (9683 versus 8810). Yet women comprise only 7% of drivers within the industry, and only 14% of management.
• No gender pay gap exists within the industry, which could help draw more women to a field greatly in need of drivers, Women in Trucking reported last week. At present, unfilled trucking jobs are among the top listed positions in Atlanta, Indianapolis and Dallas.

Dive Insight:

Traditional fields for women used to involve only retail, secretarial, nursing and teaching, but nowadays, such limits are gone with the wind. The main reason women avoid many well-paying and interesting fields is because they remain unaware of the opportunities that exist there.

Yet, with a talent crisis reportedly underway both in trucking and manufacturing, employers and aspiring employees would do well to note the gender gap does not align with a skills gap. The Omnitracs analysis also reveals women have a lower accident rate and higher average tenure than men in trucking.

In fact, women generally excel throughout every link of the supply chain. 

Although women comprise only 25-30% of most procurement associations, skill sets usually considered feminine, such as creating cohesion and coordinating diverse tasks or teams, add greatly to their success rate. 

HR departments need to expand efforts to draw women into procurement. Reaching out via career fairs at all-girls schools and featuring women in advertisements can help alert  potential employees to the variety and success to be found within the field. Mentoring by women already in the field, and also by men, can also help female staff members find their work rewarding. 

With approximately 3.5 million jobs within manufacturing going unfulfilled every year, employers have every reason to seek out strong candidates, regardless of gender.