BY MITCH MAC DONALD, GROUP EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
THE DC VELOCITY Q&A thoughtleaders
AN ESTIMATED 200,000 WOMEN CAN BE
found behind the wheel of big rigs across the U.S.
That might sound like a lot, but it actually represents
less than 5 percent of the nearly 4 million-member
truck-driver work force. It also points to an opportunity for an industry that’s grappled with labor
shortages since the 1980s and currently needs tens
of thousands of drivers to keep up with demand.
It would seem that an obvious part of the solution
would be to simply recruit more female drivers.
It could happen, but some things have to change
first. That’s where Ellen Voie comes in. In 2007, she
founded Women In Trucking (WIT), a nonprofit
organization that promotes careers in trucking for
women and works to dismantle barriers that keep
more women from joining the driver ranks. Today,
she is the group’s president and CEO.
Voie started WIT based on her own experiences.
Although she has never been a truck driver, she has
a long tenure in the motor freight industry. Prior to
founding WIT, she worked in a variety of roles in the
field, most recently serving as manager of retention
Women looking to enter the
trucking industry have long faced
physical and cultural barriers.
Ellen Voie aims to change all that.
INTERVIEW WITH
ELLEN VOIE
Opening up the
roads
