Ellen Voie (Voy-a) is an internationally recognized speaker and authority on gender diversity and inclusion for women working in non-traditional careers in transportation. She has been invited to speak to audiences in Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, France, Mexico, and Canada, in addition to being a popular speaker at conferences throughout the United States. Voie founded the Women In Trucking Association in 2007, and currently serves as the nonprofit organization’s President & CEO. The Women In Trucking Association was formed to promote the employment of women in the trucking industry, to remove obstacles that might keep them from succeeding, and to celebrate the successes of its members. Voie also currently serves on the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee (MCSAC) to provide recommendations and advice to the FMCSA on motor carrier safety programs and motor carrier safety regulations. Voie’s background in the trucking industry began as the assistant and later Traffic Manager for a steel fabricating plant in the upper Midwest. She then worked as a dispatcher for a grain hauling carrier before becoming co-owner of a small fleet. After starting a family, she used her background to become a freelance transportation consultant to carriers in Wisconsin, licensing and permitting trucks for more than 16 years. Voie also served as the Executive Director of Trucker Buddy International, Inc., a pen pal program between professional drivers and elementary students. Voie holds a Master’s in Communication degree from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, where she completed her Thesis research on the complex identities of women married to professional drivers. She also hold a degree in Traffic and Transportation Management from LaSalle Extension University. Voie has earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential from the American Society of Association Executives, the leading authority in association management.

The trucking industry is a male dominated one, but it shares this reputation with other modes of transportation that typically employ mostly men. Lillian Miller, who works for the Federal Aviation Administration, wanted to explore ways to attract more women into transportation careers. She recently released her research, “Women in Transportation are Moving the World.”

Miller compared the airline industry and its efforts to attract and retain women to the trucking industry. Female pilots comprise 6.3 percent of all airline pilots and number about 6,000, while the trucking industry lags at 5.2 percent female drivers, or about 180,000. Although a professional driver must reach age 21 to operate in interstate commerce, a pilot must be at least 23 years old to transport passengers.

Ellen Voie
Ellen Voie

Both the trucking industry and airline industry are experiencing a need to attract more professionals, as more than 23 thousand pilots are needed each year (international figures) and the trucking industry has similar needs to fill seats.

Through interviews with female drivers and pilots, Miller compared these two roles, which she describes as “nomadic lifestyles.” While both groups must pack clothing and toiletries to last several days (or weeks), pilots must take into account the size and weight of their luggage, as well as the effect a pressurized cabin has on these items.

The author describes the training scenario for female drivers who must often share a cab with an unrelated male trainer. “It’s hard enough to share a small space with a female, let alone a male stranger,” Miller writes. The lack of restroom facilities in the cab creates an even greater strain on a female driver.

For pilots, restrooms (lavatories) are nearby and there are many hours of instruction from the airlines in regard to crew management. Miller suggests the need for high absorbency “containment trunks” used by astronauts as an option for female drivers. She also advocates a 24 hour hot line for drivers to call in the event a “situation” arises, which the airline industry has in place.

One definite difference between female pilots and female professional drivers is the ability to be accompanied by a pet. She spoke with drivers who have pets for both safety reasons as well as companionship. Airline pilots with pets either have a family member or neighbor available to care for their dogs or cats when they are traveling.

Miller sites a National Sleep Foundation study comparing the sleep habits of all transportation professionals that found a similarity between drivers and pilots. They both have the longest duty shifts, with nearly half working nine to twelve hours each day. Only 43 percent of the pilots reported receiving eight to twelve hours off between shifts, compared to 53 percent of drivers. To add to the time traveling, most pilots must travel to and from their work site, either by air or automobile travel.

Female airline pilots sleep in hotels, and are trained to enter a room in pairs to reduce the risk of harm. Female professional drivers often travel alone and park in a truck stop, which brings its own hazards. From attacks from other customers (both drivers and non-drivers) to the danger of walking around moving vehicles, drivers have the added issue of being awakened by knocks on their doors from prostitutes.

The trucking industry is an unhealthy environment when it comes to eating and exercising. Miller writes that many pilots bring their own lunches or pack healthy snacks, but often have the luxury of a hotel breakfast or dinner. Professional drivers may bring food from home, but the need to socialize brings them into the truck stop restaurant at times. Healthy choices are more common today, but the driver has to make conscience decisions to choose these (usually) more expensive items instead of the quick energy boosters, including soda and candy bars.

One interesting point Miller omitted concerns time away from home. Drivers often cite this as a reason to leave the industry. However, since the airline have a predominantly female flight attendant population, that argument was not even mentioned as being an issue with pilots.

Miller concludes the report with recommendations for both the trucking and airline industries and suggests that female drivers and female pilots make an effort to connect and learn from each other. An interesting idea and one that could help both groups increase their presence in the transportation industry.
Ellen Voie CAE,  President/CEO
Women In Trucking, Inc.
P O Box 400  Plover,  WI 54467-0400
Ellen@WomenInTrucking.org
888-464-9482     920-312-1350 Direct
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Ellen Voie (Voy-a) is an internationally recognized speaker and authority on gender diversity and inclusion for women working in non-traditional careers in transportation. She has been invited to speak to audiences in Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, France, Mexico, and Canada, in addition to being a popular speaker at conferences throughout the United States. Voie founded the Women In Trucking Association in 2007, and currently serves as the nonprofit organization’s President & CEO. The Women In Trucking Association was formed to promote the employment of women in the trucking industry, to remove obstacles that might keep them from succeeding, and to celebrate the successes of its members. Voie also currently serves on the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee (MCSAC) to provide recommendations and advice to the FMCSA on motor carrier safety programs and motor carrier safety regulations. Voie’s background in the trucking industry began as the assistant and later Traffic Manager for a steel fabricating plant in the upper Midwest. She then worked as a dispatcher for a grain hauling carrier before becoming co-owner of a small fleet. After starting a family, she used her background to become a freelance transportation consultant to carriers in Wisconsin, licensing and permitting trucks for more than 16 years. Voie also served as the Executive Director of Trucker Buddy International, Inc., a pen pal program between professional drivers and elementary students. Voie holds a Master’s in Communication degree from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, where she completed her Thesis research on the complex identities of women married to professional drivers. She also hold a degree in Traffic and Transportation Management from LaSalle Extension University. Voie has earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential from the American Society of Association Executives, the leading authority in association management.