Although many efforts have been made to increase the number of women in the trucking industry, the total number of women truck drivers hovers around 6% of the workforce.

As many trucking companies struggle to hire more drivers, the industry hopes to expand the hiring pool by reaching out to more women and other underrepresented groups. But trucking officials aren’t the only ones trying to diversify the industry – lawmakers are stepping up as well.

A New Trucking Bill

In February, four United States Senators proposed The Promoting Women In Trucking Workforce Act. Those four lawmakers are Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Jon Tester (D-MT), making the bill a bipartisan effort.

This month, that bill was passed by the Senate Commerce Committee. The next steps would be for the bill to be passed by the Senate and then passed by the House. Then it would be sent to the President for his signature or veto.

What Would the Bill Do?

The Promoting Women In Trucking Workforce Act would instruct the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to create a new advisory board that would implement new ways to promote the career of driving for more women.

This new board would help with truck driver and CDL training as well as the creation of new mentorships for women. The board would also promote outreach to women who may be interested in the career.

Although employment discrimination is illegal because of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, this type of positive discrimination outside the actual hiring process remains legal and encouraged as pushes for diversity sweep the nation.

Support from Women in Trucking

The most prominent advocate for more women in the truck driving profession remains the Women in Trucking Association. Formed in 2007, Women in Trucking continues to advocate for women drivers. Members of WIT include Amazon, JB Hunt, FedEx, Walmart, and other major trucking industry players.