We're excited to share highlights from the 4th Tennessee Trucking Association Women’s Luncheon. In an industry that’s historically been a bit of a "boys' club," these luncheons have become a great space for the women in our industry. During the lunch, the insights shared touched on leadership as a woman and how to move up as the next generation of women coming through the ranks.
When it comes to women in trucking, the data tells a compelling story of how the landscape is shifting. If you haven't looked at the stats lately, the influence of women in the trucking industry is on a steady uphill climb.
Women now hold approximately 28% of C-suite and executive positions within trucking companies. The impact is even more visible in middle management, with women occupying 34.5% of supervisory leadership roles. While still a smaller percentage, women make up about 10-12% of professional drivers, with a particularly strong presence in smaller, family-owned fleets. While only 4% of diesel technicians are currently women, the numbers are surging in operational roles like safety, HR, and logistics management.
Diverse leadership leads to better problem-solving, and having more women in the room is objectively good for the bottom line. At the Tennessee Trucking Association, we were following this trend and are proud to have Donna England at the helm as our President and CEO.
Interestingly, Donna is part of a growing national trend. Across the country, more and more state trucking associations are choosing female leaders to guide their advocacy and member services. It’s a new era for trucking membership, where the "face" of the industry is becoming as diverse as the freight we move.
The 4th TTA Women’s Luncheon served as a powerful reminder that while we may be in a male-dominated field, we are far from alone. A huge thank you to Sarah Heffington for launching this initiative, to Holly Czuba for making this happen, and to every woman who took time out of their busy schedule to join us.