It’s no secret that the trucking industry has traditionally been dominated by men.  For many years, most women in the industry were relegated to office work and dispatching.  In recent years, however, the overall landscape of women in the logistics industry has changed greatly. While women still excel in the areas of logistics organization and supply chain management, they’ve also moved into other industry jobs in increasing numbers.  For example, according to a recent Gartner study, women now account for roughly 35% of jobs in the supply chain and logistics nationwide.  Women are also moving into positions that were traditionally closed to them in the past.  They are now a growing percentage of the on-the-road truck drivers, making up roughly 5% of the workforce.  About 1% (roughly 9,000) of the world’s logistic companies are owned by women.

While these numbers show a meaningful increase in the number of women in logistics, the numbers also show a great need for women in the industry.  Many companies are changing the way they recruit, hire, train, and compensate women.  These companies know that they need to tap into this underrepresented portion of the workforce in order to keep up with the rapidly expanding industry.

Growing numbers of women are making the switch and taking to the road, drawn to the competitive pay, benefits, and dedicated routes offered by companies seeking to recruit the best.  Carter Express has been a leader in this movement with weekly compensation up to $1,250 a week for solo drivers, and up to $3,400 for teams, guaranteed base mileage pay, dedicated routes, and benefits that include vacation/holiday pay and insurance.

Pamela Macer, who now drives a dedicated route for Carter, decided to leave 30 years of office work and an established career as the Director of IT for the Indiana Blood Center.  “I worked over 90 hours a week at times. I was burned out and wanted a change of industry,” says Macer.  “I worked in an office setting for 30 years and I found the benefits of the driving job to be something totally different than what I had ever done before. And working in an independent environment was appealing to me.”

“I have been driving for less than a year, and I did my training with Carter.  I used to run different routes off a load board to the east coast and even Texas.  I now am part of a team and we have a dedicated route, but the environment is always changing around me. I still find the beauty of the scenery to be breathtaking, and you get to meet all types of people along the way,” says Macer. “Even though it is work, to me it is almost like a vacation from what I used to do, being stuck in the office all day and constantly on the phone.”

Georgianna Bitner, a driver and trainer for Carter Express, made her switch to the industry for different reasons. “I always thought it would be neat to drive a truck, and my brother was a driver, so I thought, if he could do it, I can too!”  Bitner has trucking in her blood, with a career in the industry spanning 20 years and a passion for what she does. “Drivers are what support America by delivering freight every day. Without us, the world would suffer.  This is what makes me most proud to be a driver.”  Bitner came to Carter Express in 2000 after working with other industry leaders.  “I trained with Schneider and then worked for Covenant Transport hauling tanker, and it was a more physically demanding job. I noticed Carter was hiring and applied, and I am glad I did because I like the people I work with and the automotive freight we have.”  After 18 years with Carter, Bitner still enjoys her job. She said, “I have run both regional-overnight routes and now I have a dedicated route that has me home daily and pays me pretty well.”

If the stories of these two amazing women drivers resonate with you, maybe it’s time for you to join them.  “I wish there were more women out here taking advantage of this opportunity to travel and gain new experiences,” says Macer.  All it takes is 15 minutes to call or submit a short application online, and you can be talking with a recruiter who can answer all of your questions and discuss your expectations for this career.