The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has put out a call for volunteers to join a new advisory board intended to help bring more women into the trucking industry and to improve working conditions for women commercial vehicle drivers.
On March 17, 2022, FMCSA announced the launch of the Women of Trucking Advisory Board (WOTAB).
The FMCSA says that WOTAB will coordinate with trucking companies, nonprofit organizations, and trucking associations to support women in trucking. The Board will provide recommendations to the Administrator of FMCSA and the U.S. Secretary of Transportation as well as tackle many areas, including:
- Evaluating barriers and trends that impact women in trucking across the country and ways to support women pursuing careers in trucking.
- Identifying opportunities to expand roles for women and increase the number of women in the trucking industry
- Advising on policies that provide education, training, mentorship, or outreach to women in the trucking industry
- Reviewing opportunities to enhance safety, training, mentorship, and education for women in the trucking industry
“We’re proud to launch the Women of Trucking Advisory Board to work together with drivers and trucking companies to help eliminate barriers that keep women from entering and staying in the trucking profession,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “This advisory board is a key part of our Trucking Action Plan, which is focused on improving job quality for truckers and recruiting more people to join their ranks.”
The WOTAB will include at least eight members from various backgrounds, including:
- Women representing small, mid-sized, and large trucking companies, nonprofit organizations in the trucking industry
- Trucking business associations
- Independent owner-operators and professional truck drivers
- An institution of higher education or trucking trade school
If you are interested in applying, you can get started at www.fmcsa.dot.gov/wotab. Applications are due by Friday, April 8, 2022.