Women in the trucking industry have come a long way from the days when they didn’t even have separate showers from the men on the road — but there is still more to do.
NFI is one of the companies leading the charge for change, in part through its SheDrives initiative. SheDrives NFI is a community that aims to empower women and make sure their voices are heard in the trucking industry.
By listening to the women in its ranks, NFI created the initiative to give women a safe space to learn and grow with one another. SheDrives Ambassadors are helping to lead the way and be examples to other women drivers.
“The reason I decided to become an ambassador is that I wanted to break the glass ceiling for other women drivers,” said driver Mary J. “I wanted to bring more women drivers into the industry and help them become the best drivers they could possibly be.”
Mary says she wants to help NFI to build a strong community support system for women. She also wants to bring more women into the trucking industry.
“I’ve got many years of experience and knowledge, and I’d like to pass it on,” she said. “My whole goal is to raise the bar for women in this industry.
“Right now, there are not enough of us. Right now, we are not being treated the way we should be,” she continued. “I want to bring more women in, raise the bar, make it a better experience for all of us and make sure we all get treated with the respect and dignity that we should.
“If you want to drive with us, please come drive with us. We would love to have you,” she added.
In August 2018, NFI leadership created SheDrives NFI to highlight the importance of women in the trucking industry. It started as an initiative to feature the company’s female drivers and spread awareness that trucking can be a fulfilling career regardless of a person’s gender.
“We recognize that women have historically been underrepresented in the Trucking industry, and we are committed to changing that narrative,” says NFI’s website.
“Through our SheDrives NFI initiative, we are working to provide more opportunities for women to excel in every aspect of their careers. Our top priority is to amplify the voices of women within our trucking community and offer them a secure career in the industry.”
Renee B. is a transportation manager who’s been with the company for a little over three years — but she has a solid two decades of experience in the trucking industry. While not currently driving, she has held a number of different positions throughout her career.
“I was chosen to be one of the ambassadors for the She Drives program to help empower women and also get some information out there to help us lady drivers that are out there on the road accomplish their jobs may be a little easier or some tips or tricks of the road,” she said.
Renee’s goal is to help all drivers, but she admits that SheDrives has a special place in her heart.
“There’s a lot of women drivers out there that need that community,” Renee said. “They need to know what places that that they should go that are safe when they’re overnight such as where to stop to get fuel or to eat or to go to the bathroom.”
Terry S., who’s been with NFI for eight years, was a driver for 17 years both over the road and locally.
“I started in 1978 and began driving when I came out of college and it was brutal back then,” Terry said. “There were no filters, nothing, (and I ran into) anything and everything. I had dogs let loose on me and unimaginable things said to me.”
Her experiences as one of the industry’s early woman drivers are what motivated Terri to become a SheDrives Ambassador and help women in the industry. While she experienced the roughness of driving in her early days, she wants the women of today to know that they are welcome in the industry and that support is available for all.
“It’s been a wonderful adventure for me, and I want them to share that wonderful part of it with them so they can be excited about it as I am,” Terry said.
Safety is paramount in trucking, and women often face obstacles that their male counterparts do not.
Mary says being able to provide resources for other women is one of the reasons she loves being a part of SheDrives.
“We need to create our own tight knit little community because there is safety in numbers and there’s strength in numbers,” Mary said. “The stronger we are, the better we are. We can always be better, and we will become better. It makes us better people, better drivers, better human beings across the board.”
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
