* Florida - This company's solution to the current truck driver shortage is to recruit more women
... Ryder Dedicated, a logistics outsourcing division of Ryder System Inc., is working to change that. For a start, they’ve partnered with the nonprofit advocacy group Women in Trucking to guide cab manufacturers in making trucks themselves more adaptable. Among other things, that means adjustable seats and pedals for shorter drivers, lower steps for accessing both cabs and freight, and less fatiguing automatic transmissions. Those improvements don’t just benefit women, as the driver population is also aging—now averaging 55—according to BLS... Security measures also benefit more than just women—all long-haul truckers can be vulnerable to violence or theft as they sleep in their trucks, often in isolated rest stops. Volvo is among manufacturers that now offers trucks with an alarm system to deter intruders while the cab is stationary... But less tangible factors may be the most intractable. Trucking’s image as a profession for men hasn’t changed, even in a world full of female lawyers, doctors, and soldiers... John Diez, President of Ryder Dedicated, says the decision to cater to women is “absolutely” a response to the driver shortage. But the program is still in its early stages, and so far the company’s percentage of female drivers is still in line with industry averages. The coming year will bring more aggressive outreach and recruiting efforts...
(Photo: A female truck driver at work) -- Miami, FL, USA - Fortune, by David Z. Morris - June 26, 2015
Labels: drivers shortage, women truckers
![[Valid Atom 1.0]](valid-atom.png "Validate my Atom 1.0 feed")
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home