Trucking moves the U.S. economy. With freight volumes increasing and persistent driver shortages, workforce expansion is no longer optional – it is operationally necessary.
Women currently represent a growing but still underrepresented segment of the commercial driving workforce. While the percentage of women truck drivers remains in the single digits nationally, participation has steadily increased over the past decade.
The conversation is no longer about whether women belong in trucking. It is about how the industry can better support and retain them.
It also looks as if truck driver women are already getting a fairer deal than they once could have expected. CNBC has reported positive pay structures in the industry, with Ellen Voie, founder of the non-profit organization Women In Trucking Association, stating, “Women and men are paid the same as drivers. The carrier sets the pay based on mileage, hours, or percentage of the load.”
There is certainly still some distance left to cover before we see a more equal trucking industry for both men and women. However, at least it seems that we are moving in the right direction. The future looks to be a bright one for American women as truck drivers.
The Pioneers Who Opened the Door
How long have there been women driving trucks? Well, for almost as long as there have been trucks themselves. There is some debate around when female drivers made their first moves into the logistics industry, but one name that crops up time and time again is that of pioneering driver Luella Bates.
Luella Bates was born in 1897, less than 15 years after the invention of the automobile. From an early age, Bates took a keen interest in this new technology. By the time the United States joined the First World War in 1917, Bates was barely 20 years old, but this didn’t stop her from serving as a test driver at the Four Wheel Drive Auto Company – a position that led to her traversing the state of Wisconsin in a Model B Truck. After the war, she would remain with the Four Wheel Drive Company, becoming the first licensed female truck driver in the state of New York.
Luella Bates might have been the first of women truck drivers, but she certainly would not be the last. Several years later, another early pioneer of truck driving women would find herself battling a landmark case. Lillie Elizabeth McGee Drennan was the first licensed female truck driver in the state of Texas and a figurehead for the many females in truck driving who would follow in her footsteps. She proved herself to be an expert driver and one of the leaders in her field as she ran logistics routes across East Texas.
Drennan would become the sole owner of the Drennan Truck Line and would continue to promote the cause of the women truck driving industry. During the Second World War, Lillie recognized the acute need for female drivers to assist with the war effort and did her utmost to recruit these drivers.
It is upon the foundations laid by women like Luella Bates and Lillie Drennan that female involvement in this industry is built. Now, almost a century on from those milestones, female truck drivers continue to evoke the pioneering spirit and ethos of these early trailblazers.
These early pioneers proved competence was never the issue – access was.
Success in trucking depends on professional truck driver skills, discipline, and decision-making – not gender.
Women in Trucking: Where the Industry Stands Today
It’s certainly true to say that women remain underrepresented in American trucking. However, women are certainly playing an important role in shaping the future of this industry.
While less than 7% of truck drivers are women, this figure rises to 23% when we look at management positions. Of course, this shows that women are still not fully represented in trucking industry management, but this rise is encouraging. Since Lillie Drennan’s stewardship at the head of the Drennan Truck Line, there have been many other truck driver women and female-owned trucking companies providing logistics services in the United States. Many women entering the industry are exploring owner-operator opportunities rather than traditional company roles.
Garner Trucking Inc. is one example, a trucking firm run by Sherri Garner Brumbaugh. Garner Trucking has experienced great successes thanks to the experience of Sherri, who spent 18 years at her father’s business before taking the helm.
All America Transportation, operating out of St. Louis, Missouri, is another example. Since 1996, Lianne Reizer has led this firm. She works closely with other female members of her family to steer the company in the right direction.
These two companies are certainly not isolated. Andra Rush started Rush Trucking when she was only 23 years old, drawing upon her passion for logistics and her savvy business acumen to build a $400-million empire. Rush Trucking is also known for championing and furthering the careers of Native Americans in trucking — another underrepresented demographic in the industry.
Why Women Drivers Matter to the Future of Trucking
The stories of great people like Luella Bates, Lillie Drennan, Andra Rush, and countless others show us just how important women are in this industry. As we look to the future, it is clear that the logistics market will continue to play a critical role in the economy of the United States, and women will certainly be supporting this.
There may still be some distance left to travel before we see total equality in the industry, but we are already well on our way. Antiquated notions of a male-dominated industry have been destroyed by the power of fact. For example, the idea that women are not equipped to handle big trucks has been shown to be false — statistics show that women truck drivers are far less likely to be involved in serious accidents compared to their male counterparts.
Representation and Performance
While women still make up a minority of drivers, studies consistently show:
• Comparable or stronger safety records
• Equal pay structures in mileage-based systems
• Higher retention rates in some fleet segments
As the industry faces long-term driver shortages, expanding recruitment and retention strategies to include more women is not a diversity initiative – it is a sustainability strategy.
Building a Stronger Trucking Industry
The future of trucking depends on expanding opportunity, improving safety standards, and creating sustainable careers for drivers of all backgrounds.
At Logity Dispatch, we support owner-operators and independent drivers with structured load planning, compliance support, and revenue optimization – because success in trucking is built on systems, not stereotypes.
The road is open to anyone prepared to drive it.
