The highway on my plate : From roti to radiators , the story of women in trucking .

 

 I ,Gayathri Nair of The class of 2021  management studies was inspired by a real life experience to write the following blog .

The highway on my plate : from roti to radiators , the story of women in trucking .


Inspired for life :  

"Light breeze ,rain  splattering  on windshield , the highway 544 stretching endlessly ahead . A  road trip to Bangalore . A trip that changed me for life .A chance detour through the English church road in Palghat showed me an amazing display of tenacity .lamenting on the fact that the road was narrow for the suv and my dad was at wheels ,an experienced driver for the last 35 odd years ,when a massive 14 wheeler truck with its 30 tonne cargo maneuvered with finesse and drew up in front of us and parked .  Oh ! How on earth do these men even drive this monstrosity ,my dad exclaimed . And hey presto !!!out jumped a petite  woman in late forties from  the drivers seat of the truck that has ferried liquor from Madhya Pradesh to Palghat ."

In the drivers seat :

Yogitha raghuvansh , is an example of how when the going gets tough ,the tough gets going .Got out of the car and told her how inspiring that one spring of a step from the drivers seat to Terra firma was to me .She has said that the road ahead is a stretch of endless opportunity , keep your eyes open .

The highway on her plate :

Yogitha raghuvansh is not your run of the mill trucker .life dealt her a cruel blow .   her husband passed away in an accident . Rather than serve as a junior in a lawyer's office ,she decided  to put the highway on her plate to keep the food on her children's plate .

Female drivers : revolutionizing trucking industry: 

The trucking industry  globally has seen a 68 percent increase in the number of female truck drivers over the years .Surprisingly ,equal pay for men and women is a very welcome feature in the trucking scenario which has been attracting women to this field . There is a gap in the demand and supply of drivers which the women are slowly trying to bridge .

The steering wheel knows no gender :

Deb la Bree , Rebekah khoon , Margo Mitchell are few women who are making inroads in trucking scenario.

Several changes in trucking industry have made it easier for women to enter . Truck transmissions are easier to operate and are less grueling to use over a long distance haul . The truck drivers are now not expected to offload the cargo and unload it at their destination.

New technology , equipment ,bustling highways , make trucking a not so out of bounds arena for women .

Female drivers have more patience , are not prone to road rage and according to statistics are 27 percent less likely to cause accidents ,which means fewer repairs , legal cases and lower insurance premiums.

Adjustments to ensure smooth ride : 

 

The physical side of trucking needs to be addressed .trucks are destined to accommodate male drivers .
Women are usually shorter and lighter making it difficult for them to handle the controls and find comfortable seat positions . Comfort is paramount when you are on the road for long stretches .

Now many truck manufactures are designing vehicles that are ergonomically oriented towards women .J.B Hunt frieghtliner ,Convoy  etc are truck lines that are in the forefront of bringing change in the work atmosphere in trucking .

More flexible work arrangements , fair compensation and inclusive work culture are slowly drawing in more women .

GROW, growing and retaining outstanding women , highlighting women truckers and their path to inspire future recruits ,better anti embarrassment laws in place , ensuring the truck pit stops are women friendly ,driver excellence awards etc are few incentives these companies have in place to attract women in trucking .

Safety, A major bottleneck :

Women are inherently more risk averse .  Personal ,weather ,equipment , infrastructure and other drivers on the road are all potential safety hazards to women in trucking .


 Miles to go before I sleep : future of women in trucking

More and more freight liners are hiring women to ferry cargo .slowly but surely women have started to make inroads in the male dominated bastion . The road ahead is bumpy and long , but the gentle  hand that rocks the cradle is equally strong to turn  the wheel ....of a truck and also  of their destiny and fortune .