There are women who had children and a career on the road, she says. “We are seeing more women being considered or securing positions, higher management positions, than maybe what we did five or 10 years ago.”. Thanks for sharing! Growing the ranks of female drivers may also offer benefits beyond helping to address the trucking industry’s intensifying driver shortage. Truck Driver Wages and Duties. “We don’t focus enough on the women that we already have in existence in our industry,” says the CEO of the Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada. The push for more women behind the wheel has attracted attention in Ottawa. The packaging shares the story of how she reached the driver’s seat. On a cloudy Monday in late August, Vivianne Carbonneau fires the ignition on her semi truck bearing the load of both an 80,000-pound trailer and a new job title hitched to her name: driving mentor. That’s when bad stuff happens.”. Drivers coming without Visa can apply for a work permit at Canadian Border. Women don’t like to be alone By accepting this notice and continuing to browse our website you confirm you accept our Terms of Use & Privacy Policy. Last month, the federal government committed $294,000 to a project by Camo-route  an umbrella organization that works to develop Quebec's transport industry, which aims to raise the number of women truck drivers in the province to 10 per cent. Transport-truck drivers earned an average of $40,846 in 2015, according to the most recently available data from Statistics Canada. "Women and men are on the same hallway together. Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Children begin to take the first steps in career paths as early as Grade 7 and 8, says Uvanile-Hesch. Her path to the driver’s seat sounds familiar on the surface. “Women don’t look at trucks, or supply chain, or warehousing, or even trucking and say, ‘Hey, there’s a place for me there,’” says Ellen Voie, CEO of Women in Trucking. Some truck stops even incorporate salons that cater specifically to women. The Best Time for Women Truck Drivers. “We’ve made an indent.”. "Sometimes you go somewhere, and it's palpable. All four of them are helping to guide peers – and eliminate an undeniable barrier to over-the-road training. One way we do that is by delivering a comprehensive collection of up-to-date guides, reports, templates and more to support effective human resources management and recruitment and retention efforts. Truck Driver salaries vary drastically based on … This is the average yearly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. I would say we're reaching a crisis point.''. The discussions about women in trucking have changed in recent years, adds Angela Splinter, CEO of Trucking HR Canada. Trucking HR Canada held today the 7th Annual Women with Drive Leadership Summit: Linking Global Leaders. The trucking industry, made up of some 300,000 drivers, will be short of them by 34,000 by 2024, according to a 2016 study by the Trucking Alliance of Canada. It’s just one example of the real and perceived safety barriers to overcome. “We want them to look at trucks on the road and make a personal connection.’”. Mileage rates are typically blind to gender, after all. John G. Smith is the editorial director of Newcom Media's trucking and supply chain publications -- including Today's Trucking, trucknews.com, TruckTech, Transport Routier, Inside Logistics, Solid Waste & Recycling, and Road Today. "It is a guys' culture,'' she said of the industry. The following is a list of female NASCAR drivers who have participated in a national or regional touring series race since the organization's inception in 1949, along with statistical totals for their NASCAR careers. As part of Canada’s political effort to recruit immigrants with other professional skills, the state also operates a special route to Canada for professional truck drivers. Either number is downright anemic when considering that women account for 47% of Canada’s workforce. Family members like to poke fun at her for that, calling her a “wimp” because they all drive logging trucks. Poor impressions of the trucking world are a major recruitment hurdle, she said. Angela Splinter, chief executive of Trucking HR Canada, says aging drivers have ramped up the need for women and young people. Formal mentorship programs that leverage existing female employees are recognized as a powerful tool to retain women within employee ranks, too. $80,000 a year. It is the simplest process. "It's very pressing. ... Tammy will tell you about life as a lady trucker up in Canada… “A lot of companies are only worried about filling the hot seat,” Uvanile-Hesch says. There are also different classes for each type of truck such as Tractor Trailer, Straight Truck, etc., and is named differently depending on what province you live in. With nearly one million miles under my belt, I can’t imagine doing anything else. Girl Scouts and Canadian Girl Guides. Be part of one of Canada's leading carriers servicing the mining, oil/gas, retail, construction, steel and lumber industries. In one Women in Trucking survey, participants rated their personal safety at 4.4 out of 10. Many truck stops are oriented toward men, noted Judy Ostiguy, vice-president of human resources at XTL Transport. Male counterparts may not give such things a second thought. Henderson points to myths that still need to be tackled, such as whether women would need to sacrifice motherhood for a driving career. After 10 years of being a Team driver with my husband, I think it’s the best time ever for women in trucking. “These are just the groundbreaking programs.”. Addressing this gender gap sooner rather than later is imperative for many reasons. The international virtual event brought together women from across industry to celebrate the achievements of women in trucking and logistics, and to recognize global female leadership. Meanwhile, training programs across the country are helping to highlight available driving opportunities and cover the tuition at driver training schools. It is a priority for CBC to create a website that is accessible to all Canadians including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. If you like your men or women with some driving experience under their belt and with lots of time spent away from home, then check out our community! Holicza’s fleet has introduced a “We are Drivers” campaign using tools like social media to help shift perceptions. ‘Driverette’ found her dream job in a dream rig. The group estimates that only 3 percent of Canadian truck drivers are women. What can be the best gift than this portable mini refrigerator … "This year in particular we've got unseated tractors — as many, many fleets do — where we cannot find drivers to move our equipment. A first job at the wheel of a gravel truck evolved into overnight loads, some work in Western Canada’s oil fields, and then long hauls with Bison Transport. Drivers can be on the road between 10 and 14 days straight, sometimes sleeping in their cabs — typically kitted with beds, a mini-fridge and a microwave — on client lots or, occasionally, roadsides. Please note that CBC does not endorse the opinions expressed in comments. Such programs can be limited to dozens of participants, though. “I’ve never had any major issues,” she stresses, “but I’m also very street smart.” When choosing places to park overnight, she’s always careful to choose well-lit areas, formal truck stops, and weigh scales. Launched in 2016, it aims to raise the number of women entering the 18-wheeler workforce through awareness campaigns and resources for employers. While trade apprenticeships can be lucrative, the average salary for a truck driver sits at $48,733 a year, according to the Neuvoo job search engine, though more experienced big-riggers pull in up to $100,000 annually, Young said. Commercial truck driving is not classified as a skilled or semi-skilled trade, a category that can help fill worker shortages by allowing access to swifter immigration streams and more training resources. Our purpose is to promote personal growth and responsibility whether you’re” In the Office, under the Hood or behind the Wheel”. Today it’s more about celebrating the women who have established themselves in leadership roles. "But tops, you maybe see four women in a whole year, out of about a hundred students.''. Stay up to date on technology, regulations and trucking life. Why Consider Being a Truck Driver in Canada? "In the last two years it has gotten worse,'' Young said. If unmet, that demand will hinder shipping companies and dent the economy, she said. Luella Bates drove a class B truck for the Four Wheel Drive Auto, Company from 1918 -1922 in Clintonville, Wisconsin. We reserve the right to close comments at any time. The federation has about 50 members, including men, and a handful of corporate sponsors, including the Highway Western Star dealership in Ontario. It’s just one of the reasons why. While some Manitoba schools with vocational programs invited Trucking HR Canada in for presentations, Calgary and Ontario boards were "less receptive,'' Young said. The Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada is a non-profit organization established to encourage the employment of women in the Transportation Industry. The industry varies in terms of what you can do as a truck driver which also moves the pay scale up or down accordingly. Meanwhile, delays due to traffic, weather, breakdowns, accidents and shipping hold-ups are tough to predict and can dissuade both women and men from entering the industry. On a typical day, Lanelle Devlin wakes up around 10 or 11 a.m. and drives a Volvo D13 XE truck with a 53-foot trailer for as many as 11 hours. Women made up 6.2 percent of all truck drivers as of 2017, up from 4.9 percent in 2008, the ATA reports — still a pittance considering they make up almost half the U.S. workforce. Shelley Uvanile-Hesch, CEO of the Women's Trucking Federation of Canada, is now pushing businesses to open their facilities and for carriers to stand up for their drivers. Ben Santucci, founder of the North American Transport Driving Academy in Kingston, Ont., says he's seen a slight uptick in his six-week tractor-trailer program over the past couple years. Some companies now makes extra efforts to recruit women to be truck drivers. For me, it's something that needs to be changed, just for the safety of many women,'' Ostiguy said. "We're up against it from a very early age.''. Gardewine Group L.P. 2.7. Class A/Z Canada only Flat Deck Truck Driver. Barely 3.5% of Canada’s 300,000 truck drivers are women, according to labor market data from Trucking HR Canada. When it comes to breaking ground, there are other initiatives looking to shape the mindsets of those who are a decade or more away from driving jobs. You can feel it — you can feel that you're not exactly welcome.". But there appears to be a need to steer the public conversation around women truck drivers, too. "I know I'm sending a message out there not only to men, but to women, saying, 'If I can do it, you can do it.'". Here is what lady drivers can expect. At Trucking HR Canada, we strive to make your job easier. "We've got some traction. “We want little girls to look at a tractor-trailer on a road and then say, ‘Mommy, that’s my cookies in there,’” Voie says. Save job Not interested Report job Ladies, post your personal experience about life as a lady driver at the bottom of the page. Today, Bison itself can count 3.8% of its drivers as women, up from 2.3% just over a year ago when it established a dedicated effort to attracting more female candidates. It’s one of the reasons why her group always gives school board representatives and educators free admission to its conferences. Gone are the days when the search for a bathroom meant knocking on the door to ensure there were no men inside before slipping into a stall. Confronted with a worker shortage and outdated attitudes, women are leading a push to foster more female big-riggers and overcome the perception of unglamorous lifestyles and an industry-wide reputation for machismo. Carbonneau summed up one other potential deterrent to life on the road. New Family Dynamics Aside from the limited bathroom access that everyone is facing during Covid-19, it’s much easier to find a women’s washroom, she says. Canada. The class counts are relatively small, but several have realized high retention rates, Splinter says, referring to Alberta’s Women Building Futures program as an example. The work continues in a bid to help recruit and retain more women, and increase their ranks beyond the stubbornly low share of 3.5%. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. She is the first woman to take on the role at the Montreal-area trucking company in its 33-year history. The U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is also in the midst of a multi-year study into crimes against female and minority drivers. Class sizes are typically closer to a dozen. The award-winning journalist has covered the trucking industry since 1995. Portable Refrigerator For Truck Drivers. "I'm not going to let anybody intimidate me, obviously,'' she continued. Carbonneau, 58, has been hauling freight for only two years, but has taken on an in-house teaching role to help new drivers — especially women, but men too — at XTL Transport. Women already occupy most office jobs at trucking companies but being alone for long periods of time in trucks isn’t something they like to do. If the freight business continues to grow at the current rate and the trend of older drivers retiring and fewer new drivers coming into the workforce holds, the shortage could reach 175,000 by the year 2024. Women make up just three per cent of freight truck drivers across the country, according to Trucking HR Canada. "There's a perception — and I've got to emphasize that word — that women may not be suitable for truck-driving jobs, whether it's the physical demands of the position or being away from home,'' she said. Pseudonyms will no longer be permitted. Holicza is a she in an industry dominated by he. 30+ days ago. Salaries range from 21,100 CAD (lowest) to 58,900 CAD (highest).. Holicza admits some of her own friends expressed concerns when she first began longhaul work. “It’s not in the hundreds,” Clark says, referring to the reach of such programs. Truck driver training will assist you in getting your truck driving license in Canada – this varies by name and province. Join the thousands of Class AZ drivers who have advanced their career with Schneider. But it’s good-natured ribbing. She offers the example of her organization’s regional Women’s Leadership Program that will help mentor women who ultimately shape fleet policies, procedures, and general thinking around female candidates. Like many others in the trucking industry, she came from a family of truck drivers, learning tricks of the trade while riding along with her dad. the fleet has doubled its number of female in-cab instructors in the last year. "The graduates are soaked up even before they finish school,'' he said. Think of children’s books, dolls, in-school visits, and Girl Scout patches. And that's a problem.''. January 02, 2018 - Police Identify 2 Oregon Truck Drivers Killed In Fiery Head-On Crash December 27, 2017 - Iowa First Of Eight States To Debut New Truck Parking Information System December 18, 2017 - Truck Driver Makes Headlines After Surviving 40-Foot Fall During Traffic Arrest Young said women drivers would be more comfortable if they had access to a female mentor, with whom they may spend hours or days barely two feet apart from each other in the tractor cab. But each initiative still helps to plant some all-important seeds, says Kelly Henderson, executive director of the Trucking Human Resources Sector Council – Atlantic. Shelley Uvanile-Hesch just wishes there were more promotional programs like it. “We need to show this is an inclusive industry.”, “As human beings, we relate to someone that looks like us and has a similar story,” agrees Tracy Clark, Bison’s director – driver recruitment and retention. Women are not new to the transportation of freight; women working as truck drivers are merely modern day female freight movers and they have been present for nearly a century yet rarely recognized. “Women want to be in an industry where they’re able to connect with others,” Splinter says. Leading truck driving jobs throughout North America. Male tractor-trailer drivers in the National Household Survey reported a median income of $45,681 in 2016, compared to women who made $36,392. However, the data aren’t specific to long-haul operators and include salaries for other drivers, including those handling dump trucks, tow trucks, and moving vans. Holicza refers to other barriers that have faded away since she first began driving. Linda Young, head of human resources for Winnipeg-based Bison Transport, chairs the trucking HR association's Women With Drive initiative. She just prefers the open highway. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. The driver shortage has made a number of the old guard who used to be hostile to women drivers relax their views. Hone into the 181,000 tractor-trailer drivers who work specifically for trucking operations, excluding drivers like those who operate medium-duty trucks or consider themselves part of another sector like construction, and the National Household Survey puts the share closer to 3%. “If you don’t teach kids about an industry, how are they going to know about it?”. It can be a tough and lonely life for a truck driver, so it’s only natural that more and more of them have turned to the Internet to meet new people for fun, friendship and romance. “At the very least, our hope is that companies start having conversations about how to attract and retain women of childbearing age,” Voie said. “We send students out with their trainers for weeks at a time and they’re expected to not use the top bunk when the truck is moving. "If you learn from a woman, you always have that little voice inside that says, 'See, I can do it,''' she said. Just 3.5% of Canada’s truck drivers are women. Male truck drivers are 20% more likely to be involved in a crash, Voie notes, pointing to research by the American Transportation Research Institute. The Women In Trucking Association is a non-profit organization with the mission to encourage the employment of women in the trucking industry, promote their accomplishments, and minimize obstacles faced by women working in the industry. To encourage thoughtful and respectful conversations, first and last names will appear with each submission to CBC/Radio-Canada's online communities (except in children and youth-oriented communities). Women make up just over 10% of America’s 3.5 million truck drivers. And they do that while making the same amount of money as their male counterparts. Being a long-haul truck driver has plenty of perks including a salary of between $55, 000 and $70, 000 per year (as well as some bonus payments). The difference in her story takes the form of a pronoun. There are misconceptions to address at the very least. Hourly wages for truck drivers are currently competitive with the both national and provincial averages. But Uvanile-Hesch believes that difference would be influenced by women who might be more likely to lean toward regional or daily work. “We have moved the needle,” Clark says. Parked truck rolls away, smashes into side of house in Richelieu, Que. When it comes to Canada’s trucking industry, however, there’s a noticeable shortage of women truck drivers: only 3% of Canada’s truck drivers, mechanics, technicians, and cargo workers are female. Maternity leave also remains effectively off-limits for many drivers, she said, particularly those on contract, though the option is available at XTL, where a woman, Geneviève Gagnon, is president. ... I’ve seen the entire country several times over and been to Canada several times. To raise awareness, the Women With Drive initiative attends job fairs, creates mentorship guidelines, highlights women's accomplishments on social media, hosts conferences and works closely with trade colleges. You already have an answer to shortage of women in trucking just check trucknews.blog.we need to talk about truckers loneliness By submitting a comment, you accept that CBC has the right to reproduce and publish that comment in whole or in part, in any manner CBC chooses. Do I want more? (Photo: Bison Transport) A first job at the wheel of a gravel truck evolved into overnight loads, some work in Western Canada’s oil fields, and then long hauls with Bison Transport. Washroom facilities sometimes offer a single row of showers without barriers or stalls. Stars in that campaign include Amber Balcaen, a racecar driver, and bobsledder Christine de Bruin. "Parents encouraging their children to become truck drivers, it really isn't out there,'' she added. Absolutely.''. The purpose of the route is intended for truck drivers who would like to immigrate and work in Canada and … Clark points to the YWCA’s Changing Gears program, which includes guidance on what its trainees in Western Canada should look for in a carrier. “How do we attract new people in if we don’t show people what we have?”. Women in Trucking has transportation patches that can be earned by U.S. Schneider established its Canadian trucking operation in the Toronto area in 1990, and we’ve spent decades expanding and enhancing our truck driver jobs in Canada. A person working as a Truck Driver in Canada typically earns around 39,000 CAD per year. Family members like to poke fun at her for that, calling her a “wimp” because they all drive logging trucks. A growing list of industry programs have tried to move the needle, offering training scholarships for female candidates, mentorship programs, even dolls and Girl Scout badges to raise awareness among little girls. Even Trucking HR Canada’s Women with Drive event – one of the nation’s largest initiatives that focuses on the industry’s women – attracts a few hundred participants at a time, largely from management ranks. Imagine if your 26-year-old niece said she secured a new job in the supply chain and had to share sleeping quarters with their boss, Voie explains. By the time she was a teenager, she already knew how to handle most of the paperwork. Canada has a very good reputation in the global market that’s why many foreign truck drivers want to come to Canada for truck driving. Bringing Gender Diversity to Transportation. In Canada, women account for more than 50% of the population, yet only 3% of truck drivers are females. We use cookies to make your website experience better. it goes without saying that female drivers will be attracted to the job more when there is a higher visible presence of females in positions on the inside that impact drivers. Unfortunately female truck driver wages lag behind those of males, being on average just under 10,000 dollars per year lower in 2016. After getting LMIA foreign workers must apply for a work permit before they start working in Canada. Lisa Kelly (born December 8, 1980) is an American trucker who has been featured on the History channel reality television series Ice Road Truckers and its spinoff series IRT: Deadliest Roads.From Seasons 3–5 and 7–11. “Once we start getting the industry to understand that women are safer, better with customers, better with paperwork, women are more loyal, women have less turnover, women feel their pay is fair,” Voie says, “the person I’m describing is someone everyone should be clamoring to hire.”. South of the border, Ryder helped to introduce the Girl Scout Cookies and Supply Chain program. In early Women with Drive events, for example, panelists focused on the need for accommodations like flexible hours or childcare to attract women. Driverless trucks are coming to Canada and the impact will be profound: Don Pittis, Montreal's back-to-school traffic madness heightened by construction work, STM bus delays, Montreal looks at phasing out unsafe heavy trucks on city streets, Highway 40 reopens in Dorval after fiery crash. Women make up just three per cent of freight truck drivers across the country, according to Trucking HR Canada. As a female in the trucking industry for 38 years, I will offer that to attract more female drivers, the industry has to also attract more females to supervisor and management positions within organizations.