Carriers need racially diverse and female truck drivers

As more truck drivers leave the industry, there is a significant focus on expanding the candidate pool of potential drivers. In 2024, approximately 78,000 driver positions went unfilled. Furthermore, the truck driver shortage is estimated to reach 162,000 by 2030. 

So, the trucking industry is changing to become more appealing to a wider range of people. Explore why the trucking industry is recruiting more racially diverse and female truck drivers. You will also learn seven specific steps to transform your trucking business to appeal to minority drivers.

The current state of the trucking industry

At the moment, the industry is facing a significant driver shortage and will potentially continue to do so in the future. This shortage is due to a variety of factors, including:

• Drivers retiring
• Drivers leaving the industry
• Fewer younger drivers entering the field
• Lack of diverse drivers

Despite the shortage, there were 8.4 million people employed in trucking jobs in 2022. 

The importance of more female truckers in the industry

Based on the Women in Trucking (WIT) Index, female drivers accounted for 9.5% of CDL holders. However, carriers should target women truckers for two noteworthy reasons: 

What the statistics say

According to ATRI’s 2022 Crash Predictor Update, male drivers are more likely to get violations and convictions and get into crashes than female truckers in all statistically significant events.

Compared to female drivers, males are:

• 221% more likely to have an improper lane conviction 
• 57% more likely to have convictions for driving too fast for the conditions 
• 76% more likely to have seat belt violations 
• 51% more likely to fail to obey traffic signs

Women are less likely to mind being alone

Generally speaking, women truckers do not mind being alone while on the road. One survey of male and female drivers found that 79% of men feel lonely on the road compared to 65% of women drivers. This factor may contribute to higher satisfaction rates, which can boost retention.

Why trucking companies need to hire more racially diverse drivers 

Racially diverse drivers comprise a larger percentage of the driving workforce than most think, at 45.6%. While it sounds promising, when you break down the specific races, you can see where more work needs to be done:

• 4% identify as Asian
• 18.3% identify as Black
• 23.3% identify as Hispanic or Latino

Drivers from different cultures offer fresh perspectives

Different cultural perspectives will improve your trucking company by enhancing daily operations, training, problem-solving, and customer relationships. When fleet managers show they value different perspectives and life experiences, your business will be viewed as employee-friendly, improving retention and recruitment. 

The U.S. is a melting pot of people and cultures, so having various cultural perspectives is invaluable.

Ethnically diverse drivers can break down language barriers

While English is considered the primary language of the U.S., around 8.3% of the American population does not speak English fluently. 

Having ethnically diverse drivers may increase the number of languages in which your company can communicate, presenting the opportunity to improve customer service satisfaction. 

LGBTQ drivers are an untapped candidate pool

At the moment, there are no defined statistics about the number of LGBTQ truckers in the industry. The accepted estimate is around 4% of drivers, but there is no definitive source for this estimate. However, with 7.6% of the American adult population identifying as LGBTQ, this reflects a large group of people that trucking companies need to look into recruiting. 

Why minorities do not join the trucking industry 

Despite wanting more diversity in the driving fleet, companies struggle to recruit and retain diverse candidates. Why?

Lack of representation

The trucking industry is stuck in a cycle of needing more representation but not getting more diverse drivers because of the lack of representation. Many people see trucking as a career only for white males, which can be intimidating to potential minority drivers. 

Sexual harassment

Many potential and current female truck drivers are concerned about harassment. In 2021, WIT surveyed female truckers about sexual harassment and received 437 responses. Of those responses:

• 67% experienced verbal sexual harassment 
• 52% experienced comments they considered threatening
• 46% experienced unwanted physical advances

Racial harassment

Racial harassment can occur on the road, whether from other drivers, truckers, or people nearby. Of course, companies cannot control what happens outside of their company, but it is still crucial to acknowledge that this can be a problem.

According to a FreightWaves survey, 47% of drivers saw racism as a problem in the industry, and 44% said they experienced racism on the job. It also stated that 52% of drivers felt companies did not do enough to address racism. 

Safety concerns

If a driver is a long-haul driver, they sleep in their truck. Finding a safe place to park can sometimes be difficult. Depending on where a driver ends up, they can end up in danger, and that risk may increase among minority drivers.

But beyond sleeping safety, there is concern about safety on the road. Many environmental factors, such as weather or other drivers’ behaviors, are beyond drivers’ control. One wrong move can cause serious injuries. 

Various cultural barriers

With a more diverse fleet, more cultures can clash. Whether it is a simple misunderstanding of cultural differences or a language barrier, these obstacles can make it difficult for minority drivers to feel comfortable doing their jobs.

Potentially compromising situations during training

Drivers face safety issues specifically linked to the training process in trucking. Most truckers undergo on-the-road training, as the process for training new drivers has not changed significantly over the years in many fleet companies.

Behind-the-wheel training can create uncomfortable situations for minority truck drivers as they know they’ll find themselves in isolated spaces with strangers, most of whom are male. Trainees may feel discomfort at the thought of the prolonged one-on-one time so they don’t consider entering the industry.

How to recruit and retain more diverse drivers

Here are seven ways your company can recruit and retain diverse drivers.

1. Create better safety protocols

First and foremost, look at how your organization can create and implement better safety protocols. Creating an easy way to report any problems that happen on the road or in the office will make all drivers feel safe. 

Another way to ensure safety could be to create a check-in system when drivers are on the road. Once you have established these new safety systems, emphasize them when talking with potential minority truck drivers to demonstrate your company’s commitment to driver security.

2. Start specifically recruiting diverse drivers

The first step in recruiting diverse drivers is to acknowledge that the industry has a big opportunity to expand its diversity and that you are working toward doing so. Once you do that, you can create strategies to specifically target diverse workers.

For example, use inclusive language to address a diverse group of potential workers directly in your job postings and emphasize that your company is for everyone. You can also use more diverse models for promotional materials. 

3. Create a supportive company culture

Evaluate your current culture to be more welcoming to diverse drivers. The workplace culture should acknowledge each type of driver's unique needs while treating them equally.

4. Enforce a zero-tolerance policy for inappropriate behavior

Only 45.5% of trucking companies have a formal diversity and inclusion (D&I) policy. If you do not have a formal D&I policy, it is time to create one. Creating such a policy ensures all drivers receive equal treatment.

You must also create and enforce a zero-tolerance culture for unacceptable behavior and discipline employees who exhibit unacceptable behavior. To prevent such behavior from occurring, employees should be trained on how to address various issues, such as unconscious bias or microaggressions. 

5. Customize benefits for various lifestyles

Think about the benefits you currently offer employees. Do they suit a diverse workforce? If not, how could you improve them? Benefits that include a diverse workforce include childcare benefits, flexible scheduling, and a wider range of paid holidays. 

6. Partner with various organizations

There are plenty of community organizations within the trucking industry trying to address these problems head-on. Partnering with them can help make implementing these steps easier and show that you are an ally.

Here are a few established organizations to start with:

• Women in Trucking
• Black Truckers United
• LGBT Truckers
• Minority Professional Truckers Association

7. Provide comprehensive driving training

In a survey of around 2,000 drivers, less than a third had something positive to say about their company’s training practice. Your training should include:

• A beginner’s course: Make trucking accessible to anyone by having training suited for those who have never been behind the wheel of a commercial truck. 
• A defensive driving course: Defensive driving is a great way to ensure safety while behind the wheel.
• A course covering various scenarios: Anything can happen on the road, and drivers need to be prepared for it.

Using a driving simulator is a helpful tool in these courses because it lets you customize training based on what your drivers need. It also provides physical feedback in real time to give users a feel for what it is like to be behind the wheel in a safe environment.

The future of trucking is changing

The trucking industry is at a pivotal crossroads between tradition and change. Companies that proactively recruit a diverse workforce are seeing more profits and happier employees. 

Because safety is important to everyone, it should be the foundation of your new recruiting strategies. An Acron driving simulator can simplify safety training by providing hundreds of scenarios with one customizable tool. 

Learn more about our simulators today.