FMCSA names members of new Women of Trucking panel

The Biden administration announced Monday a list of 16 women to serve on a new federal advisory panel aimed at boosting the ranks of females in trucking.

The founding members of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Women in Trucking Advisory Board (WOTAB) include five current commercial truck drivers, four former drivers, trainers and executives. They work for small, medium and large trucking companies and as independent owner-operators. Others represent trucking associations, labor and higher education.

WOTAB was authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law last year and based partly on data that found females are significantly underrepresented in the trucking workforce and women drivers are 20% less likely than men to be involved in a crash.

It is also part of the administration’s Trucking Action Plan, which is focused on improving job quality and recruiting more truck drivers.

“Women are significantly underrepresented in the trucking industry, holding only 24% of all transportation jobs,” said FMCSA Deputy Administrator Robin Hutcheson. “We anticipate many great ideas from the advisory board that will help expand equity and safely provide access to careers in trucking for women across the industry.”

The board’s 16 members are:

• Anne Balay, organizer, Service Employees International Union (school/higher education).
• Joyce Brenny, founder, Brenny Transportation/Brenny Specialized (independent owner-operator).
• Jerri Banks, owner, Life on the Road Recruiting and Transportation Services (driver recruitment).
• Elisabeth Barna, vice president, American Trucking Associations (association).
• Enjoli DeGrasse, deputy director, International Brotherhood of Teamsters (labor).
• Marie Druckenmiller, director of transportation, Amazon (large carrier).
• Erin Ducharme, CFO, H&L Bloom/Bloom’s Bus Lines (motor coach).
• Laura Duryea, manager of recruiting, retention and driver development, Boyle Transportation, (medium carrier).
• Marquita Jones, J.B. Hunt (driver).
• Kellylynn McLaughlin, Schneider National Inc. (driver).
• Dianne McNair-Smith, CEO, 3 Girls Trucking Academy (school/higher education).
• Sharae Moore, founder/president, She Trucking Foundation (association).
• O’Sheauna Parker, Haul (driver).
• Emily Plummer, Prime Inc. (driver).
• Soledad Munoz Smith, vice president of operations, Munoz Trucking (small carrier).
• Nicole Ward, co-owner, African American Women in Trucking Association (nonprofit). 

Within the next 15 months, the board is required to provide the FMCSA administrator and the secretary of transportation recommendations that include:

• Evaluating barriers and trends that impact women in trucking and ways to support them pursuing careers in the industry.
• Identifying opportunities to expand trucking roles for women and increase their overall numbers.
• Advising on policies that provide education, training, mentorship or outreach to women in the industry.
• Reviewing opportunities to enhance safety, training, mentorship and education for women in trucking.

Related articles:

• Marathon Petroleum partners with the Women in Trucking Association
• Buttigieg prioritizing truck driver pay
• US senators introduce ‘Women in Trucking’ bill

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Editor: John Gallagher