Women In Trucking (WIT) -- a non-profit organization created to
encourage the employment of women and assist in promoting a more
female-friendly environment for those already in the trucking industry
-- recently celebrated its one-year anniversary and hit a record one
thousand corporate and individual members.
"Our
rapid growth confirms what we've known all along," said Ellen Voie, WIT
chairwoman, "that an association like this was long overdue! With a
very active board combined with enthusiastic members we firmly believe
we can make a difference in the trucking
industry. One of our goals when we started WIT a year ago was to have a
thousand members before the end of our first year. We've met that
goal, and now we hope to double again within the next six months."
Women in Trucking
was officially founded on March 12, 2007 as a means to encourage women
to consider a career in the trucking industry, but to also provide a
platform to voice the successes and struggles of those women already in the male-dominated field. WIT strives to promote women’s accomplishments and minimize obstacles to their career growth and development.
Membership
in WIT comes in a variety of forms ranging from corporate employees to
drivers and student members. To date, the organization's thousand
members include people at 80 corporations and 11 trucking schools, as
well as more than 200 drivers, 133 non-driving individuals and 56
students. Nearly 20 percent of the members are men.
"Although
encouraging women to consider careers in the trucking industry is one
role of WIT," explained Voie, "it's not our only focus. We believe
that providing a greater understanding of the special challenges that
women face on the road, under the hood or behind the desk will only
serve to better the industry."
By Brandy Schaffels
Editor, askpatty.com
automotive advice for women
