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SAN DIEGO — Recruiting and retaining women for jobs in the trucking industry is a goal the Biden administration is pursuing, the nation’s top trucking regulator said Oct. 22.
Robin Hutcheson, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s newly confirmed administrator, pointed to resources the $1 trillion infrastructure law is providing to amplify and create roles for women in the freight workforce. Specifically, a Women of Trucking Advisory Board, initiated by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, is scheduled to host its initial meeting next month, the administrator told an audience at the American Trucking Associations’ 2022 Management Conference & Exhibition.
“We are very excited to kick this off. Equity is a priority for us and it is both for the Biden-Harris administration and for the Department of Transportation,” Hutcheson said.
“We’re very hopeful for the work of this first-of-its-kind board,” she continued, “it will support women to pursue careers in trucking.” FMCSA describes the board as a forum for “reviewing opportunities to enhance safety, training, mentorship and education for women in the trucking industry.”
We’re honored and grateful to have @FMCSA Administrator Robin Hutcheson join us in San Diego for #ATAmce22 to meet with our members and discuss the issues impacting our industry. pic.twitter.com/u0UP08rWfp
— American Trucking (@TRUCKINGdotORG) October 22, 2022
In July, ATA launched Women In Motion to highlight women’s contributions, as well as recognize companies adopting best female-centric hiring practices. ATA workforce data determined the industry faces a shortage of 80,000 commercial drivers.
At the conference, Hutcheson also pointed to the contributions of the trucking workforce during the post-pandemic economic recovery; notably, assisting with ensuring the viability of grocery stores, businesses and hospitals. As she put it, “Seventy-five percent of everything that is delivered comes on a truck. We understand this so much better now.”
Hutcheson’s U.S. Senate confirmation occurred this fall. FMCSA is tasked with implementing key freight programs approved in the bipartisan infrastructure law. Enacted by President Joe Biden on Nov. 15, the law dedicates about $350 billion for federal highway programs through 2026.
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