Female truckers on the rise thanks to programme
COMMERCIAL NEWS/ Life on the road provides much-needed employment for women, writes Phuti Mpyane
Nicci Scott, who runs Commercial Truck Association, has a dream. Her efforts don’t only address gender parity in the truck-driving sector with her crop of highly determined, welltrained female drivers, but she is creating employment opportunities for SA women in tough economic circumstances.
Today, driving is a genderneutral job. Perhaps decades ago, when commercial vehicles were still crude things that required herculean strength to operate, there would have been justification of sorts for it to have been male-dominated.
But their manoeuvrability these days has opened up prospects not only for female drivers, but even for males who wouldn’t have cut the mustard pre-power-steering days.
Scott started with 10 women through a learnership funded by Isuzu Trucks in 2018, where women drivers were trained in a standard 12-month learnership to become professional drivers, and she says there’s quantifiable proof that female drivers lower running costs in cases such as fuel consumption and risk of mechanical failure.
According to Scott, the majority of SA’s female population, mostly black Africans, suffer the most in the country’s tough economy.
On the other hand, due to numerous reasons such as retirement and a general lack of interest in the sector, it’s been calculated that the commercial driving sector in SA is short of about 15,000 drivers.
In the light of these statistics, Scott says these vacancies are an opportune moment to fill them with female drivers who need employment.
Not only has she identified a gap but her company, CTA, searches for, grooms and finds permanent employment for the female drivers. A tie-up with Volvo Commercial, the Swedish truck brand that also has a desire to develop female truck drivers, has seen the successful training of 50 women in 2019 through the Volvo Iron Women programme and another 10 women funded by Coca-Cola to become owner-drivers.
It’s a fantastic programme, but it isn’t without foibles. When she first started with the training programme, Scott’s male driving staff went on a protest, citing fear of losing their jobs.
“In hindsight I should have sat the men down and explained the positive aspects of such a programme,” said Scott.
Apart from the encroachment fears of men in the industry — which, according to one of the first female graduates of the programme who is in the employ of a trucking firm, at times includes being almost pushed off the road by male drivers — the industry is seemingly also not entirely ready for women truckers.
“Safety on the road is a major concern for our women drivers,” says Scott.
“The few dedicated truck stops don’t have facilities that serve the convenience of women. The industry standards dictate that drivers of small to medium trucks must not sleep inside the vehicles, [so] we do set up our female drivers in motels for overnight stops, but this doesn’t mean there’s female bathroom facilities at many of these stops.
‘LOOKS OF SURPRISE’
“We are hopeful that these issues will get addressed as we deploy more women.”
What of tradition and family dynamics, and the reaction of male partners, more so with the many days on the road?
“Yes, it’s one of many challenges we face daily, including the looks of surprise we get from fellow truck drivers and clients,” says Scott.
“My standard reply to your question, or indeed that of any concerned partner, would be that this is much-needed employment,” she says.
A second group of women has begun its practical work experience phase and will be available for employment from January 2020.