Why we need more female HGV drivers

If your image of a HGV driver is a big burly man, then the chances are that you are right. The majority of HGV drivers are male and almost two-thirds of them are aged over 45. Currently, very few women work in the HGV industry, which is a great shame when so many important skills seem to be going to waste.

Emma Tyrer, Head of Sales and Marketing of Walker Movements, global leaders in the trucking industry explores the question, “why are women not choosing HGV driving as a career and how could the industry benefit from including them more?”

It is a sad fact that less than 1% of HGV drivers are female. Only 2,200 registered truck drivers in the UK are women out of a whopping 315,000 drivers in total, but recent polls suggest far more women would consider taking up the role. As many as 15% of women aged between 21 and 25 have expressed an interest in joining the industry, but as yet, this doesn’t seem to be happening. We have taken a look at some of the reasons behind this female driver shortage and why the industry should be embracing a greater diversity of the sexes.

Why are there so few female HGV drivers?

It is believed that one of the biggest barriers to becoming an HGV driver is the cost that is involved in getting started. The initial training that is involved and the licence itself can cost around £3000, which is felt to be far too prohibitive to many, particularly to the young women that the industry is hoping to attract. There are now calls to make this much more accessible by providing a suitable loan system that makes entry into the industry easier.

Stereotypes about the HGV industry are rife, and it can be this that puts many women off. The feeling that drivers must be strong and fit into a man’s world encourage many women to keep the idea at arm’s length. However, the reality is very different as HGVs are now much easier to drive than they have ever been without the need for a huge set of biceps and an intimate knowledge of the internal combustion engine.

Most wagons now include power steering, automatic gears, button operated hydraulics and a lot more home comforts in the cab that make them seem more like a campervan than a lorry. This means that the uncomfortable life and difficult physical exertion that many expect simply is not there.

The perceived working hours have also been thought to put women off, as they are fearful of spending too much time away from their families. However, the days of spending most of the week away from home are now long gone and the shifts that they do work are planned weeks in advance to allow drivers to plan their commitments around them. There are now also more options to job share or work on a part time basis available than ever before.

Security has also been a factor that has kept a number of women from getting behind the wheel. The idea of sleeping alone in a dark layby has understandably not had much of an appeal. These days, there are more areas that allow communal HGV driving to provide a safety in numbers. The trucks themselves also have many more security measures to make sure that drivers are fully protected and that goods cannot be reached, making it much more secure job prospect than it ever has been.

Many women do not look at driving a heavy goods vehicle as a career, but it can actually be something that sustains you for life. The industry is now fully behind the idea of welcoming more women and are offering vast amounts of support to those who do. The Road Haulage Association (RHA) have even launched a special initiative designed to bring a new welcoming culture to the industry.

The benefits of female HGV drivers

The HGV has been struggling to recruit new drivers of any gender for some time, and this has left them with serious shortages. There are now dangers of food shortages and restaurants being left without supplies, simply because there are fewer drivers on the road. With 50% of the workforce typically shunning driving as a career, encouraging women to take a new look at the industry could go a long way to solving a worldwide problem.

One reason that women have such a negative opinion of the industry is because they do not have first-hand experience of it. As more and more women enter the industry, daughters, friends and sisters will see what it is actually like to work within, and this will hopefully attract even more women to give it a go.

Women can provide a very loyal workforce, which means once they have been trained and recruited, they are likely to offer years of work and cover thousands of miles. Logistics companies are desperate for this kind of loyalty and will benefit hugely from drivers who are prepared to stick with the career.

Whilst we are focusing on female drivers, there are lots of roles within the haulage industry that all require more women to work within them. A different approach and a different way of working can mean that women can make the HGV industry a more efficient and better place to work all the way through the process.

Diversity in any industry is always a good thing and striking more of a gender balance will benefit the industry in a whole range of ways. Women bring a lot of great qualities to any workplace, and the same is true of the HGV industry. Addressing the gender balance quickly and effectively is the best way to improve the industry as a whole, move away from the recent driver shortages and make the most of some of the fantastic skills we have on offer in this country. This will be something that grows over time and could change the perception of the logistics industry and HGV drivers for good.