Ellen Voie leads the way in defying stereotypes
By Brittany Anas
A flat tire and three hours wasted waiting on the side of the road spurred Ellen Voie’s mother to enroll in an auto mechanics class back in the 1970s. Witnessing the way her mother handled the situation back then was an influential moment for Voie, who today is the president and CEO of the Women in Trucking Association, a nonprofit organization that encourages women in the industry.
Voie’s mother always told her she could do anything she wanted; and she sure meant it. Thanks to her mom’s encouragement, Voie gravitated toward shop class in high school because she enjoyed working on engines.
With gender stereotypes dismissed, there was an open road ahead –literally.
Voie’s career in the trucking industry began in 1980 when she earned a diploma in Traffic and Transportation Management while working as a traffic manager at a steel fabrication plant in central Wisconsin. She’s held positions as a dispatcher, freelance consultant and co-owner of a small fleet. In more recent years, she was the executive director of Trucker Buddy International, a pen pal program between professional drivers and elementary students. She also was the retention and recruiting manager at Schneider, a truckload carrier.
When Voie was getting her pilot’s license, she became familiar with a group called “Women in Aviation” and wondered why there wasn’t a similar cadre of women in trucking. So, in 2007, she founded the Women in Trucking Association. Now, a little more than a decade later, the group has 4,000 members and is an advocate for women in all transportation fields.
What was the need for Women in Trucking?
Voie noticed there were few women at trucking conferences and that they’d seek one another out during those rare opportunities. “I thought women needed a way to learn from one another, have strong role models out there and have a way to connect, network and learn from one another,” she says. Nineteen percent of the group’s members are men who support the Women in Trucking mission and see value in increasing diversity in the industry. “We’re not for women as much as we’re about women,” Voie says.
What are some challenges keeping women from entering the industry?
The percentage of women drivers rose in 2017 from 7.13 percent at the beginning of the year to 7.89 percent by the end of the year, according to a survey conducted by the Women in Trucking Association and the National Transportation Institute. During the same timeframe, women in management positions in the industry increased from 23 percent to 23.75 percent.
Voie points to an image problem that keeps women from entering the industry, and her organization is working to help people understand the importance of trucking careers. “People look at the trucking industry and think the trucks are just in their way on the road,” she says. “They don’t look at a truck and say, ‘They’re delivering my gasoline, my gallon of milk, my clothes.’ We want to help people make that connection.”
How is Women in Trucking getting more girls interested in trucking careers?
A toy company, HABA USA, developed and produced a plush doll named Clare for the Women in Trucking Association, Voie says. The blonde trucker is wearing a “Women in Trucking” cap with an “I Heart Trucking” t-shirt, jeans and boots. The doll can be purchased online or at trucking stations. The idea? Generate interest among girls in transportation careers, whether that’s as a driver, in a safety field or as a technician, she says. Follow along with the doll’s adventures by searching the hashtag #WheresClare on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Women in Trucking is also working on an activity book that illustrates the supply chain, and truck driving schools are hosting Girl Scouts for tours so they can earn transportation badges.
What unique traits do women bring to the transportation industry?
“Women tend to take fewer risks, and that’s who you want in the cab of your truck,” Voie says. Accidents involving women drivers tend to occur at slower speeds, and there’s less damage and loss of life, she points out.
What kind of lessons could be transferred to the bus and motorcoach industry?
People make an assumption that women don’t want to be in driving careers because they don’t want to be away from home, Voie says. “We need to stop that stereotype,” she says. Voie points to the high number of women who are working as flight attendants and travel. To recruit more women drivers, know that their priorities center around safety, Voie says. “They want their equipment to be safe.” And, they want the companies that they work for to have safety as a top priority, Voie says.
