Women are moving up in trucking. Why aren’t more moving into the cab?
PLOVER, Wisc. — While the number of women in executive and supervisory trucking roles is growing, the number of female drivers remains essentially unchanged from 2024-25, according to the 2026-27 WIT Index, a survey conducted by the Women In Trucking Association (WIT).
The 2026-27 WIT Index survey found a substantial number of women in influential leadership roles within the trucking industry:
- Approximately 31% in C-Suite/executive positions are women;
- 37.5% in supervisory leadership roles are women; and
- 29% of those who serve on boards of directors are women.
A significant percentage of women also hold roles in these functions:
- 76.5% in human resources/talent management;
- 45.5% in dispatcher roles; and
- 44% in safety.
The number of female drivers and diesel technicians is significantly lower.
WIT’s report breaks down the overall percentage of professional truck drivers who are women based upon company workforce size:
- Micro/small companies (less than 500 employees): 10%
- Large/medium enterprises (500 to 4,999 employees): 10.5%
- Giant/major enterprises (more than 5,000 employees): 7%
These reported percentages are relatively flat in comparison to the previous version of the WIT Index. It’s important to note that these percentages reflect professional truck drivers who hold CDLs and are driving medium- to heavy-duty commercial trucks, not last-mile or delivery vans or other vehicles that are not heavy-duty trucks.
Trailing even further behind trucking executives and drivers, women make up only 2.5% of the diesel technician workforce, the survey shows.
About the survey
WIT conducted an online survey of organizations of all sizes in transportation to gather percentages of women in their workforce from November 2025 through April 2026. The respondents were asked to report data that included demographics, status of their organization’s diversity and inclusion policies, and percentages of females in various roles of their companies.
About 210 respondents responded to the call for information. About 51% of these respondents represent for-hire motor carriers or companies with private fleets as part of the organization’s operations. Of those respondents representing organizations with fleet assets, 35% are for-hire motor carriers of various types (full truckload, less-than-truckload, refrigerated, flatbed, expedited and liquid) and 16% are manufacturers, retailers, distributors, and other company types with private fleets. Approximately 16% of respondents are intermediary companies, including third-party logistics companies (3PLs), truck brokers, and intermodal marketing companies (IMCs).
To download a free copy of the 2026-27 WIT Index, click here.
Linda Garner-Bunch has been with The Trucker since 2020, picking up the reins as managing editor in 2022. Linda has nearly 40 years of experience in the publishing industry, covering topics from the trucking and automotive industry to employment, real estate, home decor, crafts, cooking, weddings, high school sports — you name it, she’s written about it. She is also an experienced photographer, designer and copy editor who has a heartfelt love for the trucking industry, from the driver’s seat to the C-suite.
