Women now make up 9.5% of CDL-holding professional drivers in the U.S., a drop from 12% last year. This is according to the Women in Trucking Association’s (WIT) latest report, which also found that smaller companies with less than 500 employees have a higher percentage of female drivers at 12.5%. Meanwhile, larger companies report 7%.

Some industry observers have explained the decline in female drivers to be due to a variety of factors, including a lack of quality childcare, an increased interest in homeschooling children, safety concerns for female drivers, misperceptions of career opportunities for female drivers, and an aging driver population that is now retiring, WIT says.

However, the report highlights progress in other areas of gender diversity within the transportation industry, particularly around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.

WIT first asked in 2022 if respondents had a formal DEI policy, with 45.5% of organizations confirming they had one in place, while 31% reported not having a formal policy at that time. In the latest findings, more than half of survey respondents say their companies have a formal DEI policy in place, and an additional 19% of employers are developing such policies.

Women dominate in HR, growing representation in leadership roles

Women now represent 28% of executives in C-suite positions, with 43.5% of companies reporting that between 20% and 49% of their executive teams are women. Just under 35% of company leaders, including those in supervisory roles, are female. Over 56% of organizations report that 20% to 49% of their leadership teams are women.

Boards of directors have also seen growth in female participation, with women holding 29.5% of board seats in surveyed companies. Approximately 40% of companies report that between 20% and 49% of their boards are female.

Women dominate in HR, but underrepresented in technician roles

Women continue to dominate in HR and talent management field, where they now make up 74.5% of the workforce — more than half of the companies surveyed report that over 90% of their HR staff are women.

However, in operational roles like technicians, female representation remains low, with women accounting for just 4% of the workforce, a modest increase from previous years.

Other roles in the transportation sector show stronger representation of women. For example, 38.5% of dispatchers are female, and a similar percentage holds positions as safety professionals.