Robin Grapa

Robin worked as a graphic designer for ten years, before her former partner – a truck driver – talked her into a career change. After driving trucks long distance for Midwest Carriers for seven years, she is now their brand manager where she helps recruit other women into the profession.

Q: How did you handle the transition from office work to truck driving?

A: “I fell in love with truck driving right away. I have an adventurous spirit, so being able to get out of the office, into a truck and being able to see the country really suits me. I used to drive over the road (long haul) and was often away for up to 11 days at a time – but I didn’t mind that. When you’re out on the road, there is a real sense of freedom. Obviously, you have your schedule but once you figure that out, the rest of the time is yours.”

Q: How did you balance truck driving with your active lifestyle?

A: “That was a challenge, but I was determined not to take on that unhealthy lifestyle that is so stereotypical of truck drivers. From day one, I ate healthy and exercised regularly. I came up with simple workouts to do in my truck cab, and I would find places to run during my time off. In fact, I trained for my first 100-mile (160 km) ultra marathon while truck driving.”

Q: What do you do now instead of truck driving?

A: “Now, I’m back in the office, where I help recruit new drivers. I often meet women – and some men – who say, ‘I don’t know if I could ever do that’, and I’m like ‘absolutely you can, just give it a try’. Like any job, it’s a step-by-step learning process. Being able to go into a traditionally male industry and do the job just as well as any man can, is incredibly empowering.”

Q: What can be done to get more women into truck driving?

A: “One thing would be to have more female trainers. I was really fortunate when I started in that I had a fantastic trainer, but you are in the truck with them for weeks, and I completely understand why some women might be uncomfortable with that. So, if we had more female trainers, that would be way less intimidating.”

Marina Ivanov

Marina and her husband bought their first truck and founded Apex Transit in 2013. Now, they own a fleet of 80 trucks operating across the US. She is also on the board of directors of the North Carolina Trucking Association and Chairwoman of the Women in Trucking Council.

Q: In your experience, why should women consider a career in truck driving?

A: “A lot of the women we have recruited have been out of work for a while raising children, or they are single parents, who are struggling to reenter the work force because they lack experience. And trucking offers them a chance to secure a good salary – without an expensive college degree. Even if you have no prior experience, there are a lot of companies out there willing to train you and give you all the support you need to be successful.”

Q: How does your company benefit from having more women in your workforce?

A: “Right now, of our 76 drivers 11 are women, and they are the safest and most loyal drivers I have. I truly believe that hiring more female drivers actually improves your productivity and makes you a safer company.

“Unfortunately, there are still a lot of myths out there, people think women can’t drive, that they’re not safe. But this is a complete myth – studies have shown that in general women are safer drivers than men. At least in my experience, they are more cautious, and they work extra hard because they want to prove themselves. In fact, our female drivers have so much pride in their work, because they’re showing that they have what it takes to defy expectations and succeed in this industry.”

Q: How do you attract and retain more female drivers?

A: “We offer them a lot of flexibility and schedules that work best with their families. We’re also understanding of their needs, such as having assigned trucks and getting access to facilities. I find that if you give people that flexibility and understanding, then they’ll give you their best as well. When we take care of them, they take care of us.”

Q: What advice would you give to other transport companies?

A: “Any transport company that does not employ women is only hurting themselves since they’re missing out on 50% of the talent pool. Having a diverse workforce also helps build our culture, and for our customers it shows that we’re an inclusive company that is helping people in our community.

“Only around 7% of trucks drivers in the US are women. If we could increase that to just 10%, we’d no longer have a driver shortage.”