Senator Baldwin Attends White House Trucking Event

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin attended an event today at the White House focused on investments in the trucking industry, including her Promoting Women in Trucking Workforce Act, which was part of the bipartisan infrastructure law signed by President Biden.

“In Wisconsin, we make things, and we need to ensure we have a strong workforce to transport our goods to market,” said Senator Baldwin. “Women currently make up less than 10 percent of the truck driving workforce, and removing the barriers that get in the way of women pursuing and retaining careers in trucking is key. More job opportunities for Wisconsin women will lead to more economic security for working families. And more women truckers will strengthen our supply chains and help lower costs for businesses and consumers.”

Currently, women make up 47 percent of the United States’ labor force, yet represent 24 percent of America’s trucking workforce and only about seven percent of drivers. Baldwin’s bipartisan legislation, which she introduced in 2019, supports women in the trucking industry and directs the administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to establish a “Women of Trucking Advisory Board.” The board will identify barriers to entry for women in the trucking industry, work across organizations and companies to coordinate formal education and training programs and help identify and establish training and mentorship programs for women in the industry. The legislation also requires the FMCSA Administrator to submit a report to Congress on the board’s findings and recommendations.

At the White House event, President Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg highlighted the administration's "Trucking Action Plan," launched last December by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Labor to increase the supply of truck drivers by creating new pathways into the profession, including through the Women of Trucking Advisory Board, as well as by cutting red tape to expand high quality training through Registered Apprenticeship, and laying the foundation for improving job quality to keep people in the profession.

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