Febetra uses Mother’s Day to call for female truck drivers

Febetra, the federation of Belgian haulers and logistic service providers, has used Mother’s Day to launch a call for more female truck drivers. The freight transport sector urgently needs to fill in 5 000 vacancies in the coming years. In Belgium, hardly 1,66% of truck drivers are female. In 98% of the cases, a man is sitting at the wheel.

More than 10 000 companies in Belgium transport goods. Together, they manage a fleet of more than 80 000 trucks, vans, and other commercial vehicles. The sector represents 112 000 jobs. Unfortunately, the job of a trucker remains to be considered a man’s job.

Many advantages

In 2021, hardly 1,66% of all truckers were women. And, according to Febetra’s figures, this percentage has hardly changed over the past fifteen years. In 2017, women represented 1,29% of all truckers.

However, the job of a trucker could be perfectly done by a female driver. According to female drivers, the job even has many advantages. Truckers have a lot of freedom and independence, and the job offers variety and satisfaction. So, now Febetra has launched a call for women to apply for the job.

5 000 vacancies

“The transport sector will keep on growing, and in the coming years, we will need 5 000 new truck drivers to meet the sector’s challenges,” explains Isabelle De Maeght, spokesperson for Febetra. “Truckers say it’s a fine profession, and it’s definitely a job with a secure future – also for women.”

In September 2020, one of the Flemish broadcasting channels, VTM, launched a reality show about lady truckers. The documentary portrayed several female truck drivers and reported about their particular job, their life on the road, the respect they get, and the prejudices they’re confronted with.

The program also threw more light on their customized trucks, their femininity, and how it is like being a woman in a men’s world. The Dutch television made a similar television program called Meiden die Rijden (Girls driving trucks).