Women made up 7.7% of U.S. "driver/sales workers and truck drivers" in 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), up from 5.1% in 2015. The Women In Trucking Association's 2026-27 WIT Index puts women at about 7% to 10.5% of CDL drivers at responding companies, depending on company size. These women in trucking statistics measure different groups, so each is labeled below.
As of October 2026, these are the most recent figures we could open at the primary source. For fleets planning recognition for women drivers and staff, DAS runs a consultation-based women in transportation recognition program.
Women in trucking statistics at a glance
| Statistic | Figure | What it measures | Source and date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women among driver/sales workers and truck drivers | 7.7% | People employed in the occupation group, household survey | BLS CPS Table 11, 2025 annual average |
| Same measure, ten years earlier | 5.1% | Same group | BLS CPS Table 11, 2015 |
| Women among CDL drivers, companies under 500 employees | 10% | Respondent companies' CDL drivers in medium and heavy trucks | WIT Index 2026-27, released Aug. 27, 2026 |
| Same, companies with 500–4,999 employees | About 10.5% | Same | Same |
| Same, companies over 5,000 employees | About 7% | Same | Same |
| Women in C-suite and executive roles | About 31% | Respondent companies | Same |
| Women in dispatcher roles | 45.5% | Respondent companies | Same |
| Women diesel technicians | 2.5% | Respondent companies | Same |
What percentage of truck drivers are female?
Between about 4% and 10.5% of U.S. truck drivers are women, depending on the source and who it counts. The three main sources measure different things:
| Source | Figure | Who is counted | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLS Current Population Survey (CPS), 2025 | 7.7% of 3,583,000 | Everyone employed in the "driver/sales workers and truck drivers" group, including light-truck and delivery driving | Household survey; 2025 averages cover 11 months because October 2025 data were not collected during the federal shutdown |
| WIT Index 2026-27 | 7% to 10.5%, by company size | "professional truck drivers who hold CDLs and are driving medium- to heavy-duty commercial trucks" at about 210 responding organizations; excludes "last mile or delivery vans" | Voluntary survey of companies, not a census; no overall average published |
| American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) | 4.1% (2025 release); 8.1% of all drivers and 2.7% of over-the-road drivers (cited in 2023) | Not stated in the releases | ATRI's 2025 release gives no year or data source for 4.1%; its 2023 release cites "previous ATRI research" for 8.1% and 2.7% |
For a single citable number, use the BLS 7.7% (2025) and name the occupation group. For CDL drivers in heavy trucks at larger fleets, the WIT Index is the closer match. Avoid averaging the sources, because they count different people.
How the share has changed
The BLS series is the only one here with a consistent long run. Women were 5.1% of 3,469,000 driver/sales workers and truck drivers in 2015 and 7.7% of 3,583,000 in 2025. By our calculation from those BLS figures, that is roughly 177,000 women in 2015 and roughly 276,000 in 2025. The WIT Index reports its own driver figures as "relatively flat in comparison to the previous version." In the 2024-25 index, companies under 500 employees reported 12.5%, against 10% in 2026-27, while the two larger size bands reported the same 10.5% and 7% (WIT, Oct. 21, 2024). The two surveys drew different respondents, about 350 then and about 210 now, so treat the change with care.
Women in other trucking roles
Women hold far more of the office, safety and leadership roles in trucking than the driving roles. The WIT Index covers respondent companies. BLS covers each occupation across all industries, so the two sets are not directly comparable.
| Role | WIT Index 2026-27 (respondent companies) | WIT Index 2024-25 | BLS CPS 2025 (all industries) |
|---|---|---|---|
| C-suite and executive | About 31% | About 28% | n/a |
| Supervisory leadership | 37.5% | 34.5% | n/a |
| Boards of directors | 29% | 29.5% | n/a |
| Human resources and talent | 76.5% | 74.5% | n/a |
| Safety | 44% | 38.5% | n/a |
| Dispatchers | 45.5% | 38.5% | 61.7% ("dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance") |
| Diesel technicians | 2.5% | 4% | 1.8% ("bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists") |
| Transportation, storage and distribution managers | n/a | n/a | 16.3% |
| Logisticians | n/a | n/a | 36.7% |
Sources: WIT 2026-27; WIT 2024-25; BLS CPS Table 11.
How trucking compares with other driving jobs
Driving for a living is not, by itself, a mostly male job. In the same 2025 BLS data, women's share varies widely by the kind of driving (BLS CPS Table 11):
| Occupation (BLS CPS, 2025) | Employed | Women |
|---|---|---|
| School bus drivers | 210,000 | 51.8% |
| Transit and intercity bus drivers | 268,000 | 36.7% |
| Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs | 82,000 | 29.4% |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators | 640,000 | 8.1% |
| Driver/sales workers and truck drivers | 3,583,000 | 7.7% |
Passenger-driving jobs have far higher shares of women than freight and material-moving jobs. The BLS table doesn't say why. ATRI's research, covered below, points to some trucking-specific barriers, such as parking and restroom access on the road.
Women truck drivers statistics: pay
In 2025, women who worked full time for wages or salary as driver/sales workers and truck drivers had median weekly earnings of $795. Men in the same group earned $1,076 (BLS CPS Table 39). That puts women's median at about 74% of men's, by our calculation.
Read that figure carefully. The occupation group mixes heavy-truck, light-truck and driver/sales jobs, and the survey doesn't control for job type, route, hours beyond full-time status or experience. It describes a gap in the group as a whole. It isn't a measure of whether women and men in the same job are paid the same. The estimate for women also rests on a much smaller group: an estimated 173,000 women worked full time in this occupation group, against 2,603,000 men.
What women truck drivers say makes the job harder
ATRI's June 18, 2024 report on women truck drivers drew on "input from thousands of truck drivers, motor carriers and truck driver training schools" through surveys, interviews and a focus group. It named challenge areas including "industry image and perception, training school completion, truck parking shortages and restroom access, and gender harassment and discrimination" (ATRI, June 18, 2024).
The same release reports that carriers with women-specific recruiting and retention initiatives had "a higher percentage of women drivers (8.1%) than those without (5.0%)." That is an association. It doesn't show the initiatives caused the difference, but it is the most practical number on this page for a fleet deciding what to do.
Truck parking also ranks among drivers' top concerns: in ATRI's 2026 Top Industry Issues survey, released October 18, 2026, truck-driver respondents named fuel prices, truck parking and driver compensation as their top three concerns (ATRI).
What these numbers mean for fleets
The statistics point to a few concrete moves for recruiting, retaining and recognizing women in trucking:
- Fix the fundamentals first. Fair pay and adequate, safe parking are fundamental needs. Recognition is additional support on top of them.
- Count your own share. Compare your driver roster with the BLS 7.7% and the WIT Index band for your company size. That tells you where you stand.
- Recognize women in every role. WIT's figures show women hold large shares of dispatch, safety and HR roles. A recognition program that only covers drivers misses many of them.
- Make recognition fit. If apparel is part of a program, collect sizes and offer cuts that fit everyone. Present awards where the driver's family can share the moment.
- Recognize the achievement, not the gender. Service, mileage and safety awards should run on the same criteria for every driver. A separate initiative for women in transportation works best alongside that, not instead of it.
For the wider workforce picture, see our truck driver statistics. For what recognition does and doesn't do, see our employee recognition statistics. Results vary by fleet operations and program execution.
Statistics we left out, and why
- "Women are safer drivers than men." Trade articles attribute this to earlier ATRI analysis. We did not open that analysis, so we don't repeat it.
- Headline averages for the WIT Index driver share. The 2026-27 WIT release gives figures only by company size, so we don't quote a single average.
- Harassment and facility-access percentages from trade coverage of ATRI's research. They don't appear on ATRI's own release page that we opened.
How DAS supports recognition for women in transportation
Driver Appreciation Solutions (DAS) is a specialist in recognition programs for the trucking industry, focused on curated driver appreciation and fulfillment. Its women in transportation program is consultation-based and custom-branded to the organization's logo, with an optional signature purple palette that sits alongside the fleet's own colors. DAS also offers years-of-service awards and separate Service Miles and Safe Service Miles tracks for every driver.
Every piece carries the fleet's logo, driver names and colors, with no setup fee and no artwork charge, and artwork is proofed before production. The minimum order is 10 units on all items, and delivery covers terminals, one hub or individual drivers across the United States. Pricing is quoted per program. Request current pricing. Talk to a fleet specialist, who replies in writing within one business day.
By the Driver Appreciation Solutions Team. Read how we create and review content.
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We curate driver appreciation and handle fulfillment for U.S. fleets. The minimum order is 10 units on all items. Pricing is quoted per program. Request current pricing.