Women In Trucking Association Celebrates Decade of Steering Toward Diversity
Plover, WI (PRWEB) March 30, 2017 -- The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) celebrates its 10th anniversary this month. Over the past decade, the nonprofit organization has made remarkable progress in its mission to encourage women to consider careers in the trucking industry, address obstacles that might keep them from succeeding, and celebrate the success of its members.
Founded by Ellen Voie in 2007, WIT has grown dramatically and now exceeds 4,500 members, including carriers, suppliers, industry professionals, drivers, and students. Approximately 16 percent of WIT members are men who support the goals of the program.
While women are still a minority in the transportation industry, WIT has made great strides in helping to raise awareness and increase the ranks of women through numerous initiatives. Highlights include:
· Creating the WIT Index in partnership with the National Transportation Institute to monitor the increase in women employed in trucking. Benchmarking gender distribution is necessary to quantify progress.
· Establishing the annual Accelerate! Conference and Expo to promote gender diversity and provide best practices. More than 400 men and women participated in the event last year.
· Honoring women in the industry with annual awards (“Influential Woman in Trucking” and “Distinguished Woman in Logistics”) and events (“Salute to Women Behind the Wheel”).
· Creating an Image Team to showcase women in the industry. Team members have appeared on panels, attended trade shows, spoken at school functions and provided ride-alongs with the Federal Motor Carrier Administrator and Deputy Administrator, the National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman, Congressmen, journalists and a safety advocate.
· Establishing the Women In Trucking Scholarship Foundation to help fund training in transportation, including safety, technical and leadership areas as well as for commercial driving opportunities. More than $20,000 in scholarships were awarded in 2016.
· Creating the Girl Scout Transportation Patch in cooperation with the Greater Chicago/Northern Indiana Girl Scouts to introduce young women to careers in transportation.
“We’re so grateful for the hard work and dedication of our members, board members and partners over the past 10 years,” said Ellen Voie, WIT president and CEO. “We have a long way to go, but we’ll keep working to engage more women at all levels of the transportation industry. Together, we can drive the industry forward.”
Download web and high-resolution images of WIT’s 10th anniversary logo:
Print: https://wt.memberclicks.net/assets/images/News/News2017/wit-logo-10-year-300dpi.jpg
Web: https://wt.memberclicks.net/assets/images/News/News2017/wit-logo-10-year-72dpi.jpg
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About Women In Trucking Association, Inc.
Women In Trucking Association, Inc. is a nonprofit association established to encourage the employment of women in the trucking industry, promote their accomplishments and minimize obstacles faced by women working in the trucking industry. Membership is not limited to women, as 17 percent of its members are men who support the mission. Women In Trucking is supported by its members and the generosity of Gold Level Partners: Arrow Truck Sales, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, Daimler Trucks North America, BMO Transportation Finance, Expediter Services, Great Dane, J.B. Hunt Transport, Ryder System, Inc., U.S. Xpress, and Walmart. Follow WIT on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn. For more information, visit http://www.womenintrucking.org or call 888-464-9482.
Ellen Voie, Women In Trucking Association, Inc., http://www.womenintrucking.org, +1 920-312-1350, [email protected]
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