The concerted efforts to advance women in generally male-dominated environments such as trucking and the transport industry in general is due in part to associations such as the CTA, that are encouraging gender diversity by empowering women through comprehensive driver learnership programmes, with workplace experience, to individuals across Southern Africa. Equally progressive companies such as UD Trucks Southern Africa (UDTSA) recognise the importance of achieving gender equality and equal opportunities at all levels of the transport sector, including truck and bus driving.
As part of the unwavering efforts to promote and support the inclusion of women in the sector, UDTSA established its Ultimate Women Programme in 2022. The programme’s primary objective is to drive gender transformation in the transport industry. As part of this programme, UDTSA sponsored two Kuzer light-medium duty trucks to the CTA in November 2022 for the training of women truck drivers. After gaining extensive experience in the year-long programme, the women – with the help of CTA – have managed to secure employment as professional truck drivers.
Partnership for transformation
Following the success of CTA’s driver training programme in the past two years, the association, in partnership with the South African Bus Operators Association (SABOA), Clarendon Transport Underwriting Managers (CTU) (a division of Hollard Trucking) and UDTSA, has launched the Bus Driver Development programme. About 30 female trainees will benefit directly from the initiative.
During the Bus Driver Development Programme, participants will undergo extensive training for a period of 12 months. This will cover technical modules such as vehicle operation and control, defensive driving techniques, traffic laws and regulations, as well as route navigation and planning. Furthermore, the programme will have a strong soft skills component, covering critical modules such as stress management, professionalism and effective passenger communication.
“The programme has grown in leaps and bounds since its inception and we cannot thank UDTSA enough for the unwavering support and the lasting impact this has had in the lives of these young women. With the new focus on training bus drivers, we pledge to continue to work closely with all the key stakeholders that we have partnered with to ensure successful completion of the programme,” says Nicci Scott, founder of CTA.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) funds 80% of the programme, confirms Scott, with the rest coming from private partnerships. Hollard, through its bus division, CTU, has pledged to sponsor 84 women for 12 months’ worth of stipends of R4 782 each per month. Consequently, bus operators who are willing to take them in for on-job experience will only have to top up a small portion of the stipend.
Commitment to diversity
Support and training are critical components in the journey of a female truck or bus driver. Scott is grateful for the support from UDTSA and various other partners for their commitment to promoting equal opportunities for women in the transport sector.
Filip Van den Heede, MD of UDTSA, says the company’s continued partnership with the CTA is informed by its dedication to empowering women and leaving a lasting legacy in communities in which it operates.
“One of our core values at UD Trucks is to help break down gender barriers and foster a more inclusive transport community. Empowering women and diversifying the workplace is not a programme that is exclusive to UDTSA, but it is an initiative that is driven across the whole UD Trucks organisation, starting from the headquarters in Japan to all markets in which we are present today,” says Van den Heede.
Apart from its partnership with the CTA, UDTSA has its internal targets to diversify its workforce. The company has already worked hard in the past few years to drive diversity, with 40% of its office bound workforce and 30% of the factory employees being women. This is a significant achievement, especially given that the company only had two women working in the factory some eight years ago.
“As a business that operates within the transport sector, we are actively taking steps to create a more diverse and inclusive environment, and we believe that this has to start within the confines of our own organisation. To showcase our commitment to diversity and inclusivity, we seek to have a 50% women representation across our entire workforce in the next few years,” he says.
Van den Heede commends the CTA for spearheading programmes that seek to empower women to thrive in the transport industry, highlighting that comprehensive training and resources are essential for their success.
“Gender equality is something that is close to our hearts, and we cannot thank the CTA enough for its dedication to the advancement of women in our industry. We feel we are the piece of the puzzle, but the CTA holds the puzzle together by bringing all the various partners together for a common cause,” says Van den Heede.
Not without challenges
On the back of the support from the various partners who share the same vision to create a transformed transport sector, Scott highlights that the CTA’s driver training programme has been a resounding success over the past two-and-a-half years.
“When we started the programme in 2021, there was less than 1% female truck drivers in the country. Based on the national surveys that we have conducted as part of our Safer Stops Programme, we have seen a 5% female representation in the trucking sector. This change has to a great extent been made possible by this programme,” says Scott, adding that the CTA has a target to have at least 30% women representation in the trucking sector by 2027.
Despite these early successes, Scott believes that challenges still abound. One of the key contests is overcoming the mindset that women are not good enough to drive trucks and buses and need at least two years’ driving experience for them to be capable. There is also a general misconception that women are not safe drivers.
“In contrast, female truck drivers are often recognised for their exceptional safety records and strong organisational skills. Studies have shown that women are generally safer drivers than their male counterparts, with lower rates of violations and accidents. This aspect not only makes them valuable assets to the transport industry but also challenges the stereotypes and misconceptions about women’s capabilities in this field,” concludes Scott.
