International Women’s Day is March 8 and March is Women’s History Month, so it’s a great opportunity to recognize great women, both present-day and from history. We at McIntosh Energy want to commemorate Women’s Day by celebrating women in trucking.
Luella Bates
Luella Bates was the first female driver to drive a class B truck. She drove for the Four Wheel Drive Auto Company from 1918 to 1922. She was also a great mechanic and did all her own maintenance on her truck.
Teamsters Drivers
During the Spanish Flu epidemic, female truck drivers from the Teamsters Union participated in a national program to drive medicine and doctors to rural areas. They received commendations for their service.
Lillie Elizabeth Drennan
Lillie Elizabeth Drennan was the first female truck driver to get a commercial license and the first female fleet owner. Due to a hearing impairment and what she called “sex bias,” she had to fight to get her license, but she argued her case successfully and was granted a commercial driving license in 1929.
Mazie Lanham
In 1943, Mazie Lanham became the first female driver for UPS, starting a trend of hiring women to be truck drivers while men were away fighting World War II. This trend continued after the war was over.
Adriesue “Bitsy” Gomez
Bitsy Gomez was a truck driver in the 1970s. She formed the Coalition of Women Truck Drivers and fought against systemic barriers keeping women out of the trucking industry, from sexual misconduct and sexism to lack of women’s restrooms in truck stops. Court victories and successful public relations campaigns helped pave the way for the trucking opportunities women have today.
Women in Trucking Today
Though trucking is still a predominantly male occupation, increasing numbers of women are joining the industry. Trucking offers job opportunities, flexibility, and freedom that many women find appealing. Organizations like REAL Women in Trucking support female truck drivers and help continue to dismantle the barriers to women joining the trucking industry.
