Partnership addresses the unique needs of a growing female truck
driver population
MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
To respond to the increasing number of women choosing careers as
professional truck drivers and to inspire more women to consider the
transportation industry as a career, Ryder
System, Inc. (NYSE: R), a leader in commercial transportation and
supply chain management solutions, today announced a partnership with
Women In Trucking, a non-profit organization established to encourage
the employment of women in the trucking industry. This collaboration is
aimed at improving working conditions for female drivers and enhancing
safety through ergonomic truck cab designs that address the unique
challenges women face when operating today’s commercial heavy duty
vehicles.
Using research recently conducted by Women In Trucking in partnership
with Dr. Jeanette Kersten, Assistant Professor of Operations and
Management Department for the College of Management at the University of
Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, Wisconsin, Ryder has identified custom
vehicle designs that better meet the needs of female drivers. As part of
this partnership, Ryder will deploy these designs in its owned and
leased fleet and will help encourage vehicle manufacturers to consider
additional design changes.
“There are close to 200,000 women truck drivers, and that number is
steadily growing,” says Ellen Voie, Chief Executive Officer of Women In
Trucking. “Having Ryder’s support, particularly given their strong
relationships with top vehicle manufacturers, represents a significant
step forward to help the industry attract more female drivers and
improve the work environment for the thousands of women who’ve already
established careers as professional drivers.”
The pilot study was a partnership between the Women In Trucking
Association and students in Dr. Kersten’s INMGT 750 Organization
Development graduate course at U W-Stout. In spring 2012, Dr. Kersten
and her graduate students developed a survey that specifically assessed
truck cab design and driver experience. The results of the pilot study
identified numerous opportunities for improvement in the designs for
seats, dashes, steering, and in-cab ergonomics for female drivers.
The pilot study conducted by Kersten, Voie, Mauer, Palakeel, and Chacon
in April 2012 corroborated the research published by Jinhua; Hongwei;
Bradtmiller; Tsui-Ying; Reed; Jahns; Loczi; Hardee; and Piamonte in Human
Factors in October, 2012. The findings in both studies highlight the
fact that the average female driver is six inches shorter and 50 pounds
lighter than her male counterpart. This physical discrepancy can create
issues for female drivers operating trucks designed and built for men.
For example, seats, pedals, and gauges are designed to maximize a male’s
driving experience and performance. However, female drivers typically
have problems setting their seats for easy access to the pedals and
maximum visibility of the gauges and mirrors. Female truck drivers are
also challenged in regard to cab accessibility, i.e., getting into their
trucks. With steps and hand rails placed in locations designed for men,
women are commonly forced to enter and exit their vehicles in a manner
that makes them more prone to slips, trips, and falls. This research has
been presented to the National Transportation Research Board, the
Technology and Maintenance Council, and to various truck manufacturers.
The findings of this pilot study will also be presented at the Women’s
Issues in Transportation Conference (WIiT) April 14-16 in Paris, France.
“Today’s trucks are not designed with women in mind,” said Dr. Kersten.
“Given the driver shortage and the changing demographics that the
trucking industry faces, it’s important for manufacturers to make trucks
more female-friendly through moderate design changes for seats, pedals
and gauges, for example. Not only will this make trucks easier and more
comfortable for women to operate, but it will also better ensure greater
safety for female drivers.”
Some of the vehicle specifications Ryder is reviewing include:
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Height and placement of cab steps and grab handles
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Adjustable foot pedal height (accelerator, brake, clutch)
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Height of seat belts (shoulder area)
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Visibility of dash gauges
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Electric/hydraulic hood lifting mechanism
-
Automated transmission shift lever placement/location
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Access to the top of the dash
-
Better access to oil and coolant check and fill
“It’s important for manufacturers to take women’s needs into
consideration when designing and specifying new vehicles, and we are
encouraging all of our major suppliers to do so,” states Scott Perry,
Vice President, Supply Management for Ryder. “In addition, many of the
same design changes will also support the needs of men who are smaller
in stature, as well as the growing population of aged male drivers. With
the current industry-wide shortage of professional drivers, this is a
strategic initiative that can have far-reaching implications for truck
fleets.”
Ryder is a Corporate Member of Women In Trucking.
About Ryder
Ryder is a FORTUNE 500® commercial transportation, logistics and supply
chain management solutions company. Ryder’s stock (NYSE: R) is a
component of the Dow Jones Transportation Average and the Standard &
Poor’s 500 Index. Inbound Logistics magazine has recognized Ryder
as a top third party logistics provider and green supply chain partner.
Ryder has also been ranked three years in a row as one of the top 250
U.S. companies in the Newsweek Green Rankings. In addition, Security
Magazine has named Ryder one of the top companies for security practices
in the transportation, logistics, supply chain, and warehousing sector.
Ryder is a proud member of the American Red Cross Disaster Responder
Program, supporting national and local disaster preparedness and
response efforts. For more information, visit www.ryder.com
and follow us on Facebook,
YouTube,
and Twitter.
About Women In Trucking
Women in Trucking was 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 sixteen percent of its members are men who
support the mission. For more information visit www.WomenInTrucking.org
or call 888-464-9482.
About Dr. Kersten, Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Stout
Dr. Jeanette Kersten is an Assistant Professor and Endowed Chair for
People Process Culture in the Department of Operations and Management,
College of Management at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie
WI. Dr. Kersten teaches graduate courses in Organization
Development/Change management, Organizational Culture, and Human
Resource Development. She supervises many graduate student research
projects in the private and non-profit sector each semester. Dr. Kersten
graduated from the University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis, MN Doctoral
Program in Organization Learning and Development in 2007. Her Doctoral
Research investigated the lived experiences of women in their workplace
relationships with supervisors and their use of Emotional Intelligence
Competencies. Dr. Kersten conducts research with organizations in the
private and nonprofit sectors. Dr. Kersten may be reached at kerstenj@uwstout.edu.
About the University of Wisconsin-Stout Menomonie, WI
UW-Stout is a comprehensive, career-focused university where students,
faculty and staff use applied learning, scientific theory, humanistic
understanding, creativity and research to solve real-world problems,
grow the state’s economy and serve society. UW-Stout provides a
distinctive array of innovative programs that produce graduates who are
prized in the marketplace. The six-month post-graduation employment rate
for UW-Stout graduates has been at 97 percent for more than a decade,
with more than three-quarters of them in their field of study. The
university’s nearly 9,300 students, supported by 472 faculty and
instructional academic staff and 949 additional staff, can select from
45 undergraduate programs, 20 master’s degree programs and three
advanced degree programs: Ed.S. in Career and Technical Education, Ed.S.
in School Psychology and Ed.D. in Career and Technical Education. The
university is located on a beautiful campus in Menomonie, situated in
western Wisconsin, 60 minutes east of Minneapolis-St. Paul on Interstate
94; located in the scenic Chippewa Valley Region with a population base
of more than 200,000. For more information, please visit http://www.uwstout.edu/.
Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: Certain statements
and information included in this news release are "forward-looking
statements" within the meaning of the Federal Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements
are based on our current plans and expectations and are subject to
risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Accordingly, these
forward-looking statements should be evaluated with consideration given
to the many risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and
events to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements
including those risks set forth in our periodic filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. New risks emerge from time to
time. It is not possible for management to predict all such risk
factors or to assess the impact of such risks on our business. Accordingly,
we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events, or otherwise.
Source: Ryder System, Inc.