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Ryder Unveils Truck Spec’d for Women
Ryder System, Inc. recently announced that it will begin offering a female-friendly vehicle leasing package, an industry first. Ryder worked in conjunction with various OEMs and Women in Trucking Association (WIT), a non-profit organization that encourages the employment of women in the trucking industry, to develop a custom vehicle design to better meet the needs of females in truck driving jobs.
The new ergonomic vehicles include 15 unique specifications. The new specifications will not only prove beneficial for women in the industry, but a number of male drivers as well. The new rigs will feature adjusted height and placement of cab grab handles, adjustable seatbelt shoulder straps, improved placement of dash cluster gauges, and better access to oil and coolant checks and fill ports. Ryder can also include the following options by request:
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ergonomically designed seats and adjustable armrest
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hood lift/closure assistance mechanism
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automated transmissions
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5th Wheel configurations with lower pull pressures to open the locking mechanism
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automated 5th wheel locking mechanisms
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automatic landing gear operators for trailers
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a cab security system that offers personal protection while a driver is in his/her sleeper berth.
“Ryder is one of the largest purchasers of heavy duty trucks in North America and has a great deal of visibility into the needs of the professional truck driver,” said Steve Schmotzer, Region Fleet Manager, PACCAR in a statement. “There really is no one in a more suitable position to provide feedback on this issue to manufacturers than Ryder. We are proud to support this initiative, which is critical to addressing a pressing industry need.”
With the driver shortage looming, and expected to continue in the coming years, drawing more women to the industry is of increasing importance. Currently, an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 drivers are needed, with the number expected to reach 239,000 by 2022. Today, only five percent of professional truck drivers in the U.S. are women. Ryder hopes that by identifying truck design gaps and making improvements in future vehicle designs, driving can become a more attractive career option for women. Ryder is currently calling on OEMs to make adjustable foot pedal height a standard feature in all future truck models. Adjustable pedal height is one item that female truckers identified as an important need in a recent survey conducted by WIT.
“This custom truck package is not only more ergonomically friendly to women, but will also benefit other drivers with the same types of needs,” said Scott Perry, Vice President of Supply Management and Global Fuel Products, Ryder. “Our intent is to not only help attract more women to the industry, but also to make the vehicles easier and safer for a broader range of drivers to operate. As an industry leader, we feel a responsibility to leverage our influence and find creative ways to deal with the professional truck driver shortage.”
“Addressing driver comfort and truck cab design to accommodate the typically smaller stature of women is one of the issues where Women In Trucking Association is prompting changes,” said Ellen Voie, President and CEO, Women In Trucking. “We are so pleased to see Ryder’s efforts in moving these ergonomic challenges into the forefront of the manufacturers’ design changes,” Voie added.
If you would like to get more information about opportunities available at Ryder, especially those for female drivers, be sure to visit their website today, or click here.
Related posts:
- Women In Trucking: 3rd Annual Salute to the Women Behind the Wheel
- Ellen Voie: Women Are Not Small Men!
- Women In Trucking : Pilots vs. Truckers
Originally from:
Ryder Unveils Truck Spec’d for Women
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