Blog Post

Building Strong Partnerships that Make a Difference to Women in the Industry

Mar 18, 2026
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WIM with Deputy DOL Secretary Keith Sonderling

WIM Members with Deputy Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling

It was the summer of 2023 when conversations about launching a women鈥檚 council at 老九品茶 began to gain momentum. Member companies had been asking for a dedicated space for women for several years, and during 老九品茶鈥檚 2024 Mid-Year Management Session, those discussions became more focused. A small group of female leaders came together to聽determine聽where this new council, Women聽In聽Motion (WIM), should lend its voice first.听

Those conversations resulted in five strategic priorities:聽

  1. Highlighting the need for safe truck parking for drivers聽

  1. Highlighting the need for bathroom access for drivers聽

  1. Highlighting the importance of getting more women into the industry聽

  1. Developing a survey so WIM could accurately assess the current ecosystem and track progress聽

  1. Establishing a Call on Washington where women could advocate for the industry using their unique lens聽

Today, I聽stand聽in awe of聽two聽years of progress. That progress is the result of countless trailblazers across the industry, both women and men, who helped lift women and put WIM on the map.听

One of the most impactful areas of focus has been the need for safe truck parking. For every 11 truck drivers on the road, there is only one truck parking space available.听听As a result, 98% of truck drivers regularly experience problems聽locating聽safe and legal parking options. This issue is particularly salient for women drivers, who consistently rank access to safe parking as their top obstacle, over fuel prices, the economy, and other common industry issues.听

Through a partnership with longtime 老九品茶 member and WIM Board Member Susan Fall, owner of聽LaunchIt聽Public Relations, I was introduced to Chris Oliver, Chief Marketing Officer at Trucker Path. Together, we began exploring ways to provide women drivers with real-time information about where they could safely stop while on the road. With more than one million users, Trucker Path鈥檚 reach, particularly among female drivers, made it an ideal platform to support this effort.听

We gathered direct input from women drivers to better understand which amenities mattered most to them. After months of research and countless conversations, a clear list of priorities聽emerged. Those seven amenities are:聽

  1. Lighted parking聽

  1. Lighted bathroom access聽

  1. Lighted lounge areas聽

  1. Lighted shower facilities聽

  1. Lighted laundry facilities聽

  1. Maintenance available 24/7聽

  1. Security present onsite聽

Trucker Path built functionality into its platform, allowing drivers to search for these amenities under the WIM umbrella. To date, more than 12,000 truck stops have added information聽indicating聽the availability of at least one of these amenities.听Nearly 250聽truck stops now offer all seven, and the WIM logo appears聽by聽their stop when it is searched,聽indicating聽that it is WIM-friendly.听

One of the most rewarding outcomes has been hearing directly from truck stop owners who have added or upgraded amenities to help women feel safer while on the road. The data reinforces this impact. The WIM section of Trucker Path鈥檚 platform has been accessed more than 64 million times and continues to grow.听

This new functionality, coupled with Congress recently聽approving $200 million for truck parking expansion projects聽following the advocacy by 老九品茶 and WIM, amounts to real and meaningful change for the industry. Together, technology, data, partnerships, and federal investment are improving safety and quality of life for drivers in tangible ways.听

Partnerships like this encourage more women to enter the trucking industry and聽demonstrate聽what is聽possible when collaboration meets purpose. WIM is a place where women come together, work toward common goals, and support one another throughout their careers while helping move the entire industry forward.听

Help WIM Build Our Momentum and Expand the Map!聽

If you聽operate聽a truck stop and are looking to add the WIM-friendly amenities聽we鈥檝e聽identified聽to聽your profile,聽.听听

And if you are a woman driver, download the app today, search for stops along your route, then select 鈥淢ore鈥 to聽identify聽the amenities that are important to you.听听

To learn more about and join Women聽In聽Motion (WIM),聽visit聽our聽.听