Empowering women in trucking: Strategies to build influence and drive change

DALLAS—This business of trucking puts many of us in situations outside of our control. This prolonged freight recession and persistent rise of operational costs have led many industry experts to adopt the phrase “uncertain” once again—a mere five years since the COVID-19 pandemic that halted the world.

It’s impossible to control everything; even predictable events can be uncertain. However, our response to those events is always in our control, said Eileen Dabrowski, co-founder and CEO of Apex Tide Consulting, during a breakout session here at Women In Trucking’s Accelerate! Conference.

“We spend so much time focused on the things that we have zero control over,” Dabrowski said. “I'm going to try and reframe that … and get you thinking about focusing your efforts on what you can control.”

Part of taking ownership of your response as women in trucking is to navigate change management more confidently, communicate strategically, learn the art of negotiation, and establish your voice and visibility within the organization.

Leadership in trucking: How women can drive team success through collaboration and inclusion

Women leaders, before you make decisions, do you involve others in your decision-making by asking for input or ideas? Change management is a challenge, and the best way to ensure a smooth transition is to talk to your people, Dabrowski said. Make sure you’re talking to a variety of people.

“If you surround yourself with diversity of thought and people who move through the world differently than you, you are going to create an even better outcome,” she said. This is because different people are “processing from a different lens, a different lived experience, a different background.”

It isn’t difficult to ask others how they feel, and they often appreciate that you asked for their input.

But not all women in trucking hold leadership titles. As stated earlier, sometimes we have no control over our situation. Yet we have control over our response and its impact on our circle of influence. It’s in these instances that we can show our leadership prowess—without having leader in our titles—by supporting our team.

“You should be developing your team and wanting what is best for the people on your team,” Dabrowski said. “That's leadership. Leadership is not barking from above. It's pushing the rock up the hill together.”

The next step is to grow your influence. LinkedIn and other social platforms are a perfect tool for this, Dabrowski explained, and they’re a great way to seek mentorship and, notably for the women veterans in this industry, to mentor others. “Pay it forward,” Dabrowski said.

The final step to leading with others in mind is to hand over the reins when it’s appropriate.

“Where could you possibly be overstepping and … need to let somebody else shine and grow?” Dabrowski asked. “It's hard—especially when you feel you know something from the ground up—to give control to someone else. But it's one of the biggest ways that we grow as humans and as leaders.”

Strategic communication in trucking: Building trust, influence, and credibility across your fleet

Much of our response to events we can’t control is rooted in communication. For women in a male-dominated industry, effective communication requires confidence scripting, Dabrowski said. This practice requires a bit of preparation and practice to master, but Dabrowski said the concept is as simple as noting a few bullet points to address and using action phrases.

“If you want somebody to believe in you, use language that matches what you're trying to accomplish,” Dabrowski said.

Another strategic communication tactic is to know how to handle objections. Be prepared to receive a “no.” That way, when it happens, you’ve got your list of bullet points to address as to why the answer should be “yes.” Part of that list should be offering solutions to the problem. Therefore, before you rattle off more reasons to validate your own requests, take time to listen.

“Situate yourself as somebody who wants to enact positive change, not be a problem,” Dabrowski said. “Think outside of the box. Your solution could end up positively impacting your bottom line, your (profit and loss), your employee satisfaction—all the things that profoundly should matter to all of us.”

The next aspect of strategic communication lies not in what you say, but in how you say it. If you’ve been part of this industry for even a small amount of time, you understand the value of relationships and the human element of the industry. It’s for this reason that our communication should convey trust, credibility, and influence, Dabrowski said.

“Trust is one of the few things that I think speaks volumes,” she said. “Do you show up for people when times get tough? Are you, as a leader, available when your people need you? Do you ask them how they're doing?”

Often, with communication, it’s the little things that matter.

Negotiation tactics for women in trucking: Using data and relationships to gain a competitive edge

In business negotiations, Dabrowski encourages women first to establish the need of the person they’re negotiating with and how you or your business can meet that need. The art of negotiating in this industry lies in creating win-win outcomes, according to Dabrowski, and the best way to do that is to know the market and differentiate yourself from the competition.

Dabrowski begins each morning by reading about the market—locally, nationally, and globally—from regulations to economics. This helps her understand what’s happening in the market and allows her to arm herself with industry data, performance metrics, relationship history, and more. 

Once you’ve addressed how you can meet needs using data and how your skills or your company's offerings distinguish you from others, you should then work to establish rapport and build relationships.

While it takes time to establish a relationship, it’s vital to business. It’s in this way that we can determine how best to help that person or potential customer. After all, negotiation isn’t one-size-fits-all. How we meet the needs of one customer will differ from how we meet the needs of the next, Dabrowski said.

Self-advocacy and professional growth: Empowering women to lead confidently in the trucking industry

It’s no secret that, across the board, women are overworked and stretched thin. We juggle the household and the workload with little help, and more often than not, we struggle to say  “no.” Even worse than being stretched thin, some of us have a hard time saying no to something inappropriate. 

As much as we don’t want to admit it, sexual harassment and assault happen in this industry. Dabrowski shared a story about a man stroking her back inappropriately just a few weeks ago. Thankfully, Dabrowski had the courage to put a stop to it. While Dabrowski felt empowered to say something in this situation, not every woman feels safe enough to do the same. Dabrowski noted that it’s often more difficult to advocate for ourselves in certain situations.

With that in mind, as women in a male-dominated industry, we should look out for each other in these situations. Dabrowski encourages us all to say something if we see something, or at least help remove our fellow women from an uncomfortable situation.

Regardless, we should all strive toward self-advocacy—if not for ourselves, then for those who come behind us. Dabrowski said that for each time we don’t advocate for ourselves in front of others, “you're showing other people that they shouldn't advocate for themselves.” 

This is no way to encourage other women to join this industry we know and love. Therefore, it is vital that women begin using the word “no.” Saying no to that extra task when you’re already wearing too many hats will not cause the company to crumble. And saying no to that inappropriate encounter will benefit yourself and, hopefully, cause that person to think twice before making advances toward the next woman.

Finally, Dabrowski encourages us to invest in ourselves as another form of self-advocacy. Enroll in certification classes, grow your skill set, attend conferences, and take that leap of faith. If you don’t invest in yourself, why should anyone else? 

Success is a gender-neutral term. When trucking’s women step into those leadership roles or allow their leadership qualities to flourish, when they communicate effectively, learn the art of negotiation, and advocate for themselves, the industry will become even stronger.