By Trish Svoboda

Today, April 25, Representative Sharice Davids undertook a “Sharice’s Shift”, working side by side with Terrell Banks, a seasoned five-year professional at Waste Management, to gather waste from residences in Shawnee, KS. Davids highlighted her cross-party legislation aimed at backing women truck drivers, which was approved as part of the bipartisan infrastructure law. Davids stood out as the sole member of Kansas’ congressional delegation to endorse this contribution to the state’s infrastructure.

Despite the trucking sector witnessing an increase in the number of female drivers, now making up close to 14 percent of the total, the American Trucking Association cautions about a continuing lack in the number of truck drivers. This shortage is expected to escalate to 160,000 drivers by the year 2030.

Prior to accompanying Terrell Banks on her shift, Davids made a stop at a nearby Waste Management facility. There, she engaged with the staff and deliberated on the waste material management in the Kansas City area. She highlighted her endeavors to establish well-paying jobs for all residents of Kansas and her cross-party law aimed at enhancing the trucking workforce by motivating women to participate in the sector.

Davids had earlier put forth the cross-party initiative, the Promoting Women in Trucking Workforce Act. This act led to the formation of a Women in Trucking Advisory Board tasked with examining and reporting on the issues encountered by female drivers. The bill was enacted into law as part of the bipartisan infrastructure law in 2022. Later, the advisory board finalized its report, presenting its findings and final suggestions to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) under the U.S. Department of Transportation. The FMCSA is set to soon submit an additional report to Congress outlining its steps to implement the recommendations.