Encouraging women to drive their dreams

Truck driving as a male dominated career is undergoing change, sped along by the efforts of the Women in Trucking Association (WIT) in the USA and people such as Lisa Kelly, whose appearance in the popular ‘Ice Road Truckers’ television series put a serious dent in the male myth.

Now, WIT has launched Clare, the truck driver doll.

Clare stands 30 cm tall and features an official Women in Trucking cap atop a wind-blown blond head of hair. This driven young lady also comes with an ‘I Heart Trucking’ tee, red collar shirt, jeans, and boots. Her package shares the story of her journey into the driver’s seat of her very own 18-wheeler by attending the National Transportation Center in Indianapolis.

The doll is the brainchild of Ellen Voie, founder and CEO of Women In Trucking, a nonprofit group that encourages the employment of women in the trucking industry. The release of this somewhat non-traditional new toy could not be more in line with the current political climate of female empowerment.

“The launch of this doll is a long-time dream come true for me,” says Voie. “The world is wide open for girls today and I am thrilled to be providing a toy that tells them that whatever they want to be is just great – whether that is a teacher or an ad exec or a professional driver.”

This spunky trekker will also star in this summer’s ‘I HEART Trucking’ Photo Contest, themed ‘Clare’s First Road Trip!’. Professional drivers across the country will be submitting photos from the road, featuring Clare, and the winners will be recognized at WIT's Accelerate! Conference & Expo in November in Dallas.