With strides being made in the STEM fields to break down gender barriers, trucking still has room for improvement when it comes to depicting a diverse professional landscape. Despite making up more than half of all employees in transport and warehousing industries, female involvement remains stagnant among those who work on trucks.
As the automotive industry continues to make headway in terms of long-held gender cliches and roles, an interesting debate has arisen: can a more balanced ratio between women and men technicians meaningfully shift its male-dominated public image? According to data from the Women In Trucking Association’s 2022 WIT Index, only 4% female representation remains among those working on diesel trucks. It is suggested that without increased visibility for girls earlier in life who contemplate such careers as viable options, this skewed number may never even out – posing questions about whether it ever will.
Meet Missy Albin, a certified master truck and bus technician, who is also a young mother and part-time model while smashing stereotypes as she challenges the status quo.
With the goal of reshaping gender perceptions in automotive repair, Albin, better known as DieselGirl online, has taken it upon herself to shatter the stereotype of women in the auto shop environment. With her surge on social media and a YouTube channel plus TikTok account dedicated to providing advice from experience and high-speed time lapses of production builds, diagnosis and electrical repair – she is quickly becoming an influencer for female mechanics across all platforms.
“The image of a diesel mechanic has been misconstrued over the years. Any female choosing this industry will be breaking traditions of ‘the woman’s role’ that society has decided for us and instilled in us over the decades,” Albin says. “I have been wrapping my head around the fact that we (in the diesel industry) are still in a primitive age for female mechanics. I believe that if there were more advocates for females, there would be more women interested in being a part of our industry.”
Barbie has inspired young girls with over 150 occupations, yet despite her vast career repertoire, Barbie has yet to try out one profession – technician. This lack of role-modeling is seen as a major roadblock for the female population looking to pursue this type of job and be successful in it. This is just one example that makes it clear that there are still many invisible barriers women face when entering traditionally male-dominated fields such as being a technician.
“I was raised to be anything I wanted to be, but when it came to expressing my interest and desire to be a mechanic my dreams were crushed,” said Albin. “My parents had different expectations for me. I was a varsity cheerleader and a high school graduate that was forced to attend college for graphic design. I have never fit the stereotype of the diesel mechanic, but my brain, heart and soul did.”
In 2004, Albin courageously blazed her own trail in the industry despite an undercurrent of discouragement from family and friends. Her timeline of career advancement in the industry looked a little something like this.
2004 – Started working with WRJ Trucking and Jordan Equipment in Dracut, Massachusetts, performing preventative maintenance and general repairs while developing a maintenance program for a large fleet.
2009 – Began a career with Navistar at International BC dealership Dattco Sales and Service
2012 – Earned her Maser Bus Certification
2016 – Began working on the truck side at Taylor & Lloyd in Bedford, Massachusetts
2017 – Earned her Master Truck Certification and Master of Navistar product while spending 39 weeks pregnant in the shop
During Technician Appreciation Week 2020, she was recognized as one of the best technicians in International Trucks’ network. Selected to represent their Tech EmPowerment recruitment program, this master tech is now a Female Technician Ambassador and part of an advisory team for Women In Navistar Dealerships (WINDS), the first-ever women’s group for International Truck dealerships.
2022 saw her take the stage at ASE Training Conference. As part of a keynote panel, she opened up about pressing issues faced by women technicians – and shed light on solutions to encourage more females into this field.
Before she’d proven herself, she admits she dealt with a lot of self-doubt.
“I had the passion and enthusiasm, with little experience, no support, nor guidance,” she says. “I felt like it was me against the world.”
While on track to earn her degree in graphic design, she suddenly realized that following someone else’s dream wasn’t where her heart lied and decided it was time for a major change.
“I knew what my soul needed in life. I had to take charge,” she recalls.
When the semester ended, she quit college to pursue her passion.
Through her journey to success, she’s been a trailblazer, blazing her own path through the industry to stake her claim. Her determination allowed her to forge a career on a path less traveled, unbound by conventional industry molds. Realizing these ambitious goals, however, was not without challenges due to lack of support and resources along the way.
“The way I look, and my enthusiasm, gave people the false impression that I was not fit for this industry,” Albin says. “I had to work harder to prove that I am a mechanic and I do belong in the shop. Especially when I was pregnant and carried for 39 weeks.”
Albin uses her platforms to empower and inspire women technicians, aiming to break mental barriers that prevent female representation in the field. Through education and normalization of technical roles, she hopes it will allow more young girls around the world to access newfound opportunities they may not have known were possible before.
Source: truckinginfo
