“White van dog”, now that is news

I’ve a feeling professional women drivers shouldn’t be news any more. After all, my uncle recently got remarried to a woman trucker and it seems to me that at least every one in four truckers I see on the roads today is a woman.

The same goes for van drivers, as was recently confirmed by a study carried out by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

According to the company, one in every three “white van men” is, in fact, a woman.

While it is natural to assume that quite a few of these women are involved in typical white van man trades, it is also a safe bet that a fair proportion are from more traditionally “feminine” jobs such as the floristry, catering and clothing industries.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles head of marketing commented, "Our research looked to challenge some of the more outdated perceptions of modern van drivers and it certainly has."



And from a professional perspective the survey only confirms what I already know: more and more women drivers are looking for car insurance quotes for vehicles they use both commercially and privately.

I don’t want to stereotype male drivers of vans as being in any way pigheaded or cultured but the growth of women van drivers may also help explain why one in three van drivers enjoys regular visits to a theatre, opera or art gallery.

Now, canine van drivers - that would be news…

Image © visual.dichotomy via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence