Transport employers are being urged to recognise menopause as a potential contributor to driver fatigue, as New Zealand’s trucking industry works to attract and retain more women.
Fleet safety specialist AutoSense has launched a workplace education seminar exploring how perimenopause and menopause can affect sleep, energy and concentration, and what businesses can do to support employees.
Launched to coincide with October’s Menopause Awareness Month, the programme is available as an in-person session or live webinar for employees, managers and workplace health and safety teams.
According to Transporting New Zealand’s 2025 Road Transport Workforce Report, female truck driver numbers more than doubled in the decade to 2023. However, women still account for just six per cent of the country’s truck driving workforce.
AutoSense Fatigue and Sleep Specialist Katrina Aubrey says supporting that growing workforce requires greater awareness of women’s changing health and wellbeing needs.
“Menopause is a natural part of life, but some of its symptoms can have a very real impact on how women feel and function at work. Disrupted sleep, fatigue and difficulties with concentration can be particularly challenging in roles requiring sustained alertness, such as driving.”
For transport operators, the issue adds another consideration to fatigue management, particularly where employees work long hours, irregular shifts or early starts.
Conversations reveal a gap in awareness
Aubrey says the seminar developed from conversations with women attending AutoSense’s existing fatigue education sessions.
“After nearly every Alert at Work seminar I present, I usually have one or two women approach me wanting to chat about their menopause symptoms, particularly sleep and fatigue. It’s these conversations that prompted me to create the menopause webinar in the first place.”
The sessions explore changes women may experience during perimenopause and menopause, alongside practical guidance on recognising fatigue, improving sleep and providing workplace support.
For fleet managers, these conversations can help identify when an employee is struggling and create an opportunity to discuss appropriate support.
Understanding the causes of fatigue
Aubrey also cautions against automatically attributing tiredness, poor sleep or difficulties concentrating to menopause.
Through her work in sleep health and workplace fatigue management, she has encountered women whose symptoms warrant investigation for an underlying sleep disorder.
“Women often present differently with sleep apnoea compared to men. Rather than the typical loud snoring and breathing pauses, women may experience fatigue, poor sleep, brain fog and constant exhaustion,” she says.
Where she suspects sleep apnoea, Aubrey encourages further investigation, explaining that treating an underlying sleep disorder may help relieve symptoms women have attributed to menopause.
Her message for transport employers is to recognise fatigue as a safety concern while remaining open to its different causes.
“Menopause shouldn’t be a barrier to women continuing successful careers in transport or any other industry. With more women entering traditionally male-dominated sectors, we have an opportunity to create workplaces that are better informed and more supportive.”
“Sometimes the most important first step is simply listening and understanding what someone is experiencing.”
