Women In Crane
industry today compared to ten years ago, she still wishes to see more in the field.
“ Many women don’ t feel safe or welcome in this industry, whether that’ s due to ill-fitting personal protective equipment( PPE) or behavior that isn’ t addressed quickly enough,” said Gabel.“ Too often, women feel like they must advocate for themselves in those moments, and that’ s not always easy.”
She finds that the SC & RA women’ s executive roundtable can be a good support system, where they spend most of their time talking about business.
“ Encouraging groups and conversations like these creates a supportive environment,” explains Gabel.“ Companies that take the initiative to build diverse teams benefit from broader perspectives and stronger collaboration.”
Paula Bell
Arrowhead Winch’ s Director of Marketing, Paula Bell, has 25 years of experience in manufacturing. Arrowhead Winch engineers and manufactures industrial hydraulic winch, hoist and drive systems, working with major original equipment manufacturers( OEMs) for truck and mobile cranes as well as heavy haul trailers.
Though she started her career in agency and services, she wound up in manufacturing.
“ I got here a little by accident, but once I got involved, I knew quickly that I had found my home,” Bell noted.
“ I’ ve always had to work a little harder to prove myself and my abilities,” she recalled when asked about the challenges she faced at the start of her career.“ The
“ As we are put into more positions to drive results, we will prove that we belong.” teams I have been lucky to work with have been supportive, but visibility and recognition in organizations has not always been comparable.”
With 25 years below the belt, however, Bell has noticed some changes in the industry, particularly between women.
“ When I started, there were only so many‘ seats at the table’ given to women, so there tended to be a lot of competition,” she
Barriers & Breakthroughs said.“ That has shifted to be more positive. Women seek out peers and mentors who can relate, are a‘ safe’ sounding board and provide support. Challenges and biases still exist, but there is room for all of us now, and we want to help bring each other up!”
Bell believes in having a strong network to talk with freely and to lean on when needed, but she is also driving the revival of the employee resource group within her
Sabrina Crow
In 2026, only 5 % of crane operators are women. While that’ s up from less than 3 % in 2023, it still leaves many challenges and hurdles for those in the workforce.
Sabrina Crow, a sales representative for Lampson International, recently transitioned from a crane operator with 20 years of experience on truck cranes, rough terrain cranes and crawlers, to her new position, to“ get out of the seat and into sales.” Those 20 years, however, aren’ t without impressive breakthroughs, memorable projects and lessons learned along the way.
Crow began her career training for dirt equipment certifications when she was asked if she had ever considered running cranes.
“ I had not,” Crow explained.“ I knew nothing about cranes, except that my grandpa and I bought an old drag line off of a farmer and cut it up for salvage. After some discussion regarding crane certs and the career, I chose to give it a shot. Turns out I was able to operate well, and I was excited to be part of a career that would throw daily challenges at you.”
In the beginning, it wasn’ t easy, whether it was the lack of women-tailored workwear, inclusive boot sizing or the challenge of traditional gender roles, Crow had an uphill battle ahead of her. Some of the biggest challenges were communication, being taken seriously by the opposite gender and often getting overlooked for a promotion.
“ I always kept in mind the things I learned from the book,‘ Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus,’” notes Crow.
The relationship book by John Gray dives into the differences in communication, emotional needs and behavior between the genders.
However, as Crow eloquently said,“ As in life, there will always be challenges.” There are still some differences between men and women in the field, and Crow has learned to just do her job with the belief that doing so will always make her successful in the end.
“ I try to make the men I am working with understand that I am here for the same reasons they are … to earn a great living and be part of building this country,” Crow explained.“ My crane and operating abilities can make their work a lot easier; we are on the same team with the same goal in mind. Get the job done safely and efficiently and go home at the end of the day.”
While there have been great strides in the industry for female crane operators, there’ s still work to be done.
“ Women are more accepted and respected now than 10 to 20 years ago, but I believe that the major changes and supports need to be open dialogue and communication between all levels in this industry,” Crow said.“ Women can feel isolated and segregated due to the nature of the business. I have found that staying true to myself and understanding that my workers are just workers, trust and respect can be built in the work day and over the course of the project.”
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March 2026 • www. cranehotline. com