May 13, 2024
More women than ever are participating in the trucking and logistics industry, according to Trucking HR Canada’s newest labour market outlook, and more can be done with new resources and tools.
Backed by comprehensive research, THRC’s new offerings give employers tools for self-assessment and actionable best practices to attract and retain women in a wide variety of roles. The tools support employers in addressing cultural and systemic barriers that help shape women’s career choices and, ultimately, the industry’s appeal.
“While we are moving the needle in attracting more women to our sector – our representation still falls well below the national average for women’s representation in the workforce overall,” says THRC CEO Angela Splinter. “As we prepare for ongoing vacancies across all occupations – THRC took a deeper dive into understanding the motivating factors and provide the industry with tools and resources to help.”
“The research shows that the industry is already offering jobs that align with the needs and priorities of career-seeking women, including competitive pay, job security, and challenging work,” says Splinter. “Once working, 89% of women say they would recommend trucking and logistics to other women, and nearly all the women surveyed feel their job meets or exceeds their expectations.”
Yet barriers persist. Our report, Women with Drive – Maintaining our Momentum provides a summary of our research that informed our resource development. The new tools that accompany this report are:
• Checking the Blind Spots: Identifying Gender Gaps in the Workplace - an assessment tool for current policies and practices so organizations can identify strengths and weaknesses in their approaches to workplace gender equity and set future goals.
• Women at Work: How Can Employers Attract More Women into Trucking & Logistics? - a best practice guide that uses research findings to identify concrete recommendations that can enhance aspects of workplace equity strategy.
The broader Canadian workforce is split evenly between men and women, but women make up only 16% of the trucking workforce and a mere 4% of drivers. With labour force challenges persisting in general, and a large portion of the existing workforce nearing retirement, it’s crucial for the trucking and logistics industry to continue to attract more women to ensure a sustainable industry into the future.
The THRC research featured two surveys and an online focus group that included employers, women already in the industry, and other career-seeking women. The findings show a number of clear trends to increase the participation of women:
• Find opportunities to make the industry more appealing when compared to other industries.
• Increase awareness about the wide variety of job opportunities.
• Highlight opportunities for women to advance in trucking.
• Share strategies that improve on-the-job safety concerns, especially harassment and discrimination.
• Clarify work-life balance and family responsibility impacts.
Download the summary report and employer resources here.
Funding for this project is made possible thanks to the federal Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) program.
