Not long ago the only women at the Toronto Transportation Club’s annual dinner were the significant others of local trucking company execs.

That’s changing. Last year, 35% of the attendees were women. Forty percent of the directors are women. It only took 85 years for the club to crown its first female president.

Most trucking companies today have some kind of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative to expand the talent pool to non-traditional sources.

Of all those sources, women provide the greatest potential to grow the industry.

Attracting and retaining women is no longer negotiable for truck fleets. Don’t take my word for it. For research, I looked no further than the amazing network of female leaders I’ve worked with over the years. 

Here’s what they had to say.

Women in leadership

Earlier this year, a survey conducted by Women in Trucking concluded that women now hold 30% of leadership and C-suite positions.

That’s encouraging because women do a better job recruiting women. The more women calling the shots from the corner office, the more females will be attracted to the sector. Hopefully there will be a trickle-down effect on the driver ranks: female truck drivers are currently just 4% of the workforce. 

Dead last

Another insight was unanimous. Every woman agreed that the biggest barrier to attracting more women is the bad perception of our industry.

This was no surprise to me. I’ve heard catcalls my entire career. 

In 2016, when I was chairman at Trucking HR Canada, we surveyed guidance counselors about their perception of the industry. The results were very disappointing.

According to a soon-to-be-released report from Abacus Data on behalf of Trucking HR Canada, not a lot has changed.

Of the 1,500 job-seeking women surveyed, only 23% said they would consider working in trucking. Our industry ranked eleventh out of 11 sectors. Dead last. Like the Montreal Canadiens this year.

Change the narrative

You’re not changing the perception of the trucking industry on your own, so don’t try. Instead, focus on changing the narrative in your community of customers, suppliers, and employees.

Be known not as a trucking company but as a great place to work where each employee’s unique needs are understood and embraced. The fleets I know that have taken this approach attract and retain women in record numbers.

The blind spots

Speaking of great women leaders, I reached out to my good friend, Trucking HR Canada CEO Angela Splinter, to get her thoughts on attracting more women.

Her top recommendation is that carriers need to check their blind spots. 

Don’t assume that women aren’t interested in your job postings. Commit to a process and don’t give up until you get it right. Figuring out how to be a carrier that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion has never been more important to your bottom line.

Women and culture 

I witnessed first-hand the advantages of employing a lot of women when I owned MSM Transportation. About 80% of our office staff was female. We also had a lot of husband-and-wife teams.

I spoke with several former employees who agreed that women played a prominent role in the culture we created. They were the heart and soul of our brand. They made MSM a fun place to work.

Not a week went by without some kind of celebration. Our holiday parties were legendary.

At first, all these activities drove me nuts. But I realized that our inclusive, fun culture, driven by women, was a big reason for our success. Employees sang our praises in their social circles. Being a place where women could flourish made it easier to fill vacancies.

A lot of carriers are doing a great job attracting women. 

If you’re not one of them, I suggest you tap into the resources offered by the Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada and Trucking HR Canada. It’s not too late to join the club.