OTTAWA, Ont. —  Trucking HR Canada will have speakers from all over the globe at its upcoming Women with Drive summit.

The third annual summit will be held March 2, 2017 and hosted at the Sheraton Toronto Airport Hotel and Conference Centre and will feature speakers from Australia, Denmark, England, New Zealand and Sweden.

The latest confirmed panel includes:

— Heather Jones, a veteran heavy vehicle driver from Australia with over 25 years’ experience. Heather actively promotes the transport industry as a long term, rewarding career opportunity for women, and is a passionate advocate for road safety; she mentors new-to-the-industry drivers in all aspects of truck operations and teaches them the “tricks of the trade” over a 160-hour mentoring program.

— Vibeke Theisel, a professional truck driver from Denmark; she goes by the name of “Road Queen”—a name she recently picked up from her coworkers once she obtained her truck drivers’ license. She comes to the industry after spending five years in nursing.

— Jenny Tipping, a professional competence (CPC) trainer and heavy vehicle driver from England. After 12 years in the UK transport industry, Jenny is a well-respected thought leader in the field of gender and the transport and logistics industry. She was part of an expert panel for the UK Parliament Transport Select Committee and was quoted in their subsequent report on the driver shortage.

— Meryn Morrison, a health & safety compliance manager, from New Zealand, has been involved in transport for over 30 years. Meryn was the first woman to be on an executive of a road transport association, and now Chair of Women in Road Transport for New Zealand.

— Elin Engström, a professional truck driver, and test driving coordinator from Sweden. Elin feels particularly proud that she has had the opportunity to mentor plenty of new employees. She now leads a group of test drivers with her female colleague at Scania.

“This panel provides a unique learning opportunity and new perspectives for the trucking industry,” says Angela Splinter, CEO of Trucking HR Canada. “Other countries face similar challenges in recruiting the workers they need, and having these five women join us to share their experiences is an exciting opportunity.”

To learn more about Women with Drive visit  www.truckingHR.com