Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/592176
"Women in trucking" can be a very sensitive topic to discuss. On one hand, highlighting the obstacles women face in a male-dominated industry can oen lead to a greater division between the sexes. Openly discussing issues that women face such as personal safety, time away from family, and pay inequality draws an articial line between men and women because it forces us to think about the dierences. On the other hand, addressing these concerns from the viewpoint that men and women should be treated equally and therefore women need to simply earn their way just like their male co- workers, ignores the genuine reality of safety issues facing women in the trucking industry. It can be condently stated that one key to bridging these gaps is open communication. e more oen members of our industry can safely discuss topics that aect us all, the stronger our industry becomes as a whole. ere are a number of associations that represent women and advocate on their behalf. As the number of women in trucking increases from 1 out of 20 on the road and 1 out 7 in management positions, it will become increasingly important for women to have a voice in industry discussions. Whether you are male or female working, the simple fact is your paycheck is dependent on the strength of our industry. ere are tremendous pressures on the transportation sector, which include changes in the economy, increased regulations, and driver shortages. e only way to navigate these hurdles protably is to present a united front when working on solutions to the problems we face together. If a portion of our industry is unrepresented, a united front is truly impossible to achieve. For many in our industry it is clear how growth in the number of women in trucking is good thing for all of us. Recently Harvard Business Review did a regularly quoted study that showed rms with best records for promoting women outperform industry averages for overall prots by 34 percent. As someone held responsible for reporting prots at ITS Dispatch, I think it is good business to proactively seek out employees that bring the most value to our organization. In our oce here in Toronto, Canada, 50 percent of our sta is female. is number is made up of sales professionals, technical support representatives, project managers, department supervisors and executive mangers. As a company we have excelled on a number of levels, most recently being named on the Canadian Business Prot 500 list as the h-fastest growing logistics company in Canada. We achieved this not because we hire and promote women, but because we hire and promote the best people. Half of them just happen to be women. I asked several of our female sta about how they expect to be treated by men at work. e unanimous answer at our oce was they expect men to treat women exactly like they want to be treated at work; which simply means we all have to be professional, respectful and understanding. Professional, respectful and understanding "IT CAN BE CONFIDENTLY STATED THAT ONE KEY TO BRIDGING THE GAPS IS OPEN COMMUNICATION. THE MORE OFTEN MEMBERS OF OUR INDUSTRY CAN SAFELY DISCUSS TOPICS THAT AFFECT US ALL, THE STRONGER OUR INDUSTRY BECOMES AS A WHOLE." "" BY TAL RAHAMAN, ITS DISPATCH 40 IT MAGAZINE Vo l . 9 , N o . 6