Through Trucking HR Canada’s Career ExpressWay Student Work Placement Program, Light Speed Logistics hired their very first co-op student. Taking advantage of a $7,500 wage subsidy – Light Speed was able to bring on an enthusiastic student, Aman Minhas, to help manage a new driver mentorship program, and Aman was given a career-defining opportunity to gain work experience within the trucking and logistics industry.

According to Rob Aronson, Programs Lead at Light Speed Logistics in Calgary, building resiliency in difficult times is the ability to focus on efficient operations and economic strategy wherever possible, including in the recruitment and hiring process.

Subsidies and grants go a long way, he says about the financial support the fleet obtained from Trucking HR Canada through the Career ExpressWay program that subsidizes work placements for students.

The new generation tends to be more entrepreneurial and innovative, so they bring that mindset which is needed for a growing company. Young people can add a lot with how they think and how they work, Aronson says.

When the employer is willing to listen to young workers and provide them with room to grow, even with little to no experience in the sector, students can positively impact the teams they work with.

Minhas says he found just that type of open-minded spirit at Light Speed. They’ll actually take feedback into consideration and make changes for the better of the program, he says about the opinions he expresses.

He’s referring to a mentorship program that the fleet recently introduced, pairing new drivers with seasoned mentors in driving teams.

Monitoring 20 driver teams

Working in the safety and compliance department, Minhas? job is to monitor about 20 of those teams daily, gathering data to help the newer drivers improve. For example, he monitors telematics portals to ensure that safety compliance is upheld. Through this compliance diligence, there is acute attention to important safety areas including speeding, hard braking and hours of service.

Then he will issue recommendations or, if necessary, warnings to the drivers. A task that is not always easy at 22 years old. There have been cases where these guys don’t take me seriously. They kind of see me like the kid,? Minhas says.

He is overcoming that challenge by taking the time to form relationships with the drivers, in a courteous atmosphere. When I’m talking to the drivers, I’m trying to be as respectful as I can be.

Minhas also has a couple of aces up his sleeve. He’s Canadian and grew up in Calgary, in an East Indian family — a background many drivers at Light Speed also share. This often helps with communications, although the young man humbly admits that his Punjabi is not as strong as his English.

He also grew up surrounded by people working in the transportation industry one of his uncles actually drives for Light Speed which gave him a good understanding of how the industry works.

But he’s still learning every day. Although I’ve been around transportation my whole life, never in a million years did I think that there would be so many rules and regulations that are in place in the logistics industry, he says.

At the same time, barriers to overcome are part of what he appreciates most in his work placement. There are always new challenges to solve on a daily basis, Minhas says.

As an employer, Aronson certainly appreciates such a positive attitude. I am impressed by his enthusiasm and how he’s really rolled up his sleeves. He’s taking it more than seriously, he says about Minhas.

Osmosis process

And that opinion is apparently shared within Light Speed’s team of directors. I think there’s that feeling of accomplishment with management, knowing that there’s this osmosis happening where all this information gets absorbed by the new generation coming into the company, Aronson adds.

Light Speed decided to repeat the work placement experience. With the incredible experience we had with Trucking HR Canada so far, we definitely know that we’re going to find every opportunity to continue in this direction and try to maximize opportunities to bring in more young people in different departments across the company,? Aronson says.

Experiences such as this one, which benefits both the employer and the student worker is the ultimate goal of the THRC’s Student Work Placement Program.

To learn more about the Student Work Placement Program, and how you too can benefit from this opportunity, please visit THRC Career Expressway or e-mail [email protected].

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By Vincent Custode

While the driver shortage is certainly causing headaches for employers, a growing concern is the challenge trucking and logistics employers across the country are experiencing in finding workers to help with all aspects of business operations.

Our most recent labour market information shows that almost 40% of employers anticipate recruitment will be extremely or considerably challenging for non-driving occupations, and 32% believe retaining non-driving employees will be considered or extremely challenging.

As a new partner in the Government of Canada’s student work placement program our industry has an incredible opportunity to reach students to fill a variety of non-driving roles.

It is one of the most practical means yet that we have to engage and expose a new generation of workers to the vast job possibilities our industry offers.

Let?s take a look at how hiring a student through Trucking HR Canada?s Career ExpressWay program can benefit your bottom line, along with some tips for success.

Build your brand

Connecting directly with post secondary institutions and building your reputation as a great place to work can positively build your brand.? You are reaching a new group of workers, and ensuring they have a pleasant experience can help you build a new pipeline of talent.

Our industry is vast and diverse. Colleges and universities see the opportunity for meaningful, and relevant placement opportunities for their students. This program not only offers the industry a great opportunity to showcase the large range of jobs available and exposes more students to our sector the program offers employers a unique opportunity to showcase their organization, and their brand with a whole new generation of workers.

The sooner you start, the sooner you benefit

Students are currently looking for winter placements starting in January. By getting into the program now, we can work to support you in the jobs you want to post, giving you good leeway time in identifying a student that will be a good fit.

Additionally many employers who bring students for one term, look to have them on in the next. Getting in now can mean you also get a pipeline of students for summer placements.

Employers have a range of programs to draw from

Our webinar last week had us hear from both George Brown College and the University of Waterloo and the range of programs that employers can hire from is extensive. From HR , accounting, supply chain management, sales, brokerage, IT, communications, business analytics and more. And these are just two institutions that have provided examples.

The opportunities are there to bring on a student for a role that may not require a full-time job ? but can help you in running your business. This can include special projects, or seasonal job needs.

Start by building a strong partnership with one educational institution

Here we have seen employers benefit from focusing on one institution, and building a strong partnership. Once an institution is comfortable with you, and you are happy with the students that partnership can grow into more opportunities.

Financial incentives

Participating in Trucking HR Canada’s program will enable you to access up to 75% of the students wage, up to a maximum of $7,500.

Connecting students to jobs in our industry is essential ? and this program offers one of the practical means yet to help us in doing that.

Reach out to [email protected] today to learn more.

By Angela Splinter

With supply chains under so much duress, the need for workers in trucking and logistics has never been more urgent. Our industry is essential to Canada’s economic recovery, and there’s no doubt that we need to attract younger workers to help us keep up.

Trucking HR Canada’s Career ExpressWay program connects students and other young career-seekers with employers that can offer both professional work experience and a meaningful wage. We’ve introduced three new wage and training subsidy programs for 2021-22 that can help you do just that.

Let’s take a closer look:

• $7,500 for student work placement

Our Student Work Placement Subsidy lets you access funds to recruit and hire students who are eager to develop their skills in a real-world work environment. The program pays up to 75% of the student’s wage up to $7,500.

Any full-time or part-time job that supports truck transportation is eligible, including special projects, co-ops, and internships. You may even be interested in hiring recent graduates to gauge their fit with your company these jobs qualify, too. And while trucking and logistics companies are obvious candidates for our Student Work Placement stream, so too are industry suppliers.

Every post-secondary institution in the country is looking to give its students access to paid on-the-job experiences in all areas of academic study. This is a great opportunity to showcase the many non-driving careers in our industry and to make these jobs more attractive through competitive compensation.

• $10,000 wage support for youth

Looking to recruit young talent to your business? Our Employer Wage Support for Youth Program pays up to $10,000 in a wage subsidy for young people working in driving and non-driving positions.

This is different from the student work-placement stream in that the subsidy is geared toward workers aged 30 or younger, including those who face employment barriers due to lack of training, education, or other factors. It can be used for virtually any occupation in the trucking and logistics.

• $10,000 youth driver training subsidy

While the industry’s need for truck drivers is obvious, the cost of driver training can be a barrier for young people who want to enter the industry.

Our Career ExpressWay program has a new injection of funding that can provide employers with up to $10,000 tuition for entry-level driver training for workers aged 30 or younger.

If ever there has been an opportunity for us to better connect youth with driving occupations, this is it.

What’s the catch?

Well, I would like to think there isn’t one.

Having said that, managing government funds means there is a bit of paperwork involved. All programs require a small investment of time in order to get approved and set up in the various program streams.

Our team is continually improving the administrative process and they are available to support you and answer any questions you may have.

The list of employers using our Career ExpressWay program is growing every day. If recruiting young talent is a priority for your business, and you’re interested in a way to help pay for it, reach out to us today to learn more.

The competition for new workers is only getting more intense. Career ExpressWay and the funding it provides may be the game-changer you need.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, trucking and logistics businesses have faced many challenges including: increased health and safety regulations, supply chain backlogs, fluctuating demand for their services, rising input prices, and changing workforce needs.

As vaccines have become available and the economy recovers, what will the new normal look like for our industry?

This past summer, as part of Trucking HR Canada?s (THRC) labour market information (LMI) work, we surveyed employers to better understand how the sector?s employment and business activity is changing, the challenges companies are now facing, and the supports the sector will need moving forward.

These employer surveys are an important component of this work ? work which includes our specialized analysis of publicly available sources, including Statistics Canada?s census and other labour force surveys, augmented with data directly from employers to fill in the gaps.

Here, are the results.

1 – Top Employer Challenge ? Truck Driver Labour Shortages

Over 75% of employers expect a shortage of truck drivers to be a challenge in the next 6 months, over 50% indicating that it will be their top challenge. Recruiting truck drivers was also identified as the most challenging HR task. Labour shortages for non-truck driver positions is also top of mind with 46% of respondents indicating that this too would be a challenge.

2 – Companies carrying non-essential* goods had lower revenues in 2020

51% of companies experienced a decrease in revenues in 2020 compared to 2019, with businesses carrying non-essential goods more likely to experience that decrease ? 65%, compared to those companies carrying essential goods ? 38%.

* Non-essential companies are defined as those for which essential goods account for less than 50% of transported goods. In turn, essential companies are defined as those for which essential goods make up more than 50% of what their company transports.

3 -?Truck driver employment is rebounding

Truck driver employment is rebounding.? Amongst respondents a 5.3% decrease in truck driver employment was reported between 2019 and 2020, it then rebounds by 1.7% in 2021, 3.7% below its 2019 level.

4 – Companies continue to struggle with driver shortages

Of the survey respondents, 67% were unable to fill all the driver positions they needed this past year. Larger companies struggled more with over 80% of those with revenues over $25 million unable to fill their driver positions.

Employers indicated that lower numbers of applicants, applicants with low levels of experience, increasing retirement rates and increasing employee initiated turn over were factors that contributed to the shortage.

5 – Smaller companies have been slower to recover

41% of smaller companies (those with revenues less then $5 million) reported business activity below pre-pandemic levels compared to only 26% of companies with revenues above $5 million.

On average, companies with business levels below pre-pandemic levels (31% of respondents) expect to return to pre-pandemic levels in 14 months.

As we continue to work in supporting employers in meeting their HR challenges, here are some practical solutions that can help:

Our Career ExpressWay program has several financial incentives that can help. Our youth driver training subsidies, wage subsidies, and new student work placement program directly support the onboarding of younger workers.

And, new this fall, THRC will be releasing five resource guides to help industry employers and HR managers tackle the most pressing HR issues.

Call to participate – Are you interested in exploring new solutions to old, yet ongoing industry problems? To have these discussions, THRC is assembling a group of diverse, forward-thinking, innovators and leaders. To learn more visit: National Trucking HR Transformative Change Group | Trucking HR

Want to learn more? Visit our website today at truckinghr.com and be sure to sign up for our weekly newsletter while you are there.? Watch for upcoming information sessions too that can help you access our financial incentives.

On August 31^st, 2021, the Pay Equity Act and its Regulations will enter into force, creating new requirements for federally regulated employers with 10 or more employees. The new legislation ?requires employers to be proactive in eliminating wage gaps between men and women in the workplace, ensuring equal pay for work of equal value across job classes.

To achieve this, employers need to meet a series of obligations that revolve around the creation of a pay equity plan.

Below are 7 steps to help you understand and comply with the new pay equity agenda.

STEP 1 ? Post a notice in your workplace

By November 1^st, 2021, employers must post a notice to their employees announcing the creation of a pay equity plan and? a pay equity committee ? if a pay equity committee is required.

The Canadian Human Rights Commission has published a free template and guidance sheet to help employers develop a workplace notice. Click here to learn more.

STEP 2 ? Create your pay equity committee

Once you have posted your notice, you will need to get to work on your pay equity plan. You may be required to set up a pay equity committee to create the plan.

Trucking HR Canada has developed a fact sheet to help you learn more about pay equity committees and whether you are required to create one.? Click here to download this resource.

STEP 3 ? Develop your pay equity plan

To develop a pay equity plan, employers need to follow a specific process, ?requiring you to gather data and perform calculations to evaluate compensation across job classes.

Creating a pay equity plan is a complex and time-consuming process. It is a good idea for employers to review requirements and start taking steps towards creating your pay equity plan as soon as possible. Again, we have you covered.? Click here to consult a list of the information you will require to create your plan, as detailed by the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

STEP 4 ? Post the draft pay equity plan and receive feedback from your employees

Once your draft pay equity plan is complete, employers must post the plan with a notice informing employees that they have 60 days to provide comments. Once this feedback is collected, employers will be required to finalize their pay equity plan by August 31^st, 2024.

STEP 5 ? Communicate any increases in employee compensation and pay these out

Once the final pay equity plan has been posted in year 3, employers must also increase compensation within any job classes that are not receiving equal pay for work of equal value. Employees must be notified of any pay increases in advance of the company paying these out. Depending on the employer?s size and circumstances, these pay increases must either be paid out in full on the day after the final pay equity plan is posted, or within 3 to 5 years (provided the employer is eligible for a phased implementation approach).

STEP 6 ? Submit your first annual statement

At the end of year 3, employers need to submit an annual statement to the Pay Equity Commissioner regarding their pay equity plan and the pay increases that have been identified within it.

STEP 7 ? Monitor and update your pay equity plan

At least once every five years, employers will have to review and update their pay equity plans to account for any pay equity gaps that may have appeared since posting their initial plan.

Stay tuned for more information

Trucking HR Canada is here to support employers with labour-related compliance requirements, including those stemming from changes to the Canada Labour Code and from changes to help achieve wage fairness. We work in partnership with industry associations, government agencies and more in ensuring you have the practical resources and tools needed to support HR excellence.

Follow us and check out our website as we plan for more informational sessions, webinars and more.

We?re all pining for post-pandemic life. As vaccine rollouts make this possible, and we fill offices, restaurants, stadiums and hotels again, Canada needs a healthy trucking and logistics industry to help carry the economy.

We?re responsible for moving more than $850 billion in goods each year and employ more than 650,000 workers. What?s more, trucking and logistics businesses support virtually every other industry in Canada, including manufacturing, construction, farming, oil and gas, forestry and more.

COVID-19 has both confirmed and emphasized that truck transportation is one of Canada?s most important commercial and economic sectors. It?s essential that we?re operating at full strength.

Labour challenges

According to our latest economic assessments and labour market information (LMI), the pandemic has only made HR management a higher priority especially when it comes to over-the-road truck drivers. Here?s what the data tells us:

• Demand for drivers: We project truck driver vacancies in Canada to surpass 25,000 by 2023, a 25% increase compared to 2019. We expect vacancies to rise for other occupations as well. By?2023, the need for drivers is expected to be greater than our baseline pre-COVID-19 projections due to increased demand for trucking services as the economy reopens.

• Demographic changes: The average worker in trucking and logistics is older than in other industries, with 27% of workers over the age of 55 compared to 21% in the general labour force.?On average, 13,675 workers retire from trucking each year. Our aging workforce further fuels the labour shortage.

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• New entries: Workers coming into the industry are largely made up of new entries or entries from other occupations. In fact, about 54,000 inexperienced workers are expected to enter the sector each year to 2023, a signal that training needs may be significant.

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• Labour supply gaps remain: The supply of workers in our industry is only projected to grow by about 5,600 people per year.?This net growth is a function of inflows (new entries and entries from other occupations, immigration and non-permanent residents) and outflows of workers (retirements and other attrition). Importantly, this growth will not be enough to meet the expected employment demand over the same period.

What does it all mean? We need skilled workers. How do we get there? Let?s take a look:

More financial incentives are coming. Apply now and avoid delays later

Our Career ExpressWay Program is gearing up for more wage subsidies designed to get more young people to work in our industry. The program offers financial incentives specifically for truck transportation and logistics employers. The time has never been better for us to recruit young workers. They need work, and we have work.

As with all government programs, there is some paperwork involved. Get pre-approved today and be ahead of the competition come summer. With wage subsidies ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 per young person, the extra time is worth it.

To learn more, visit our website and/or reach out to John today at [email protected].

Workplace harassment and violence requirements: Comply now so you can focus on other HR matters later

All federally regulated employers are required to comply with Canada?s new Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations that came into force in January of this year.? Employers need to have proper policies in place, a designated recipient in place, and more.? Your entire workforce needs to complete compliant training by December 31, 2021. ?All this to say, it?s a little more complicated than you may think.

As an employer, you need to:

• Complete a risk assessment and implement preventive measures
• Create emergency procedures to protect staff from harassment and violence
• Prepare and communicate a compliant workplace policy
• Be ready to receive complaints and follow the required resolution process
• Provide information and support to targets of harassment and violence
• Have a designated recipient who is specially trained on the regulations
• Ensure that all managers and supervisors receive specific training given their role
• Train all employees on the new regulations
• Ensure your record keeping is in line with Labour Canada requirements

Our website and on-line learning centre have policy templates, how-to guides, checklists and all the on-line training resources you need. Our resources are free and the training is cost effective. Developed in partnership with Labour Canada, the Canadian Trucking Alliance and all provincial associations, employment lawyers, labour representatives and more, Trucking HR Canada has you covered. Feel to reach out to Michella today at [email protected].

Top Fleet Employers

Our Top Fleet Employers are leaders in promoting a positive image of trucking and logistics and offering great places to work. We are proud to see this program grow each year, with 77 fleets recognized this year.

Stay tuned for our 2021 best practices report that will showcase recruitment and retention initiatives that work for our Top Fleets, which means they may work for you, too.? And if you are a leader in terms of your HR approaches, contact us today to learn how you can be recognized while also accessing many other program perks, including pre-approval for wage subsidies.

Feel free to reach out to Alero at [email protected].

We all want our industry?s employees and businesses to be in good health physically, mentally and financially. Canada?s economy needs us more than ever.

Taking some of these steps today will help get your business on track.

This week marks my 10-year anniversary working in the trucking and logistics sector.

Always a keener and up for a challenge, I came here ready to make a difference.

Having worked in other industries doing the type of HR work I am doing now, I saw the opportunities that trucking and logistics present. The industry is an economic powerhouse with one of the country?s largest workforces. It also faces onerous and longstanding HR issues.

I was excited and enthusiastic to get to work.

But not for long. Unbeknownst to me at the time, I had a bit of a rocky road ahead, but not for the reasons you may think.

Yes, I was a young woman, ready to lead and get things done in one of the most male-dominated industries in the country. But what caused me strife were the organization?s significant financial burdens which I discovered during my first few weeks on the job.

In addition, just two months in I received notice that 95% of my operational funding would be cut within 12 months.

While an early exit certainly crossed my mind, I decided to give it five years.

What followed was me walking into an association board meeting feeling like the only woman in the room (I was in fact one of two at the time). For the record, that did not concern me. I had an organization to save, and I needed all hands to help me do that.

And that?s exactly what happened. Here I am, 10 years later reminiscing about the journey.

I am fortunate to have mentors, champions and sponsors who took the time to help me along the way. I will share a few:

• David Bradley, the previous President and CEO of the Canadian Trucking Alliance. David and I frequently disagreed and sometimes argued. When I realized he was in fact like this with everyone, I reached out to David more often. When I began to observe him sometimes taking on my ideas and using some of my language, I knew he was getting it. David always took the time to let me talk things through, tell me what he thought I should do and then support me when I did my own thing.
• Mike McCarron, Left Lane Associates and former partner at MSM Transportation. Now don?t fall out of your chair, folks. One of the first events I worked on with Mike had him picking me up at the airport with his daughter in tow. Mike?s family is a cottaging family like mine, and I found an instant connection. I often leaned on Mike for his industry insights, connections and, to be honest, when I just needed a good laugh.
• John G. Smith, Newcom Media. Back before he was the editorial director at Newcom, publisher of Today?s Trucking and trucknews.com, John was a communications consultant, albeit one with loads of trucking industry experience. Let?s just say he taught me a thing or two and I always trusted his judgement . And there?s a theme: another cottager.

I?ve had the privilege of great team members at Trucking HR Canada. Some have come and gone over the years but each one was a part of the organization?s success. Today, I am proud of the progress we have made and that we can offer a compensation and benefits package that rivals the federal public service?our main competitor for talent in the Ottawa area.

I would be remiss if I did not mention my own rather large, personal bump along the way: my cancer diagnosis in the summer of 2017 was certainly a big one. I am grateful for the Board members who stepped up and did my job so I could make fighting cancer mine. I am in great health, three years into remission.

I also want to salute the women in this industry who inspire me every single day.

First, the other woman in the room at my first association meeting? She was Claudia Milicevic, head of Loadlink Technologies. I also want to mention Angelique Magi of Intact Insurance; Lorraine Card, former President of AMTA; Louise Yako, former BCTA President; Susan Ewart, President of the Saskatchewan Trucking Association; Joanne MacKenzie, Professional Truck Driver; Rebecka Freels, communications consultant; Vicki Stafford, Cavalier Transport; ?Kathy Koras from Newcom Media; Michelle Arseneau of GX Transport; and Rachel Arseneau of GX Transport; Louise McCalpine, Snowbird Transport; Vicki McKibbon from Armour Transport; Linda Young from Bison; Caroline Blais from Kriska Transport; Rosana Preston from Rosedale Transport; Heather Day, President of Day Transport; Stephanie Theede of Westcan Bulk Transport; Myrna Chartrand, Professional Truck Driver; Shelley Uvanille-Hesch, CEO of the Women?s Trucking Federation of Canada; Margaret Hogg, ambassador for everything trucking; Lisa Kelly, Professional Truck Driver; and believe me, the list goes on.

While I work to not see my gender as a barrier, I have met many along the way who have had different experiences. The women of this industry motivate me to do more, and I proudly blaze the trail with them.

Today, Trucking HR Canada is an industry leader in all regards. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of making that happen. I have missed some, I am sure, but you all know who you are, and you are all leaders.

Together, we have made a difference and I am so proud to be a part of it.

Trucking HR Canada?s 7^th Annual Women with Drive Leadership Summit kept the international women?s day celebratory vibes of women, women leaders, and women in the industry going full speed. While the event was a little different – being the first time it was held virtually and globally, we still brought together over 200 women from the industry to connect and learn from one another.? It left delegates with the regular high dose of inspiration along with practical and insightful take-aways from a roster of formidable speakers.

The Right Honorable Micha?lle Jean, who served as Governor General of Canada from 2005 to 2010, and Halla T?masd?ttir, Icelandic businessperson and CEO of the B Team, left us with a plethora of insights.? The 2021 Women with Drive stage provided me with four key takeaways from our keynote speakers:

We are Change Makers

Micha?lle Jean trumpeted the efforts the trucking industry has put forward. She noted that we have been heralded as heroes during this time of pandemic, saying that it is time for the invisible to become visible.? She noted that front line workers and those in the trucking industry are finally getting the public attention that they deserve, claiming that it is the hard workers in our industry who have suffered an inexcusable blind spot before the pandemic; and that it is time we recognize that we offer good meaningful work for hundreds of thousands of Canadians. What we do with this new attention and praise is key. Truck drivers notably, as Jean mentions have a remarkable and unique role in that they get to see sights many of us never will. This is perhaps a potential draw for recruiters to take note of. A philanthropist at heart, she also encouraged us to leverage our reach. She earnestly reminded us that our trucks are moving billboards for cause and positivity. This is what many of our Top Fleet Employers do when participating in various charitable causes such as: Plaid for Dad, Pink for the Cure, and Art Saves Lives. ?We often forget to highlight this part of the trucking industry as an attraction ? that it is not JUST trucking, it is so much more. It is a multitude of causes and action, and ingenuity. By highlighting the change maker abilities of our sector, Jean created a powerful united feeling of potential.

Employers have an opportunity

Micha?lle Jean also reminded us that the pandemic has created an opening for us to further investigate some of our collective societal issues. Saying, ?In the same way lemon juice and a light bulb manifest invisible ink? ? the pandemic has highlighted many core societal issues including, racism, sexism, homophobia, and ageism. Thus, perhaps the pandemic has helped to dismantle many of the things that are otherwise wrong with our current society. She challenges employers to use this moment for change and examine their own diversity and inclusion policies.

Women belong everywhere ? including trucking

Halla T?masd?ttir reminded us of the ?inner leader? that we all have. We need to confront our imposter feelings in order to excel and believe in our capabilities. And, as women, we need to stop doubting and questioning our abilities and our right to be in certain professional spaces. Women belong everywhere ? and yes, that includes trucking. The pandemic, she noted, has brought about a time when women?s leadership is being noticed and recognized. T?masd?ttir reminded us that when women have a seat at the table, positive changes are made, and we see progress. For more women to be in leadership, young women need mentors and to see women who are succeeding at the highest levels.

No more business as usual

We may never go back to how things were before the pandemic ? and Halla highlighted that this is not necessarily a bad thing. A lot was wrong with the world before and the pandemic is causing us to question what could ultimately, be better.? Maybe Canadians can continue to honour truckers and the entire trucking industry as essential work.? Perhaps we can embrace a future when trucking is more alluring to new and young workers. And certainly, with current unemployment rates, we have the possibility to invite and welcome people into our industry more than ever before.

The trucking industry is one of change, one that appreciates inclusion and diversity, one that encourages women?s leadership, and one that is filled with Women with Drive. Women with Drive Leadership Summit thus remains an important event for the trucking industry ? because we still need and always will need, women with drive.

Diversity and inclusion in the workplace can help increase productivity, innovation, and employee retention, benefits that cannot be overstated in today’s business world.

Women are essential to diversity, but the trucking and logistics industry still falls short with just 15% of women in the workforce.

Trucking HR’s Top Fleet Employers Program recognizes and celebrates companies with innovative employment practices and policies, and several fleets have taken specific steps to improve their recruitment and retention of women.

In reviewing what these fleets have done to diversify and encourage inclusion in their workplace, here are five best practices that stand out.

Creating connections

By participating in industry events and creating formal and informal coaching and mentoring arrangements, Top Fleet Employers help women leverage networks that can lead to professional development opportunities in the industry. These initiatives include Trucking HR Canada’s Women with Drive event or partnering with Women Building Futures.

Targetted recruitment

Many of our Top Fleet Employers take a targeted approach to recruiting both men and women who want to work in a diverse environment. For instance, a hiring practice among many Top Fleet Employers is to ensure that job descriptions in recruiting ads are free of unconscious bias that may affect individuals applying for that role. We also see recruitment targeted at community groups that focus on women, and customized onboarding processes. These efforts make women feel like they belong and not like they must adapt to fit into the workplace.

Flexible work arrangements

97% of our Top Fleet Employers offer benefits, policies, and flexible work arrangements to support their employees and their families. Some examples are a policy that allows truck drivers decide when and where to shut down overnight; flexible start/stop times; being able to choose routes close to home; permission to have a family member in the cab; part-time work upon request; and separate facilities for women. Workplace flexibility fosters loyalty and a higher quality of life for the employee, which consequently benefits the employer.

Evaluate your training offerings

Top Fleet Employers are committed to offering training that supports a diverse and safe workforce. For example, they provide sensitivity training that addresses stereotypes and biases in the workplace. In the case of female drivers, safety and security remain a very big concern. In response, many employers have programs that include training in anti-harassment and violence in the workplace an area for which Trucking HR Canada has developed industry-specific training.

If you’ve got it, flaunt it

Top Fleet Employers with a good percentage of female employees in various roles portray this in their recruitment tools. Pictures of women can be seen in their public postings, websites, and other social media platforms.

There is much to be done in order to increase the number of women in trucking and logistics. However, our Top Fleet Employers are leaders and have embraced a culture that continually encourages and supports women in the industry.

As we approach International Women’s Day on March 8, take a moment to consider how your organization is doing when it comes to recruiting and retaining women. If you need a place to start, visit THRC’s website for helpful resources.

Some jobs just seem to attract more workers of one gender than another. These patterns have more to do with long-standing biases about which industries and occupations are better suited to men or women than actual gender-based differences in knowledge, abilities, or career interests.

In trucking and logistics, men make up 85% of the workforce. The ratio of women to men drops even further in certain jobs such as truck driver (3% female) or technicians and mechanics (1.5% female).

In contrast, women account for 87% of general administrative workers, 85% of accounting staff, and 61% of HR staff.

These numbers are consistent across the industry: similar data show up on virtually every trucking association’s website around the world!

Is it the job or the industry?

Why does this gender imbalance exist?

Is it the reputation of the industry as being a male domain? Or that certain jobs are perceived as being inherently oriented toward men?

Our labour market information suggests that it may be both.

On one hand, the percentage of female mechanics working across all sectors of the economy is roughly the same as it is in trucking and logistics: 2%, compared with 1.5%. Perhaps the job just doesn’t appeal to women.

On the other hand, more that 50% of dispatchers in Canada are women compared to only 39% in trucking and logistics, suggesting that the industry is an issue.

THRC’s research, “Millennials Have Drive 2,” found that women make up about one third of the 1.1 million warm leads who say they might consider a job in trucking.

That’s more than 360,000 young women.

Where we are today

What do we know about women who already work in trucking?

Right now, about 97,000 women are working in Canada’s trucking and logistics industry and more than half are doing front-line jobs in shipping and receiving (21%); driving a truck (10%); driving for a local delivery or courier service (8%); dispatching (6%); or material handling (5%).

Another 21% of women in trucking work in administration, accounting, and human resources.

Fewer than 5% of the sector’s female employees are in management or supervisory positions. This small fraction in senior leadership no doubt contributes to the industry’s problems recruiting and retaining women.

Finding equilibrium

Highlighting the experiences and variety of career choices of women who already work in trucking and logistics could help companies appeal to more female leads.

And tapping into their workplace experiences would help us all better understand and address the gender-based challenges and barriers in our workforce. We must:

– Determine if the challenges our industry faces in attracting and retaining women are the same or different than those in other male-dominated industries.

– Study and learn from more gender-balanced sectors.

– Create a more balanced culture that appeals to diverse groups of people.

– Set clear, achievable, and measurable targets and KPIs for achieving a more gender balanced workforce in trucking and logistics.

With our industry facing severe labour shortages on average, trucking and logistics has about 7,300 vacant jobs annually women represent a vastly underutilized source of workers. The industry’s gender imbalance is a complex issue but one that requires us to think about the most appropriate strategies to get it right.