Trucking HR Canada recently resumed its annual Women with Drive event following a Covid hiatus in an effort to encourage workforce diversification.
But efforts to attract women to the truck driving trades have largely stalled. Canadian women have historically shied away from the freight hauling sector, making up only 15 percent of all employees, according to reports. Of that modest percentage, 87 percent hold administrative positions, with another 1.5 percent working as technicians. Female truckers comprise a stunningly low 3.7 percent of CDL holders.
In the U.S., organizations such as Women in Trucking and the American Trucking Associations have proven strong advocates for inclusion. Female participation has surged over the last decade from numbers similar to Canada’s to more than 12 percent. Some sources peg the number of women CDL holders at more than 15 percent in 2022 and rising quickly.
It also appears outreach and attitudes about earning a good salary as a trucker have not evolved. The Trucking HR Canada event has a reputation for being an event that doesn’t necessarily further its goals. And some claim Canada’s trucking organizations only pay lip service to diversity.
“It’s often regarded as a tick-the-box exercise. Diversity is the mix. Inclusion is getting that mix to work well together,” Trucking HR Canada CEO Angela Splinter reportedly said. “Fewer than 5 percent of the sector’s female employees are in management or supervisory positions. We think that 5 percent is not enough. Solving their issues starts with solving ours.”
Splinter’s criticism over the lack of female leadership reflects a national issue about how women are treated in Canada’s workforce. When Covid disrupted the country, female drivers were reportedly laid off at a disproportional rate of 16 percent. That’s a glaring problem given women make up less than 4 percent of all truckers.
Although Canada continues to lag far behind the U.S. in terms of overall trucking sector participation, some gains are materializing. From 2019 to 2021, the rise in last-mile deliveries driven by e-commerce helped grow the ranks of female couriers by 55 percent.
“Although we saw some gains, we’re definitely not where we want to be from a female representation of drivers,” UPS Canada retention manager Rebecca Sloan reportedly said.
Canada reportedly has a truck driver shortage that hovers around 23,000 and is expected to increase to 55,000 by the end of 2024. Efforts are underway to attract a younger and more gender-diverse trucker workforce. Trucking HR Canada’s Career Express Way Program provides $5,000 for student work placements, up to $10,000 in youth salary subsidies, and a $10,000 youth training subsidy. Approximately 25 percent of those leveraging the program are reportedly young women.
“This is moving the needle,” Splinter reportedly said.
Sources: zippia.com, trucknews.com, trucking.org
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