Women with Drive: Maintaining our Momentum

Women with Drive: Maintaining our Momentum

RESEARCH SUMMARY

Trucking HR Canada’s latest labour market

Women with Drive event series. This

challenges in the industry:

Leadership Summit that brings women

information reveals ongoing human resource

•

57% of surveyed companies couldn’t

recruit all the drivers they needed in 2023, and many reported challenges training

employees for non-driving roles as well; •

The number of truck drivers who are 65 and older rose 8.6% per year between 2016 and

2021 — more than double the increase seen across Canada’s overall labour pool;

Introduction

•

As many as 40,400 trucking and logistics jobs are expected to be vacant in 2030.

longstanding initiative includes a national together for professional development,

camaraderie, and celebration; a newer

regional series also offers educational and networking opportunities in industry hubs

across the country. Together, these efforts

are having an impact. The trucking industry

employed 26,235 more women in 2021 than in 2016, and the number of female truck drivers

increased by 43%, from 9,955 drivers to 14,270, over the same period. In addition: •

With these challenges ahead, it’s never been

future. This includes women, who make up half

6.7% for men); •

the population but less than 16% of the trucking workforce and only 4% of drivers.

Canada’s economy is on the move, and it’s moving on the nation’s trucks.

For over a decade, THRC has been on

the forefront of efforts to engage women in the industry, as exemplified by our

With a workforce of 740,000, an annual GDP

Despite our industry’s importance to the

nearly every industry in the country, trucking is

keep up with demand for our most valuable

contribution of $48 billion, and a role to play in key to Canada’s social and economic vitality.

During the pandemic, trucks kept essential

number of women employed as managers and supervisors was 10.0% (compared to

more important to engage the untapped talent pools that will keep our industry rolling into the

The average annual increase in the

Employment as shippers/receivers

increased by 2.6% per year for women (compared to 0.6% for men);

•

The average growth rate among delivery and courier service drivers was 10.5% per

year (compared to a decrease by 0.5% per year for men).

Canadian economy, we are struggling to resource: our people.

goods like food and medicine on our shelves and in our hospitals; trucks will also be a big part of the solution to today’s challenges ,

including accelerating housing construction to support our growing population and ease the affordability crisis.

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WOMEN WITH DRIVE — MAINTAINING OUR MOMENTUM

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12%

FIGURE 1: Annual % change in employment by gender, 2016–2021 10.0%

10%

10.5%

10.5%

8%

10.0%

AVERAGE % CHANGE PER YEAR

7.5% 6.7%

6.7% 6%

4.9% 4%

3.3% 2.6%

2.6%

2.6%

2%

0.6%

0.6%

0.3% 0%

-2%

-0.1%

Canada

What We Did

– 0.5%

Trucking & Logistics

Transport Truck Drivers

·

Female

– 0.1%

-0.5% Delivery Drivers

·

Managers & Supervisors

Shippers & Receivers

Male

Source: Trucking HR Canada, Statistics Canada, Census 2016 and 2021, custom data request

But there is more work to do. To ensure a

women want, and what employers are thinking.

need to create workplaces women want to be

participation so that we could help employers

RESEARCH APPROACH To fully understand the barriers impacting women’s participation in the trucking industry, we needed to speak to more than one audience. Women in the industry have invaluable insight into the opportunities and challenges shaping their careers, but solutions to the industry’s human resource challenges will depend, at least in part, on its ability to attract candidates

Our goal was to identify the main barriers to

with no prior connection to the industry. That’s why it was crucial to hear

bridge gaps to recruit, retain, and promote

from a broad range of career-seeking women, not just those who have

more women.

experience in the industry. We also wanted to hear from employers about

In 2023, we teamed up with Abacus Data to

With women representing 47% of Canada’s

what they’re doing to recruit women and create welcoming, inclusive work

to better understand what women in the

imperative that we do so.

sustainable trucking industry into the future, we part of. Trucking HR Canada is committed to supporting employers in this effort.

embark on a large-scale research initiative

sector are experiencing, what career-seeking

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available labour pool, it is a business

WOMEN WITH DRIVE — MAINTAINING OUR MOMENTUM

environments.

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In 2023, we defined and researched three

groups, then compiled our findings

in a study that captures the status of

women’s participation in the industry for each group: ×

CAREER-SEEKING WOMEN: In February of 2023, we conducted a survey of 1500 Canadian women who were open to changing jobs or

×

Both surveys were conducted using an online platform. Focus group participants were

identified through a short qualifying survey.

Those who met our participant criteria were

invited to access an online community, where they interacted with other participants and completed three structured activities. The wealth of qualitative data that emerged

from the focus group was then coded and

analyzed by our research team. Finally, findings from both surveys and the online activities

underwent a comparative analysis, yielding a

about to enter the labour market.

comprehensive picture of women’s status in

WOMEN IN THE INDUSTRY: In May

from that research.

of 2023, we hosted an online focus

the industry. This report presents key takeaways

group of 24 women with experience working in the trucking and logistics

What We Learned

industry. ×

EMPLOYERS: Throughout the spring of 2023, we surveyed trucking and logistics employers in Canada

WHY DO WOMEN GO INTO TRUCKING AND LOGISTICS?

about their efforts to recruit and retain women.

Although women are still under-represented in trucking and logistics, their numbers have been improving in recent years, and many are optimistic about the future.

“

. . .It is a very secure place to work in. I do not have to worry about losing my job in a recession.”

We found that most women get into trucking

So what inspires women to break into an

Many jobs in the trucking industry offer the very

so long?

not realize it if they haven’t been exposed to the

— MANITOBA, 18–23 YEARS OLD

industry that has been dominated by men for

and logistics for the same reasons as anyone else: they want better pay, a change, or a new experience.

features women are seeking, though they may industry before. Our survey of career-seeking

women identified competitive pay, job security,

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WOMEN WITH DRIVE — MAINTAINING OUR MOMENTUM

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89%

WOMEN IN TRUCKING FACE CULTURAL AND SYSTEMIC BARRIERS Although women in trucking can be powerful

Lifestyle

face of the industry on their own. The women in

balance and managing family responsibilities

advocates for the sector, they can’t change the our focus group acknowledged that there are

still significant barriers to overcome. Trucking is

of women say they would recommend trucking and logistics to other women

a male-dominated industry, and many women

believe this limits their ability to advance. Some report being subject to unwelcome advances,

sexual harassment, and derogatory comments.

Others feel they are not taken seriously in their role because of their gender.

“ “ “

I remember when I first started, I wasn’t used to the sexual harassment or offhanded sexist comments...”

— MB, 18-23 YEARS OLD

and challenging work as the most sought-

With companies ranging in size, geographic

women in the industry said they appreciated

company culture, there is something for almost

after qualities in a job—the same qualities that most about their jobs in trucking.

“

My day-to-day is challenging and rewarding, and I’m excited to come to work every day.”

— NOVA SCOTIA, 30–36 YEARS OLD

The trucking industry is full of opportunities

for detail-oriented individuals who like solving problems and aren’t afraid to work hard.

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coverage, customer base, freight, and

everyone. Once they’re in, 89% of women say

they would recommend trucking and logistics to other women, and nearly all the industry women we spoke to said their job met or

exceeded the expectations they had going into the industry.

“

It’s never boring, and I’m always being challenged (in a good way).” — BC, 45–59 YEARS OLD

WOMEN WITH DRIVE — MAINTAINING OUR MOMENTUM

[I] still feel it sometimes.

There are times I try to call a manager in a facility they won’t pick up but when I ask my male colleague to call no issues for them getting hold of this person.” — ON, 37-44 YEARS OLD I feel that because I am a female I am treated differently from the males because they think that this job is not meant for females, but I am proving them wrong more and more because I have not given up or quit.” — BC, 37-44 YEARS OLD

Women also have concerns about work/life in addition to their jobs. Those working in office roles in trucking are more likely to

benefit from flexible policies and hybrid work

options than those working in the shop, at the

warehouse, or on the road. Given that women are disproportionately responsible for child

and elder care in our society, limited flexibility

around work time and location can be barriers.

This was true for some of the women in our

focus group, and similar sentiments emerged

in our survey of career-seeking women. When

asked what types of trucking industry jobs they would be most interested in, 60% of survey

respondents said administrative or clerical work and only 14% said long-haul driving.

Like the industry women in our focus group, career-seeking women identified work/life

balance as a top priority; in our survey, 94% of

them ranked work/life balance as important

or very important, and 67% indicated that the potential to work from home at least some of the time was a priority. These lifestyle factors likely contribute to career-seeking women’s preference for office work over driving.

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FIGURE 2: Consider working in trucking & logistics industry

·

I would consider it

60%

·

I would not consider it

·

Don’t know

27%

13%

29%

12%

Administrative and clerical work

59% Human resources

51%

37%

12%

Customer service representative

45%

43%

11%

Sales and marketing

42%

45%

13%

45%

14%

Finance and business analysis

41%

Information technology and cyber security

37%

50%

Warehouse management

35%

48%

Fleet management and coordination

22%

68%

Driving a truck over shorter distances

13% 17% 10%

14%

77%

9%

13%

77%

10%

Driving a truck over long distances Truck maintenance

“

As a woman myself, I would not feel safe in some alleyways and shipping docks from a personal safety perspective. This does describe my experiences, as over the years I have also done deliveries and have found myself in situations where I did not feel safe.”

family responsibilities, but said that necessary

in our focus group noted that rest stops and

to stay in the workforce while managing

accommodations were not always available

in the trucking industry. Companies that don’t make an effort to accommodate employees with children or other dependents risk losing team members and missing out on skilled candidates.

Safety is another important concern. Women delivery locations (alleyways, loading docks, etc.) are not designed with women in mind

and often present threats to personal safety.

Although participants had mostly positive experiences in the industry, they could

not ignore these risk factors, and felt that

employers could do more to make female employees—especially female drivers—

but the assumption that harassment is more

pronounced in trucking than in other industries is not supported by available evidence.

Even reasonable assumptions can turn out to be misleading or inaccurate, and for the

Employers, for their part, are aware of the

women’s participation.

survey identified safety as a significant issue

It is not just on the question of safety that

and logistics. Taking safety seriously can help

career-seeking women uncovered gaps in

have a positive impact on recruitment, since

industry. Just one in four career-seeking

likely to perceive trucking as dangerous. 53%

trucking and logistics, but this reluctance is

felt the trucking industry was unsafe, and 59%

industry. Only a third of respondents said they

harassed if they worked in trucking.

in the industry, and 69% said they just couldn’t

need: 69% of respondents in our employer

and reality is creating additional barriers to

for women considering careers in trucking

the industry’s image suffers. Our survey of

companies improve retention, and it could also

understanding about many aspects of the

women outside the industry are even more

women said they would consider a career in

of the career-seeking women we surveyed

due in part to a lack of knowledge about the

admitted that they would worry about being

were familiar with the types of jobs available

in an industry centered around heavy

Staying Safe

preventative measures in our workplaces,

trucking industry, the gap between perception

Heightened safety concerns are warranted Participants in our focus group voiced a desire

and we must continue to enhance

— BC, 45-59 YEARS OLD

Is the Industry’s Image Keeping People Out?

Source: Trucking HR Canada, Survey of Career-seeking Women, 2023

No incident of harassment is acceptable,

equipment and all-weather driving—and,

given the gender imbalance in trucking, the assumptions many career-seeking women

had about harassment are understandable.

However, prior THRC research has shown that

the rate of harassment in the trucking industry

is similar to the rate in other industries, and the government of Canada’s 2021 annual report

on workplace harassment and violence shows that the rate of occurrences in trucking is

see themselves driving a truck. When asked

to rank their impressions of various industries,

respondents placed trucking at the bottom of

the list, above resource extraction but below all other industries.

“

When doing advertising, show that there are women already doing the job.” — BC, 45-59 YEARS OLD

roughly proportionate to the size of the industry.

feel secure.

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WOMEN WITH DRIVE — MAINTAINING OUR MOMENTUM

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FIGURE 3: Impressions of Industries Among Career Seeking Women Very Good

Neither good nor bad

41%

· · Bad

Very bad

29%

21%

44%

24%

Healthcare

24%

39%

Public administration or working for gov

19%

40%

28%

Hospitality, food service, and tourism

17%

43%

27%

Construction trades

14%

39%

Air transport and airlines

14%

38%

Retail

12%

Manufacturing

9%

37%

Trucking transport and logistics

10%

33%

Resource extraction

11%

30%

9%

22%

32%

of career opportunities beyond driving trucks, 58% percent of respondents felt more

positively inclined toward the industry. In

other words, decoupling the industry from

stereotyped images of male truck drivers could

go a long way toward piquing women’s interest and getting more of them to pursue careers

in trucking. Some might even feel better about getting behind the wheel if they saw more women driving trucks. While two thirds of

respondents in our employer survey concluded that women just “aren’t interested” in the

trucking industry, the women in our focus group felt otherwise, and believed women-centric advertising could help to diversify teams.

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·

Disagree

·

Not Sure % Agree

29%

4%

90%

4% 4%

78%

70%

10%

3%

Few women want to drive trucks

10%

3%

26%

9%

3%

The culture of the trucking and logistics industry makes it difficult for women to have rewarding careers

11%

4%

31%

5%

Safety is a significant issue for women considering careers in trucking and logistics

2%

18%

4%

Women are not interested in working in the industry

7%

21%

10% 15% 16%

44%

14%

43%

8%

38%

16%

48%

38%

21%

19%

16%

18%

12%

69%

11%

4%

66%

8%

58%

14%

24%

Women face more harassment in the sector than they would in other industries

Source: Trucking HR Canada, Survey of Career-seeking Women, 2023

However, after being informed about a range

Somewhat Disagree

34%

41%

37%

·

4%

16%

38%

Somewhat Agree

I would recommend other women to work in the industry [Only asked of women]

35%

36%

60%

·

2%

12%

33%

2%

Agree

3%

Education

5%

·

2%

·

Good

3%

23%

·

3%

High tech

·

FIGURE 4: Attitudes About Gender and Trucking

“

Promote women more. They mostly show male roles and should highlight women.”

6%

18%

27%

35%

The equipment and vehicles used in the sector are not suited to women Source: Trucking HR Canada, Employer Survey on Women in Trucking, 2023

— MB, 45-59 YEARS OLD

Employers are Responding but More Can be Done

Fortunately, our research shows that

Many companies are making efforts to support

driving women away from jobs in the trucking

surveyed employers reported making

changes to their company hiring processes

of employers have implemented training

Employers are aware of the issues that are industry. A quarter of respondents to our

employer survey said that the industry is not welcoming to women, and 70% said that it is

difficult for women to have rewarding careers in trucking. 69% of respondents recognized safety as a significant issue for women

awareness is leading to action. 91% of

to encourage more women to apply. The most commonly implemented measure is to market jobs directly to women. In addition, 13% of

the women already working for them, too. 59% opportunities and workshops for employees, and 58% have some form of mentorship program in place.

respondents said their companies offer special incentives to attract female candidates.

considering careers in the industry.

WOMEN WITH DRIVE — MAINTAINING OUR MOMENTUM

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FIGURE 5: What Have You Done?

These are steps in the right direction, but

other barriers need to be addressed—some

of which could have an even greater impact on women’s participation in the industry.

· · · · · · ·

focus group, the lack of flexibility in traditional trucking roles is a barrier for many women,

More Incentives 13%

especially those with family responsibilities.

Being More Approachable 7%

Career-seeking women agree, placing work/life

Better Work-Life Balance 6%

balance near the top of their list of desirable

Partnered With Driving Schools 4%

job qualities. To attract more women into key

Sharing Employment Information 2%

roles, companies may need to explore new

Unsure 5%

approaches to scheduling that make it easier for employees to balance their personal and

professional lives. Women inside and outside

· · · · 6: Actions Taken to Support Women FIGURE · · ·

the industry are sending clear messages to

Source: Trucking HRtoCanada, Survey on Women in Trucking, 2023 Marketing Females Employer 69%

companies that are willing to listen.

“

More Incentives 13%

Better Work-Life Balance 6%

Partnered With Driving Schools 4%

Sharing Employment Information 2%

Workshops/training opportunities Unsureto 5% designed help employees be successful

There is also room for improvement when it comes to communication. Just under

half (49%) of career-seeking women said they had noticed job advertisements or

information about careers in the trucking

and logistics industry. Improving this number

could mean a boost in applicants. Our research shows that women aged 30-44 and women

with young children are most positively inclined toward the trucking industry, and that Indeed

and Google are the top search tools for female job-seekers—information employers can use

Be flexible with scheduling so that in the case of women with children, they can take care of that too.” — BC, 45-59 YEARS OLD

Being More Approachable 7%

“

— AB, 37-44 YEARS OLD

According to the industry women in our Marketing to Females 69%

[Provide] much more support, especially for women with young families to raise.”

when crafting their recruitment strategies.

FIGURE 7: Seeking information about jobs or careers on…

Mentorship opportunities

Indeed

Google searches

Friends and family

Social opportunities

Employer’s Website LinkedIn

Modifications to facilities

Social media Job boards

Modifications to equipment

Job fairs Anything else your company does

Glassdoor Association Website

None of these

Monster

0

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Source: Trucking HR Canada, Employer Survey on Women in Trucking, 2023

University Websites Forums Other

0

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Source: Trucking HR Canada, Survey of Career-seeking Women, 2023

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WOMEN WITH DRIVE — MAINTAINING OUR MOMENTUM

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•

•

Moving Forward and Maintaining Momentum

Address challenges faced by women in

Many employers are already taking steps to

comments to unequal treatment;

to show: the number of women is gradually

the industry ranging from unwelcome Implement workplace policies and

practices that support gender equity;

•

Prioritize safety;

•

Improve work/life balance for

•

Ensure equal access to training,

meet these needs, and the results are starting increasing across multiple occupations in the

sector. Yet with women representing only 16% of the industry’s total workforce, there is plenty of room to grow.

employees; and

development, and promotion opportunities.

As we continue to move the needle on women’s participation in the industry, employers can take advantage of many opportunities. Indeed, the question is not why women would choose a career in trucking and logistics—it’s what are employers willing to do to address the cultural and systemic barriers that are shaping women’s career choices?

The goal of this report is to identify the primary

Our research shows that safety, lifestyle, and

with our industry and shed light on areas

to as a “boys’ club” culture by some industry

barriers impacting women’s engagement of alignment and misalignment among

employers, industry women, and female jobseekers.

persistent sexism—euphemistically referred insiders—are the main issues employers

need to address if they want to recruit and retain more women. To demonstrate real

commitment to enhancing women’s status in the industry, employers must:

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WOMEN WITH DRIVE — MAINTAINING OUR MOMENTUM

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Trucking HR Canada is Here to Help Trucking HR Canada’s online HR Library offers a range of tools and resources to help employers enhance their recruitment and retention efforts, as well as support regulatory compliance. Several resources are specifically focused on women, like our Toolbox for Mentoring Women. This year, we are growing the HR Library with a gender gap analysis tool, Checking Your Blind Spots, and a new Best Practices Guide, Women at Work: How Can Employers Attract More Women into Trucking and Logistics?

Informed by the research described in this

Practices Guide for concrete recommendations

market information, these new additions to the

strategy. And if you have questions, feel free

report as well as our industry-leading labour HR Library will help you identify and address

gender equity issues in your workplace. After

assessing your current policies and practices with the gap analysis tool, consult the Best

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that will enhance your workplace equity

to contact us so that we can help you get the

most out of these resources. Together, we can make the trucking industry an even better place to work—for men and women.

WOMEN WITH DRIVE — MAINTAINING OUR MOMENTUM

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