1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152 
Haulage industry needs a shake-up if it is to accommodate changing attitudes
Page 15
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
BUSINESSES ARE MOST likely to succeed when their staff are motivated, and organisations that are serious about operating best practice in diversity, on average. tend to deliver better overall financial performance.
Respecting diversity helps firms to show regard for their staff, irrespective of their backgrounds, culture, gender, age or race. This is one of the many reasons why the haulage and logistics industry is committed to promoting diversity and equality within its two millionstrong workforce.
Being committed to equal opportunities makes it easier for the industry to comply with very complex legal obligations, not least because diversity will already be embedded within their company cultures. To do this, the haulage and logistics industry must create the right kind of environment.
There is no doubt that it is a multifaceted industry that attracts people from all backgrounds, and they must have the setting to work together harmoniously, and be free of prejudice, stereotyping, harassment. and undignified and disrespectful behaviour.
By working hard to dispel the widespread image of "white van man" we can move forward to bring diversity and equality to the industry. But we need to address this now because it has been predicted that by next year, only 20% of the labour market will be white, non-disabled men under 45.
Minorities
Embracing diversity will become more important for employers if they are to realise the potential of all drivers in their respective fleets.
The under-representation of women, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities is still due in part to the fallacy that work in the logistics sector is physically demanding and involves long hours. This is coupled with a lack of public respect for those who work in the industry and little flexibility within it to offer part-time work or job-sharing opportunities.
To combat such misconceptions, initiatives must be introduced to attract more of these minorities.
According to a Skills for Logistics survey, women in the road freight industry are particularly under-represented. making up only 12% of the total workforce compared to 21% in storage and warehousing.
lb counteract this, Skills for Logistics has been involved in a progressive scheme with the Women In Wheels programme in Scotland, and, as a result,15 women in Scotland were trained as HGV drivers during its pilot year. One of the participants said that it was something she had always wanted to do hut never had the chance.
I recently spoke to a female driver who freely admitted that she preferred to work nights because she was a single mother and wanted to spend time with her child during the day before and after school.
She said that driving gave her the flexibility and income to be able to do this. Another driver I spoke with said he would happily undertake any assignment, with the proviso that it did not bring him into contact with alcohol because it was against his religious beliefs. Requests such as this are easily managed in the industry.
In the 2008 REC awards for the UK's top temporary workers, one finalist was a young female agency driver who was highly commended in the Diversity Plus category for the person who most challenged the stereotype for a particular job.
She had decided to become an agency driver to gain goods vehicle experience and excelled in this, especially in some of the more difficult jobs, often proving herself to he better than her male counterparts in a number ways.
Changing attitudes
The haulage industry needs a shake-up if it is to accommodate changing attitudes towards our diversifying workforce. Drivers are highly skilled professionals who fulfil a very varied role and are regularly called upon to use their initiative and best judgement.
Yes, some driving jobs do entail having to work up to 13-hour days but the actual roles themselves are incredibly flexible, enabling drivers to fit their working hours around their personal commitments and lifestyle choices. •