Why Logistics and Supply Chain need more women

Perception is changing but nationally women are still hugely under-represented within the logistics and supply chain sectors, a situation that some businesses and organisations are working hard to change.

Women only represent around 7% of the logistics sector workforce which employs over 2 million people, and generated £139 billion in 2019, and although female HGV driver numbers are increasing, they still only account for 0.7% of the UK’s qualified HGV drivers.

But what are businesses missing out on?  Having a mix of both men and women brings many benefits including alternative thinking, increased productivity, reliability, and retention – things most businesses would be aiming to attain.

So what is needed to cut through the barriers women face?

Some ideas include operating flexible shift patterns, workplace childcare facilities, and offering the same pay rates irrespective of gender for both part-time and full-time workers.  If these initiatives are embraced by the industry, it will attract more female talent, and if career development is supported for everyone, then we all benefit.

One such body trying to address this issue is Women in Cold Chain (WiCC), who held their awards in September 2023.  They aim to encourage female school leavers, university graduates, and women from other industry sectors to consider a career in the temperature-controlled storage and distribution industry, which traditionally is male dominated.

One attendee at the awards event said: “The speakers imparted their experience that anything’s possible, and so many women talked about their own experiences of working within a male dominated environment that I too had experienced such as service engineers talking to the ‘man’ behind you as if you wouldn’t know what they were talking about, drivers talking over or past you, your opinion or point of view not being heard in meetings, and people generally presuming because you are female you can’t manage transport!

“I do believe that there are a lot of men that just don’t realise the challenges women face, and they need to hear about it firsthand to understand, and for them then to support women in their chosen profession, no matter what that might be.”

So let’s not overlook this huge talent pool when recruiting into our industry, and take advantage of the gains of having a diverse, skilled and happy workforce.

If you’re thinking of a change of career, or just starting out, then see how we can help you, with our range of Forklift Courses

We have supported many women through their forklift training in the past and would love to help you.  If you need some flexibility around start and finish times to work around existing commitments, we can help.  And if you’re not sure if forklift driving is for you, then come along to one of our free taster sessions and have a go before you decide to book a course.

Together, we can support you on the next step in your journey towards satisfying employment.