Driving Diversity

Andrew Horner, chair of the drivers sector group at the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) discusses diversity in the industry

Businesses are most likely to succeed when their staff are motivated and organisations that are serious about operating best practice in diversity tend to deliver better overall financial performance.  Respecting diversity helps organisations to show regard for their employees, irrespective of their backgrounds, culture, gender, age or race.  This is one of the many reasons that the freight and logistics industry is committed to vigorously promoting diversity and equality within its two million strong workforce.

Being committed to equal opportunities makes it easier for the industry to comply with increasingly complex legal obligations, not least because diversity will already be embedded in their company cultures.  To do this, the freight industry must create the right kind of environment.  It is a multifaceted industry that attracts people from all backgrounds and they must have the setting to work together harmoniously combating prejudice, stereotyping, harassment, undignified and disrespectful behaviour.

By working hard to dispel the widespread image of the ‘white van man’ for example, we can move forward to bring diversity and equality into our industry.  But we need to address this now as it has been predicted that by next year, only 20% of the labour market will be white, non-disabled men under 45.  Embracing diversity will become increasingly important for employers if they are to realise the potential of all drivers within their respective fleets.

The widespread under-representation of women, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities is still due in part to the fallacy that work in the freight sector is physically demanding and involves long hours.  This is coupled with a lack of public respect for those who work within 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 specifically attract more of these minorities.

According to a Skills for Logistics (SfL) 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.  To counteract this, Skills for Logistics has been involved in a progressive scheme with the Women In Wheels programme in Scotland and as a result of this, 15 women in Scotland were trained as large goods vehicle (LGV) drivers during its pilot year.  One of the participants commented that it was something she had always wanted to do but never had the opportunity.

I recently spoke to a female driver who freely admitted that she preferred to work nights as 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 that he would happily undertake any assignment, with the proviso that it did not bring him into contact with alcohol as it was against his religious belief.  Requests such as this are easily managed in the industry.

In the 2008 REC’s 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 become an agency driver to gain goods vehicle experience and excelled in this, especially in some of the more difficult jobs, proving herself to be better than her male counterparts in several ways.

The freight industry needs a shake-up if it is to accommodate changing attitudes towards our diversifying workforce.  Those working in freight transport are highly skilled professionals, who occupy a very varied role where they are regularly called upon to use their initiative and best judgement.  Yes, some jobs do involve working up to 13 hour days, but the job role itself is incredibly flexible, enabling those working in the freight industry to fit their working hours around their personal commitments and lifestyle choices.

For further information, visit: http://www.rec.uk.com/

Published: 15/01/2010