Lori Steinmann
C.R. England
Women’s diversity and inclusiveness in the trucking industry is vital for success. Having women well-represented in all departments at all levels is a critical factor.
“Statistically, women represent 30 percent of our workforce – an impressive number in the male-dominated trucking industry,” says Lisa Callister, vice president of human resources at C.R. England. “Fifty percent of our sales team and nearly 60 percent of our ONE Initiative campaign board members are female. Our highest-performing employees are disproportionately female: 50 percent of our 2019 Employee of the Quarter award winners were female. We continue to see an increase in those numbers, which is extremely exciting.”
The importance of diversity
A diversified workforce makes a company more productive. Advocating for and inviting the brightest, most capable women to join your team is best done as a collaborative effort. Local colleges and universities, trade schools, industry associations, and in-house professional development programs can collectively serve to develop job offerings into rewarding career paths with excellent opportunities for women to grow.
Diversity in our employee base has improved our ability to attract, develop, and retain top talent. “We need each other for balance, which benefits our employees and customers, and ultimately improves the bottom line and health of our organization,” says Callister.
Women in leadership
There is no doubt that women will continue to take on more leadership positions and bring new and innovative views to the ever-changing transportation, logistics, and supply chain industry. The trucking industry will be more successful when women’s viewpoints, ideas, and leadership are represented in equal proportion to the customers and communities which they serve. Transportation is an excellent environment for women who are driven by tough business challenges, can effectively collaborate to solve problems, and place a high value on delivering quality service offerings to customers.
“This year as we celebrate our centennial, we are passionate about the success we will achieve for the next 100 years knowing that a greater inclusion of women’s perspectives, experiences, and leadership abilities are critical to delivering on that potential,” says Elizabeth Matlock, senior director of sales at C.R. England.