Today (March 8) marks International Women’s Day, and one leading logistics provider is calling for more career opportunities for women in the sector.
Kevin Buchanan, CEO of Pall-Ex Group, is calling on the logistics industry to ‘do better’ in supporting women and their professional development in a heavily male-dominated sector. Women make up just 15% of the logistics workforce, 20% of transportation sector staff and only 3% of HGV drivers (according to the Logistics Skills Review 2023 study by Logistics UK), highlighting a need for greater diversity across the industry.
According to Buchanan, the logistics industry needs to not only hire more women, but also create a more inclusive working environment and offer employee benefits that can help women succeed.
Flexibility for female staff
He explained, “At Pall-Ex Group, we recognize that having a diverse workforce is at the heart of our success. Our employees benefit from flexible working hours, with 10% of our female staff working part-time hours, allowing them to balance a career with family responsibilities. We also have a thorough induction program to support employees returning from parental leave, as well as a fair and inclusive pay scheme.”
With a workforce of 16% women, which reflects the industry average, Buchanan acknowledges that Pall-Ex Group can also do more to encourage women to consider a career in logistics, which has inspired the launch of new development programs.
He continued, “We want our workforce to be even more diverse and inclusive. With that in mind, we’re launching our LEAP Future development programs that allow the local community to train in logistics roles. This will enable us to grow our own talent from the community across LGV, FLT, transport office, sales and leadership roles, while providing valuable job opportunities to local people, including those from typically under-represented groups.”
Attracting women earlier
Improving inclusivity starts at a young age, when female students might not consider a career in logistics because of stereotypes about the sector. Samantha Moiroux-White, corporate customer service manager at Pall-Ex Group, said, “Before joining the industry, I had a preconceived idea about it. I imagined an industry that was drawn to the past, dingy and cold transport offices, and for most of the decisions to be made by men who have worked in logistics for over 20 years.”
For Moiroux-White, sharing positive experiences is key to attracting more women to the sector. “It’s important for women within the industry to share their real experiences, challenge preconceptions, and spread the word about the benefits and opportunities available,” she added.
Lauren Pullin, head of commercial analytics for Pall-Ex Group, echoed this sentiment: “It’s important for women to know that there are opportunities in logistics. Young women in particular need to know it’s a viable career. I certainly didn’t think I would be in logistics at 16 but through career fairs and collaboration with schools, colleges and universities, maybe we can open the door for everybody.”
According to Pall-Ex, putting policies in place that benefit women, opening up more opportunities, and fostering a welcoming work culture could encourage more women to apply for roles in logistics – which will only benefit the industry and lay the foundation for a successful future. In a sector that employs over two million people in the UK (according to the Prologis Labour Report 2023) –approximately 7% of the national workforce – closing the gender gap is long overdue.