Offering a Nationwide Service

Women in Transport are Taking the Wheel

Picture this, you’re stationary on the motorway, and to your left is a 50ft, 44 tonne HGV. Who would you expect to be in the drivers seat? And more importantly what do you think they would they look like? A recent survey by the Freight Transport Association, found that out of 2,000 participants, 92% would imagine an older male. But as with most stereotypes, this perception is outdated and we are now seeing an influx of women in transport which means you are now more likely to spot a female driver behind the wheel.

According to statistics, only around 2,200 of the 315,000 registered truck drivers in the UK are female, around 1% of the national HGV driver population. Whilst this is still only a very small percentage, it does indicate that women are now, more than ever before looking at HGV driving as a viable career option. Attitudes are changing too, with female drivers being welcomed into what was once considered as a male only industry. While some businesses maybe slow to recognise this changing landscape, many have implemented policies which remove certain barriers to entry.

Not only is this a question of equality it’s an answer to the current national driver shortage and filling labour gaps which could be further affected by Brexit and important trading relationships with EU countries. Haulage associations estimate that the current shortfall stands at 45,000-60,000 drivers, with another 40,000 set to leave the industry by the end of 2017.

MPs on the Commons Transport Select Committee have urged companies to expand their female workforce and the RHA believes this will only be made possible if women are better represented within the industry. To this end, the RHA have launched a new campaign, ‘She’s RHA’, all about celebrating women in haulage. The campaign aims to provide a platform where women can reconnect and empower themselves consisting of networking events, mentoring programmes, and the publicising of women in the sector.

“As a female working within the logistics sector, I believe that the training and recruitment of women drivers could be vital to increasing

driver numbers and revitalise a statistically male and aging work force” commented Kara McCabe, General Manager of Silver Arrow Recruitment.

At Silver Arrow, and we treat our drivers equally, regardless of gender, and all drivers are put through the same rigorous recruitment and selection process.

About Silver Arrow

Silver Arrow is a specialist recruitment agency that focuses on the recruitment and placement of temporary and permanent drivers of all classes.

We offer temporary, temporary to permanent or permanent assignments, with a focus on compliance and quality, 24/7 customer service, and a simple streamlined administration and timesheet approval process for our customers.

We specialize in placing our drivers into a range of sectors including general haulage – articulated (LGV CE) and rigid (LGV C) transport, fuel and chemical distribution (Pet. Reg. and ADR), automotive distribution (car and low loader), self-unload (HIAB and truck mounted forklift), and IPAF.

 

As a group, we are proud to be ISO 9001 accredited and recent winners of the Motor Transport and the Automotive Supply Chain Global Awards. By being built on a strong foundation we are able to deliver a professional, compliant, and cost-effective service to our clients.