A Girls in Trucking (WIT) survey has concluded that girls account for practically 12.1% of North America’s skilled drivers, however preliminary 2021 Census information suggests Canadian-specific totals are literally far lower than that.

Girls now maintain 16.4% of Canadian jobs in trucking, logistics and warehousing – up from 15% in 2015 — however account for simply over 4% of Canada’s truck drivers, in response to the Census outcomes.

Whereas the rise within the total share of girls could seem comparatively small, Trucking HR Canada chief program officer Craig Faucette says the preliminary outcomes may underestimate present totals. The 2021 Census information was performed in the course of the pandemic when many ladies left the business to care for their households, he explains.

“That’s only a projection that we will’t actually substantiate, however we not less than know for positive that girls are growing their numbers inside the business.”

Feminine truck drivers accounted for 3.5% of truck drivers recorded within the 2015 Census. When asserting coaching funds for underrepresented staff final month, Ontario Premier Doug Ford mentioned simply 2% of his province’s truck drivers are feminine.

Whereas new information concerning the feminine share of mechanics and technicians will not be but accessible, they accounted for simply 2% of such roles within the 2015 Census.

The draw of workplace positions

Nonetheless, workplace positions appear to be extra engaging to girls within the business. In response to Trucking HR Canada, girls comprise 83.7% of common administration jobs and 80.3% of accounting and bookkeeping positions within the business.

Comparable developments had been recorded by means of Girls in Trucking’s 2023 gender variety index research, which collected solutions from 350 respondents within the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Girls occupied greater than 74% of all HR and expertise administration jobs and practically half of all security and dispatcher roles, the survey discovered. And whereas greater than 30% of management and C-Suite roles had been occupied by girls, solely 12.1% of truck drivers and seven.5% of technicians had been feminine.

Shares in most job classes had been down barely from 2022, apart from security and technician positions. The variety of feminine security professionals elevated 1.1% to 41.6% this 12 months, whereas the variety of feminine technicians greater than doubled.

The variety of firms taking part within the survey has virtually doubled as nicely, rising from 180 to 350 respondents in 2023.