This fireside chat recap is from FreightWaves’ Enterprise Fleet Summit on Wednesday.
FIRESIDE CHAT TOPIC: How fleets can attract and retain more women in a male-dominated industry
DETAILS: In this interview, Jennifer Hedrick, president and CEO of the Women in Trucking Association, covers the current state of women in the trucking industry, challenges they face and strategies to attract more women. Hedrick describes successful initiatives, the importance of mentorship, effective marketing strategies and the need for inclusive workplace policies. She highlights training and career development opportunities and shares her vision for the future, emphasizing key actions for industry leaders.
KEY QUOTES FROM HEDRICK:
“A number of the companies that are part of the Women in Trucking Association pay very close attention to retention and how to provide programs for their employees that keep them there. … Many of them have what are known as employee resource groups. … They have them within their companies to make sure that people are coming together within their companies and are able to share their experiences.”
“We’ve got our own mentor program within Women in Trucking. … It matches you up with individuals who are interested in either being a mentor or a mentee, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be by your profession. You can connect with other women who might be in a position that you aspire to be in or might be with a company that you aspire to be with.”
“We have some long-term goals through 2032 to serve our 25th year of existence as an organization. [We are] excited to have some opportunities to grow, bring more people in the industry and bring more people into Women in Trucking as well. We’ve got a new hire coming on board in the next few weeks, so you’ll be hearing from us on that, which we will be excited to announce.”
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