Unconscious biases are everywhere.

Social stereotypes about certain groups of people creep into our decision-making without us even knowing – from the people we spend our time with, to the careers we pursue or the neighbourhoods where we choose to live.  

In an industry that has been predominantly male for decades, it’s almost a guarantee that an unconscious bias exists in logistics and transportation. According to the training service Road to Logistics, whose programs encourage new talent in the transport and logistics industry, the number of applications received for different roles in transportation can be skewed towards men as high as 40:1 at times. 

Female is not just the future, it’s the present

It’s clear, that for many, transportation is perceived to be a man’s world.

Agatha Strati, from our marketing department, recalls her own preconceived notions before joining the team. “I had this crude idea about the world of logistics and transportation, always in the back of my mind, but coming here, I saw that it was not like that at all.” 

We have been subconsciously challenging this unconscious bias from the day Fuel was incorporated. Our female representation is at 43% across our Canadian, U.S., and Truck divisions, in an industry where women make up just 24%* of the workforce. Whether making business decisions or actually behind the wheel at Fuel, women are an important part of driving the supply chain forward.

“Billing, accounting, operations, rates and legal, in almost every single department, I feel like there are more women,” explained Amanda Butler, Accounting. Even more so, female representation at the management and executive levels speaks volumes. With just about half of our management roles held by women, Fuel just doesn’t strive to push its business forward, we are forward-thinking.

“Representation matters because you may not see an opportunity for yourself unless you see someone like you living that opportunity,” added Strati. “It’s inspiring to see that there are quite a few women in leadership roles despite what people assume about a logistics company.”

“You look at these women, and you say, yes, women can make it in the transportation industry,” added Sandra Ng, Legal Counsel.

Fuel is proud that its female representation is leading the way. Harnessing the energy and creativity of all our employees has always been and will continue to be a differentiator for us.

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• Statistics from US Labor Department and StatsCan