by wtfcanada2015@gmail.com | Jan 27, 2017 | BLOG
There have always been women in trucking.
There are women who provide back office support, women dispatchers, brokerage agents, and women who own their own trucking companies. Elaine Chao was recently appointed Secretary of Transportation and throughout the industry, it seems as though women are making their presence in trucking more visible. The number of female truck drivers has grown 50% in the last decade, according to the American Trucking Associations (ATA). However, a study by the Bureau of Labor states women make up only 5.1% of truck drivers. But that number is expected to increase and here are some reasons why.
Recruiting Women Truckers
With the truck driver shortage many companies are starting to make equipment adjustments to accommodate and recruit women truckers. These modifications to the truck makes driving physically easier for the trucker and safer on the road.
Women truck drivers statistically hold a better safety record than their male counterparts. According to President and COO of Werner Enterprises, Derek Leathers, they are more patient on the road and tend to get into smaller and less damaging accidents resulting in a 25% lower accident cost. Ellen Voie, the founder, President & CEO of the Women in Trucking Association, has found that women truckers are an asset not only on the road, but they are better with the customers and more organized with paperwork making the back office run smooth as well.
Why Trucking?
Why would a woman want to drive a truck? Probably for the exact same reasons that men are interested in the industry! Being in control of their own environment while on the road.
One of our clients, Cynthia, started out driving trucks in 1996 and now owns her own company. She says that her independence is her favorite part of the job. Women are offered just as much earning potential in truck driving as men because the jobs are based on how hard you want to work and less about office politics in other traditionally female dominant industries.
Being on the road and away from family and friends is hard no matter who you are. But cleaning up truck stop rest areas, allowing pets on the road, and other improvements have made it more inviting for women to take to the open road.
All in all the trucking industry is already a diverse work environment with all types of people and is becoming more inclusive to keep them happy and help meet the demand that is out there. Even the Women in Trucking Association has created the WIT index so that women truck drivers can be more accurately counted as the numbers increase. So be on the lookout for more woman truckers!
Are you thinking about being like Cynthia and starting your own trucking company? Let us help you! Give us a call at 855-369-2739. To learn more about what to expect in your first year of trucking, download ourfree white paper and subscribe to our channel on YouTube.
Posted with permission of
Sarah Schimpff
Public Relations Coordinator
Apex Capital Corp.
Link to original article :
The Future of Women in Trucking
by wtfcanada2015@gmail.com | Dec 31, 2016 | BLOG
What a busy and exciting year it was for the Women’s Trucking Federation Of Canada. We have had a lot of growth within our organization, as well as many changes to help us promote and encourage Women in to the Trucking Industry. None of this would be possible without the support of our Members and Sponsors. Who graciously volunteer their time and assistance. We’d also like to thank the various organizations and individuals (too numerous to list)have helped us along the way. You gals and guys are awesome! We look forward to working with you in 2017.
Interested in becoming a member ??? Check out the Join Us section on our website at www.wtfc.ca
We had our new logo designed which we just love and hope you do too!
We also had our new slogan created for our organization.
We attended various events and seminars through out the year across Canada and the USA. It was a wonderful networking experience for us.
We had a lot of fun at the Trucking For A Cure Convoy in Woodstock raising money for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. We look forward to seeing you all again this year. Sponsors, donations and volunteers are always welcome.
Joanne MacKenzie’s Pinky Truck
Some of our Members trucks who participated in the Trucking For A Cure Convoy in Woodstock ON
We also had the pleasure of helping with the TruckersChristmasGroup.Org . This wonderful organization helps trucking families in need during Christmas. Sponsors, donations and volunteers are always welcome.
A big thank you to our Corporate Sponsors. If your looking for a career in the Trucking Industry please contact them. You’ll find direct links to their websites under our sponsors section or check out our recruiting section. If your interested in becoming a sponsor please check out the Become a Sponsor section. www.wtfc.ca
Thinking of starting a new career as a Professional driver ? Wondering which school to attend ? Check out the Truck Training Schools Association of Ontario (TTSAO) you’ll find a direct link from our website at www.wtfc.ca
Stay tuned for some exciting announcements in the New Year !!
Wishing you all a good health, joy, safe travels and prosperity in 2017
by wtfcanada2015@gmail.com | Dec 15, 2016 | BLOG
You don’t need a ton of cash to create a rewarding work experience and have satisfied people. Years ago people worked for their paycheques and that was good enough for them. Times have changed and that’s a good thing! Today, if you hire the right people
they want to be engaged with the work they do. They want to contribute, they want to be heard and their work needs to be meaningful.
A recent survey found that that just 3% of employees said pay was the main motivator at work. Purpose and meaning represented 73% of what meant most at work. If you’re a small business stop saying you cannot compete with the “big dogs” when it comes
to hiring talent. Stop saying you cannot pay people enough to recruit the best people. Yes, money and remuneration for what people do within your organization are important but it’s not the end all to be all. Here are a few tips to help make your small business
tick.
1) Does Seniority Really Matter?
People know on your team who’s who in the zoo. They talk. When you recruit new teammates, make sure they understand everyone is equal. Seniority can be poison in a small business. Make sure the people you work with know and feel that their opinions matter,
they have something to offer regardless of what they do for your organization. Get rid of the stigma in your building about starting at the bottom and working your way up.
2) The Little Things Matter.
It does not matter your size, every small business has something to offer. Free coffee, treats, choice of music in the office. A little slack when it comes to the time clock. A little flexibility when it comes to their time. Let them access their favorite
social media. If they are doing what they’re hired for and getting results don’t get bent out of shape when they’re texting or when you walk by their workstation and their screen changes because they’re doing something on their computer other then work or
their heads are down and they’re texting their friend on their phone. It’s all about moderation.
3) Ask Questions, Lots of Questions.
How is your job going? Do you like what you’re doing? These questions are good ice breakers when you’re talking with your people who make your company tick but you need to dig deeper. Why is their job going well? What do they like the most about what
they do? What do they like the least? Find out what makes your people tick. Be engaged – be genuine about this.
4) Take the Time
You’re a small business owner, so you have many things on the go every day. Sales meetings, planning sessions, customer relations, marketing and the list goes on and it’s all very important. The most important thing you can do regularly is to take the
time to check in with your people. Listen, ask questions, don’t be judgmental. Just because you started the company and know your sector of the business and industry does not make you the smartest person in the room. In fact, sometimes the best thing you can
do is be the dumbest person in the room and listen, ask questions, get other people’s take on things. Believe me, it will pay off.
I certainly don’t have all the answers but in my almost 30 years of running small businesses, I have learned so much. Much of what I have learned is from the mistakes I have made and tried not to make them again. Much of what I have learned is by listening
to successful people.
Finally, much of what I have learned is because I am surrounded with great people. Good people will come into your business and make a difference. If your Core Value is People like our business – and you mean it, money will matter but not as much as how
they feel, how you make them feel, how they are treated. Thank you are two of the greatest words ever heard.
About the Author
Kim Richardson has been in the transportation industry for 33 years. Currently he is the President of KRTS Transportation Specialists Inc. a multiple award winning family owned and operated business. Under the KRTS group of Businesses is Transrep Inc. and The Rear View Mirror. Kim is currently the Chairman of the Board of the Truck Training Association of Ontario (TTSAO), Board of Director of the Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI). He is the past Chairman of the Board and current board member of Allied Trade Division of the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) and past founding director of the Owner Operators Association of Canada (OBAC). Kim is a proud husband, dad, grandpa and loves his community, Caledonia, Ontario.
by wtfcanada2015@gmail.com | Dec 11, 2016 | BLOG
There is always lots of discussion about what a company brand looks like or what it should look like. How is a company brand created and most importantly, what do customers feel or say about your company brand.
Your company brand is based on your company’s culture, your core values and mission statement. In my early years of business this really meant nothing to me. Company brand? Culture? Core Values? Mission Statement? I was very naïve as to what any of this meant or just how important a company brand really is.
The word “brand” is one of those words that is used often but is unevenly understood. A good example of the importance of branding would be cattle ranchers. Years ago they “branded” their cattle so ownership could be easily determined. It separated one cattle rancher from the other. Some cattle were better than others.
Fast forward to today and nothing has changed even in our industry. There are certain brands in our sector that are simply best in class. Best carriers, Best service providers… you get where I’m going? In many cases the best generally do business with the best. Great carriers deal with great service providers because the service providers help make the carriers better. In most cases when you deal with the best it is reflective in the price. Great service providers and carriers tend to charge more. Why? Because they can! They are confident that they will do a better job and supply better service than the competitor and their customers know that.
Put simply, your brand is what your customers and prospective customers think of when he or she hears your company name. Your brand exists in someone’s mind.
Consistent strategic branding is about brand equity. Brand equity means the added value brought by your company’s product or service that allows you to charge more for an identical product/service offered by another company. One of the most obvious examples of brand equity is Coke and Pepsi. They are still able to charge more for their soda than the generic brands even though the products are identical in nature.
At KRTS our brand has been built on the quality of our people. Our core value is people and our business circle revolves around our people. It looks something like this, as owners, we look after our people by paying them well, offer them a healthy work environment and supply them with the best available tools to do their job. We communicate regularly in reference to our goals and objectives, treat them with dignity and respect and, with the exception of ongoing education and periodic guidance, we get out of their way so they can do what their best at in their respective positions.
The associates in turn understand our culture and expectations. They appreciate how they are treated and want to be a part of something successful which results in them going above and beyond for KRTS ever day! By doing this their efforts affect the level of service we are able to provide and our customers receive best in class service.
When your customers feel and experience this quality of service they are successful and doing well. When they accomplish these two things they talk about our business in a positive way which, in turn, effects our bottom line in a very positive way. It also affects our brand and separates us from the “generic” version which generally means cheaper but the results are never the same.
Our brand has been built on quality, service, reputation and most importantly our core value being people. A great recipe for a great brand!
About the Author
Kim Richardson has been in the transportation industry for 33 years. Currently he is the President of KRTS Transportation Specialists Inc. a multiple award winning family owned and operated business. Under the KRTS group of Businesses is Transrep Inc. and The Rear View Mirror. Kim is currently the Chairman of the Board of the Truck Training Association of Ontario (TTSAO), Board of Director of the Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI). He is the past Chairman of the Board and current board member of Allied Trade Division of the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) and past founding director of the Owner Operators Association of Canada (OBAC). Kim is a proud husband, dad, grandpa and loves his community, Caledonia, Ontario.
by wtfcanada2015@gmail.com | Nov 24, 2016 | BLOG
TRUCKERS HELPING TRUCKING FAMILIES IN NEED AT CHRISTMAS
We are excited to announce that we are now a 501(c)(3) registered charity and gearing up for our 2016 fundraising drive.
As many of you know we have run this group under various organizations every year. In 2014 we were informed by our latest partner that we would need to go out on our own. By August 10th 2014 we had a corporation formed and bylaws in place. Now after months of government forms etc. we are now a fully registered 501(c)(3) charity.
What this means is that we can now collect money legally and properly, and in our own name. We can issue tax receipts to donors and our corporate sponsors. It also means that the money donated will now be non-taxable, none of us want your hard earned money going to taxes instead of the families. We wanted to set this up properly and by doing so we are now fully in control and will not have to rely on others anymore.
The core group of founders, Maggie, Eldon, Greg, as well as Mark, Mary and Kerry, and many long term volunteers are all involved in this venture and want this to be the best year yet. Everybody involved in this group is a volunteer and receives no renumeration for there work with the TruckersChristmasGroup. All monies raised go towards the families and minimal operating expenditures.
The Truckers Christmas group began in 2008 by Truckers who wanted to help Truckers and their families that have fallen on bad times, have a better Christmas.
Thanks to your help the Christmas Group has raised $66,000 and helped 112 trucking families in need over the last 7 years and we would love to help even more this year.
You can help us help others by checking out our Truckers Christmas Group Christmas Store where you can shop for all sorts of deals on amazing products that have been donated by our sponsors. All proceeds raised in the store go to the Christmas fund. 50/50 tickets
On November 24th 2016 we will strart accepting nominations for trucking families in need until a couple of weeks before Christmas. Applicants must be truck drivers to qualify for assistance. We will be dispersing funds to qualifying families in time for Christmas. Check back here soon for more information and be sure to visit and like our Facebook page at https://m.facebook.com/truckerschristmasgroup.org
Open to Canadian and American Drivers.
Please help the Women’s Trucking Federation Of Canada support this worthy cause.
