TruckEast celebrates International Womens Day 2024
Be inspired by an industry filled with opportunity
8th March, 2024
International Women’s Day gives women all over the world a chance to reflect and evaluate progress within the industry they work in. We want to shed light on some of the experiences within the transport industry.
The latest figures show that Women account for 26% of workers within the entire transport industry (Women in Transport). This may seem a small amount in the grand scheme, but in an industry long-perceived predominantly male-dominated that percentage is growing.
In an interview we did recently across TruckEast, none of the team aspired to be in the Transport Sector as a child, but have all found a career that’s right for them in our industry. Women are progressively establishing themselves in various roles within transportation, challenging stereotypes and redesigning the industry's landscape.
Below, we put the spotlight on Jessica Hiden, Marketing Manager and Amanda Blowers, Sales Administration Manager - two women at TruckEast who have collective experience of nearly 30 years in the transport industry. We go into detail about their experiences, the opportunities available, challenges and the future of the industry.
We asked why Jess and Amanda specifically choose TruckEast.
“It had a really great reputation locally” emphasises Jess. “When it came to how they treat their staff and their customer service. From a Marketeer’s perspective, that is music to your ears - it makes it so easy to really get behind the brand and promote a business that is delivering what they say they will do.” “I was actually recommended the company by Jess!” Exclaims Amanda, “The reputation of TruckEast shines. You can see through the long service of employees at TruckEast which speaks volumes; especially when they’ve worked there for 20 – 30 years.”
So, what is it that motivates them to stay in this industry, what opportunities are there?
“There are opportunities to progress into any role” Amanda states “this is a very open-minded business which would support a move across departments. There is also opportunity to progress in your current role and take on more responsibility. I’ve personally been trusted with a lot more in my role dramatically since I first started.”
Jess also endorses the opportunities which the industry offers - “TruckEast are big believers in developing their people and their teams. They will always look to promote from within where they can. They support your progression i.e. with training around new legislation updates, developing new skills that either myself or the team need - there’s always that investment there to ensure that we can push and achieve our potential.”
Evidently, the industry is supportive of incentivising its employees and offering new opportunities; but we were keen to understand what is it really like in their current roles and what is the best part?
“No day is ever the same, it keeps you on your toes. It’s fast paced in terms of activity but also developments, so there’s always something to get your teeth into. I get to be involved in so much as it’s such a broad role which is exciting!” explains Jess.
Amanda matches this statement - “I think for me, the best thing about my role in the industry is the approachability of the wider team and the people around me. I could go to anyone from any department and know they will help me, and I don’t think you can get that in many places. The open-door policy where anyone can talk to anyone. There’s over 400 people in this business but everyone is the same and that culture comes from above where we are actively encouraged to ‘walk the floor’ and I think that has just trickled down the business.”
The transport industry has a lot of opportunities to offer and brings a lot to the table in terms of the day-to-day role; but what are the key things you would like to see change in the industry?
“From my own experience, I just don’t think the industry gets the credit that it deserves.” Jess replies. “Ultimately, it’s the backbone of Britain and it’s what gets our goods from A to B. Everyone is so hard working and completely throws themselves into everything that they do. It’s really rewarding so why wouldn’t people want to be part of it!”
Amanda has a separate stance - “I think in all working environments, despite all the awareness, there are still a lot of stigmas attached to the concept of a “working mum”. The challenge is maintaining everything you have worked hard for and being able to operate on the same level in your role whilst your whole life has changed. Thankfully, TruckEast is a family business and its whole approach is, Family first! If you look after the employee, the employee will look after the business. That’s the blood life of it and it’s very refreshing. What I would like to see, is this change across all industries. I’d like to see more compassionate workplaces, and more being done to support working families in general.”
Given these experiences in the industry and the passion that shines through to highlight it as a top industry to work in, we concluded with what advice Jess and Amanda would give to anyone looking to join the industry:
“It’s a very fast-paced environment, full of people who value honesty and integrity. It can sometimes be high pressure, particularly in sales, but there are huge rewards and the variety and pace makes it such a fun industry to work in.” I agree, adds Jess “Go for it, don’t second guess it. It’s quite addictive. Once people start in this industry, it’s very rare that they leave. There are so many career paths in the transport sector and if you’re hard working, there is certainly an opportunity for you.”
