Whilst the end of last year did hail some early signals that the shortage of lorry drivers is improving, with the number of drivers leaving easing and the testing system finally beginning to catch up, the industry still needs to attract new recruits. However, there is an oft-discussed yet still untapped resource that could benefit the industry immeasurably. Despite the fact that 47% of the UK workforce is made up of women, they make up only 20% of the transport sector*.  Since some of the most notable members in the industry are female, including our own Managing Director, we thought we’d celebrate women in the haulage industry and consider the benefits of diversifying the workforce.

Nikki Redhead, Managing Director of Keep it Cool, began her career after successfully applying for Gist’s graduate management programme. When her first few placements took her to the M&S Foods division, she learned on her feet about the temperature-controlled sector. The experience stood her in good stead when the opportunity arose to purchase a small business, and Nikki has since lead Keep it Cool from strength to strength and through continued expansion.

Nikki admits: “I had been advised strongly against entering the transport sector by my father, founder of Bradford-based freight-forwarding company Redhead International. So as children tend to do, I totally ignored his advice and entered what I would argue is one of the hardest sectors within the industry!”

Keep it Cool specialises in same day temperature-controlled deliveries of all food products, with a modern fleet encompassing vehicles from small vans to large trucks, handling anything from a single box to 16 pallets. The business is built on dealing effectively with urgent and last minute requests, specialising in food.

Let’s look at some of the other notable women who’ve succeeded in the haulage industry.

Hilary Devey CBE gained her experience in the distribution sector, working at Littlewoods, Tibbett and Britten, and Scorpio (part of the United Carrier network). After that Hilary spent seven years in the retail distribution sector at TNT before leaving to embark on own business startup. Seeing a gap in the market where it it was difficult to transport small consignments of palletised freight quickly and cost-effectively, Hilary founded Pall-Ex and developed the unique business model which went on to transform distribution in the UK and Europe.

Starting her business was no mean feat however, with bankers reluctant to offer the necessary finance, forcing Hilary to sell her house to fund its start up. In the first year of trading, she even sacrificed her Christmas dinner in order to prioritise her employees’ wages. Hilary’s entrepreneurial spirit kept her going through numerous failed attempts, until she finally managed to source her first premises and eventually, Pall-Ex was born in 1996. Clearly, a good year for women in the industry. On its opening day, Pall-Ex handled 117 pallets through its new distribution network, while the company now distributes 10,000 pallets nightly. 

Having started from nothing, Hilary has grown the company into an international network with a combined turnover of over £100m, with Pall-Ex making daily deliveries to every UK postcode as well 38 European countries. Hilary is Vice President of The Carers Trust, and Patron for The Stroke Association and Fresh Start – New Beginnings. Having made her first television appearance on The Secret Millionaire in 2008, Hilary went on to take a spot as a Dragon on BBC 2’s Dragon’s Den from 2011 to 2013, before heading up her own show, The Intern on Channel 4, amongst other television and radio appearances.

Nikki King CBE returned to full time work at the age of 40, after working part time as a secretary while raising her family. Despite having left school with only three ‘O’ levels, her career blossomed, and she became the first female Managing Director of a commercial vehicle manufacturer in the UK. Nikki said: “My ex-husband left me when I was 40, when I was a secretary, and I had to go to work. It was never my ambition to be where I am today. Initially, I was driven by the need to work and then I started to enjoy it.”

Within just seven years of starting at a Ford dealership, Nikki had worked her way up to Managing Director, before going on to become National Fleet Sales Director at Lex Plc. In 1996, Lex appointed Nikki to set up the UK distributorship for Isuzu Motors of Japan, one of the largest global truck manufacturers, when it decided to enter the UK market. Under her leadership, the company achieved a £35million turnover, and on to a successful management buyout in 2004, providing her staff with a secure future, as well as growth and opportunity for the business.

Nikki actively supports working mums, and pioneered flexible working, especially for female staff who represented 50% of her management team. Passionate about mentoring young people, Nikki is Chairman of the Greenacre Academies Trust, and individually mentors young people at Longfield Academy. Nikki is one of the few business leaders to be a panellist on BBC 1’s Question Time, and has made numerous appearances on Radio 4’s Any Questions, The Bottom Line and Woman’s Hour.

There’s no doubt that it’s daunting for women to enter such a male-dominated sector, but those who have taken on the challenge have proven they can bring an awful lot to the industry. Jenny Tipping, HGV driver and CPC trainer for Manpower Logistics said at She’s RHA awards: “Driving skills, time management, communication skills and respect for your freight and vehicle are the key skills needed for this industry, these qualities are not gender specific.” Research has even shown that women are statistically better drivers, committing fewer motoring offences, and costing insurers less in claims, as well as being far less likely to be involved in an accident. 

Nikki Redhead, Managing Director at Keep it Cool comments: “I was pleased to see that parliamentarians from across the political spectrum last year agreed to tackle the under-representation of women in the haulage sector’s workforce, at the Annual General Meeting for the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Women in Transport on 17th June.” Nikki continued: “When a role opens at any level, whether it be HGV driver or CEO, expertise and capability should be what earns someone that role, regardless of their gender.”

Which women in the transport and haulage industry would you celebrate? Give us your views and comments!

* Source: Women in Transport (https://www.womenintransport.com/)