Increasing diversity and inclusion in the workplace has been linked to higher productivity, and the commercial freight transportation industry is taking notice. According to the 2023 Women in Trucking Association’s (WIT) Index, more companies are formalizing their diversity and inclusion (DI) policies.
The WIT Index, developed by WIT, serves as a benchmark for measuring the percentage of women in critical roles within the transportation industry. In this year’s index, WIT has included a new metric – whether participating companies have a formal DI policy.
The results are promising, with 56.4% of companies confirming that they have a formal policy in place, a significant increase from last year. Additionally, 19.3% of companies are currently developing a DI policy, showing a commitment to improving diversity and inclusion.
Another positive trend highlighted by the 2023 WIT Index is the increasing representation of women in leadership positions within transportation companies. Currently, 31.6% of C-suite executives, 36.9% of company leaders, and 28.4% of board directors are women.
“In recent years, many companies in transportation have made their DI policies publicly available not only to provide transparency to potential job seekers on the importance of gender diversity to their corporate culture but also for customers and business partners,” said Jennifer Hedrick, president, and CEO of WIT. “As a result, diverse and inclusive workplaces earn deeper trust and more commitment from their employees and key stakeholders.”
The WIT Index is a comprehensive report on the transportation industry. Based on data voluntarily provided by companies in various sectors, including trucking, shipping, and technology, the WIT Index offers valuable insights into industry trends and performance. The latest edition, the 2023 WIT Index, is the result of confidential data collected from over 350 companies operating in the trucking industry.
Source: The Trucker
