Trucking HR Canada has unveiled a new report making the sound business case for increased diversity in the nation’s trucking industry.

Changing Workforce draws on a combination of labour data and best practices already introduced in many workplaces. Profiled fleet programs include those at Bison Transport, Canada Cartage, Kriska Transportation, Northern Resource Trucking, Trimac Transportation, and Westcan Bulk Transport.

“The trucking industry needs to ensure it attracts, recruits, and retains the skilled workforce needed to support effective and efficient operations. Recruitment and retention strategies that adapt to the ever-changing and increasingly diverse pool of available talent are needed,” says Angela Splinter, CEO of Trucking HR Canada. “Our business case, and related case studies highlights best practices in this area, and show how businesses that embrace diversity profit in many ways.”

Despite many gains, there are still opportunities for industry employers to more widely engage workers with diverse backgrounds— including visible minorities, Aboriginal peoples, and people with disabilities. And while women represent 48 percent of Canada’s workforce, they account for barely 3% of the nation’s truck drivers.

“There are opportunities to reach out to these underutilized sources of talent,” Changing Workforce concludes. The benefits for fleets are not limited to meeting labour needs. Increased diversity is shown to reduce turnover, improve productivity, lower wage and training costs, enhance health and wellness, and more.

Additional resources currently being piloted with trucking employers include mentorship materials for women, ways to assess the physical demands associated with specific trucking occupations, and a guide to connect employers with organizations serving people with disabilities.

For more information, download a free copy of Changing Workforce from www.TruckingHR.com.