6 Steps to Building a Culture of Diversity and Inclusion for Truck Drivers

Our last topic touched on how carriers need to look beyond the basic benefits and start creating a driver-centric culture to attract and retain quality truck drivers. A huge component of that is building a culture of diversity and inclusion — a non-negotiable for the younger generation. The trucking industry ranks well below other industries when it comes to workplace diversity. According to the American Trucking Association, just 6.7% of long-haul drivers in 2019 were women. And that number has barely budged since then. The industry also skews older and white, with most drivers being older white males who are retiring out. This means there’s a very real opportunity to reach new sources of talent. Let’s dive into how you can take steps to start building that culture today. 

1. Define diversity goals.

Building a diversity and inclusion plan or framework can seem overwhelming at first, but you can start by taking inventory of your current workforce. If your company does not have much diversity, that’s okay. What’s important is that you have a plan, and you’re transparent about the actions you’re going to take to reach those goals. Your plan should align with your business objectives and support your company’s overall purpose, vision, and values. 

2. Involve all employees. 

Once you’ve defined your goals, you can enlist your employees in all areas of your business to meet them. For example, HR could hire a bilingual employee to be a point of contact for Spanish-speaking drivers. Or, you could diversify your truck driver recruitment methods by targeting women or a younger audience. All employees are always responsible for providing a harassment-free, inclusive workplace, which means hiring employees who foster that type of culture and embrace diverse backgrounds and experiences. 

3. Lead by example.

Being serious about diversity means taking a hard look at your leadership team. If there is no diversity across your executive-level team, look into hiring a Diversity Director or putting together a Diversity Council to guide your company through these internal changes. When candidates can see diverse people at all levels of the company, especially management and executive, they will start to view your company as a place where they, too, will have the opportunity to grow and build a career. 

4. Don’t forget inclusion.

Diversity and inclusion go hand in hand. It’s easy to say you will hire a more diverse workforce, but you also have to make your current workplace inclusive of that. Being an inclusive employer is about accepting, appreciating, and accommodating the talents and skills of all your employees. It’s about working together and becoming better because of the new perspectives that are brought to the table. Think of diversity as the what and inclusion as the how. 

5. Embrace different lifestyles.

Another area to look at is the lifestyle and needs of your truck drivers. A way to build upon this within your company is to create Employee Resource Groups. This is where employees of your company can connect over shared values, characteristics, or goals. The groups can meet virtually or in-person and it gives them an opportunity to network and socialize with other colleagues, while gaining new perspectives and growing friendships. Not only does having ERGs show that your company cares about diversity and inclusion, but it can also help when it comes to recruiting new talent and keeping top talent engaged. 

6. Communicate your vision.

Lastly, now that your company is embracing diversity and inclusion internally — it’s time to ensure that your outward-facing communications and advertising support that vision. Take a look at the images on your website, the videos on your social channels, and copy within emails. Is it reflective of the audience you’re trying to connect with? Does it reflect your own company’s values and purpose? By aligning your internal and external communications, you’re painting a clearer picture about what your company stands for and why someone would want to work there. 

With fleet shortages at an all-time high,  carriers and their recruitment teams need to expand upon who they’re hiring and really commit to making internal changes. The trucking industry’s future depends on creating a more diverse and inclusive culture across the board. If you’re looking for guidance on how to set a diversity and inclusion strategy with your recruitment team, get in touch. KJ Media has 15+ years of driver recruiting experience and we’re excited to help drive your fleet toward the future.