Transport industry report reveals gender equality gap

Teletrac Navman has released a new whitepaper examining gender equality in one of Australia’s largest industries, titled Driving Change: A Closer Look at Women in Transport.

The report reveals the transport industry rates as one of the lowest in Australia for gender diversity, as just 26.4 per cent of the workforce are women, far lower than the all industry average of 46.9 per cent.

Within specific sections of the transport industry the figures are even lower, with women making up just 16.9 per cent of the workforce in road transport. Of all Australian industries tracked by the Government’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency, only the mining sector rates lower.

The Driving Change report also reveals a significant pay gap in the transport sector, with men paid on average 19.5 per cent more than women, representing one of the largest pay gaps in any industry.

Closing the gap

While transport has come a long way over the last few years, the report shows there is more work to be done. Despite the growing numbers of women entering the industry, they are still subject to frequent discrimination: 72.1 per cent have faced it personally or believe it was a significant barrier to be overcome. However, 67.3 per cent of women in the industry believe that there are plenty of opportunities in the sector.

Andrew Rossington, Vice President – Transport Solutions, Australia at Teletrac Navman, noted that increasing diversity across the transport industry will have significant benefits for both employees and businesses.

“The evidence across the board is clear – it’s not just the right thing to do, increasing female representation has significant economic and business benefits,” said Rossington.

Research shows that diversifying the workplace leads to increased returns, more productivity and additional business insights for strategic problem-solving.

Looking to the future

According to Australian Industry Standards, the Transport and Logistics Industry has an estimated annual revenue of $96.65 billion, adding $39.95 billion to the Australian economy. It employs nearly half a million people across its major subsectors including road transport, logistics, and warehousing.

The industry is projected to grow significantly in the next few years, with Australia’s domestic freight task expected to increase by 80 per cent by 2031, partly driven by the rise of ecommerce. This has seen a driver shortage impact the road transport industry, with nearly half of the workforce reaching 65 years old by 2026. Opening the door to new employees will help to meet rising demand and a changing landscape.

“Diversity is a core value at Teletrac Navman, and we’re proud to share the successes of women across our business and the wider industry,” said Nicole McCrory, Director of Human Resources, APAC at Teletrac Navman.

“We hope that this report will raise awareness of the issues that women face every day and go some way towards changing our industry for the better.”

The whitepaper can be downloaded here.