transport industry

More needs to be done to encourage women to work in the transport and logistics industry, according to a report into gender and equality released by the SA Freight Council (SAFC).

The industry is looking to change the perception that it is a male-dominated area, but alarmingly the percentage of women in the sector has actually dropped significantly in recent years.

SAFC CEO Neil Murphy said as an example, the percentage of women in the transport, postal and warehousing sector in SA had dropped by 15 per cent in the past 5 years alone, from 21.7 per cent to 18.7 per cent.

Mr Murphy says there is also a worrying trend in the pay gap between male and female workers, jumping from 5.2 per cent to 16.1 per cent since 2007.

Transport and logistics company Peter Cochrane Transport has undergone further expansion with its buyout of Northern Kope Parcel Express Pty Ltd, an express freight and parcel company in country South Australia.

“Purchasing Northern Kope demonstrates PCT’s optimism in the future growth prospects of the SA economy, and shows that we put our money where our mouth is when it comes to backing country South Australia” says Peter Cochrane, PCT’s managing director.

“This deal adds high quality growth to our company and presents significant opportunities for efficiencies and economies of scale. Both PCT and Northern Kope run a large fleet of vehicles carrying freight to regional South Australia, so this move means we can provide even better service to our customers.”

The old-fashioned notion of males dominating the Australian transport industry is changing thanks to the hard work of countless women, and a number of government and business initiatives aimed at correcting the gender imbalance, according to Isuzu Australia Limited (IAL) director and chief operating officer Phil Taylor.

"While attracting and hiring qualified women in a male-dominated industry can prove to be a challenge, organisations such as Transport Women Australia and Trans-Help Foundation have done a great deal in getting women involved in the transport sector," Mr Taylor said.

Transport and logistics firms face a challenging market. Competition is tough and customers are demanding increased traceability, visibility, security and safety of shipments as they travel to their destination, often across multiple carriers and modes of transport.