Published: Feb 28, 2022

There’s a lot to celebrate in the month of March. From the little-known Peanut Butter Lover’s Day, to the very popular Saint Patrick’s Day. March 4^th and March 8^th are the days we want to talk about.

Friday, March 4^th is Employee Appreciation Day. In the midst of some of the most difficult years the industry has ever seen, we want our entire staff to know that we appreciate you! You have implemented major changes in regulations, risen to overcome unprecedented challenges, and have earned the respect of our customers and community. We are grateful for your hard work and for your loyalty.

We also want to recognize International Women’s Day on Tuesday, March 8^th. International Women’s Day was first observed in 1911, following several years of lobbying for women’s rights. Women working outside the home were significantly underpaid, worked in horrible conditions for long hours, and weren’t allowed to vote. Over the next few decades, many countries, including Canada in 1918, gave women the right to vote. In 2022, there are still places in the world where women do not have full voting rights. Wage parity has improved in recent years, but continues to be an issue, as is the number of women vs. men in corporate decision-making roles.

The theme of International Women’s Day 2022 is Break the Bias (#BreakTheBias). You can learn more about the day and the causes behind it here. It’s no secret that there are very few women in our industry, and biases are no doubt part of the reason for that. With the ongoing driver shortages, maybe we can all do something to encourage more women to join us.

Biases are engrained in children by those around them. It’s often inadvertent, but kids are smart. They learn from what they hear, what they see, and what they surmise from the behaviour of others. Maybe we should make a point of buying non-traditional gifts for our female youngsters. Trucks instead of tiaras. Tools instead of tutus. You get the idea, and so will they.

The Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada is “a non-profit organization established to encourage the employment of women in the Transportation Industry.” Recent statistics are that fewer than 4% of drivers in Canada are women. We need more!

We appreciate all of the men and women who work for us and with us. We will strive to Break the Bias in all aspects of life, and particularly in our industry; and, we will hire qualified applicants of any gender!