Diversity and inclusion program launched for trucking industry

Teletrac Navman, a connected mobility platform for industries that manage vehicle and equipment assets, and the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) have expanded their diversity and inclusion program as part of their continued efforts to support the transport industry in attracting and retaining a diverse workforce. The Teletrac Navman Driving Change Diversity program launched in 2020 and during the past three years, 28 diversity champions from across Australia have attended training where they learned to become advocates for inclusion in their workplaces.

Titled ‘Driving Inclusion’, the new diversity and inclusion program incorporates access to SBS Inclusion online training modules, an industry-specific inclusion toolkit and a committee of diversity, equity and inclusion advocates. The new program aims to provide more transport organisations with access to the tools required to build a diverse and inclusive workplace and includes training modules such as ‘Appropriate Workplace Behaviour’, designed to help organisations meet their legal obligations under the Fair Work Act around discrimination.

The new program will also provide access to a resource library that includes recruitment guides and anti-discrimination policy tools initially developed in New Zealand for the ‘Te ara ki tua Road to Success Driving Change Diversity Programme’, led by la Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand and supported by Teletrac Navman. The program enables transport organisation teams to educate themselves on appropriate workplace behaviour, core inclusion, cultural diversity and gender equality from June 2024.

Unconscious bias and fear of discrimination are some of the barriers for new people entering the typically male-dominated workforce and these organisations have partnered for the last four years to champion inclusive workplace practices and encourage the welcoming of diverse backgrounds to combat the ongoing skills shortage in the Australian trucking and logistics industries.

Mathew Munro, Chief Executive Officer of ATA, said the organisation is excited to evolve the current diversity program with flagship sponsor Teletrac Navman towards more widespread industry impact. “Beginning with a focus on promoting understanding through SBS’s engaging Inclusion program, our hope is that under-represented populations will be encouraged to consider one of the many careers within the industry. Enabling HR teams and hiring managers with up-to-date recruitment tools will be the second stage followed by leveraging the success of our past ATA Diversity Champions and employer network to bring these initiatives to life within trucking workplaces. We encourage workplaces of all sizes to sign up to receive access to the first 1000 of 5000 licences we are offering free of charge over the next 18 months, thanks to Teletrac Navman and SBS Inclusion,” Munro said.

Sarah James, ANZ Marketing Manager for Teletrac Navman, said inclusive workplace policies play a large role in the global organisation and require ongoing education and training to embed. “We see supporting this program as an extension of our own policies, and we see it as an opportunity to support an industry we operate in to thrive. Not to mention the productivity and safety benefit gained from implementing inclusive practices, which are the cornerstone benefits of our own solution offering,” James said.

For more information about the program, visit: https://new.truck.net.au/diversity-inclusion/.

Image credit: iStock.com/Drazen Zigic