Who’s in Your Tribe?

Legend tells us that before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana, the Amazon princess. She lived on an island paradise, and raised by a community of women—her tribe. They believed in her, guided her, and honored her. While Wonder Woman was gifted with many superhuman powers, I believe the support of these women was one of her greatest sources of strength. 

You don’t have to be an Amazon to tap into the power of your own tribe. The people you surround yourself with can be incredible sources of strength. It’s been said that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Are you using your time wisely? 

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National Transportation Institute Day of Service Inspires Girl Scouts to Learn About Trucking

On Monday, August 5, 2019, the National Transportation Institute (NTI) served as the host to a group of Girl Scouts for an education event called Trucks ARE for Girls! that took place in New Ulm, Minnesota, which is located about 100 miles southwest of the Twin Cities. The Girl Scouts, who ranged in age from six to ten years old, enjoyed a full day of activities that included learning about trucking’s role in the supply chain and the industry’s focus on safety.

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VOTE NOW: "Top Companies for Women to Work For in Transportation"

What makes a company desirable for women to work? Many say it comes from such reasons as a corporate culture that’s supportive of gender diversity, flexibility in hours and work requirements to accommodate family and life balance, competitive compensation and benefits, training and continued professional development, and career advancement opportunities.

If your organization is one that features these benefits (or more!), then it could be an ideal nominee for “Top Companies for Women to Work for in Transportation.” This is the second year this program will be featured in Redefining the Road, the official magazine of the Women In Trucking Association, with the goal to highlight companies in the industry that are friendly for women in BOTH driver and professional capacities.

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Combating Negative Stereotypes

Ask Angela: How do I combat the negative stereotypes?

I deal with many surprised reactions when I meet with rooms full of men to pitch my 3PL business. They typically don’t expect to see a woman professionally dressed, in heels, ready to negotiate logistics contracts.  

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6 Personality Traits That Make an Impact on Top Performing Teams

Building mentally tough teams requires mentally tough employees. In our latest whitepaper,our research team defines the psychological advantage of six essential personality traits that make up mental toughness. And while some people are more naturally inclined to possess these traits, mental toughness is also a skill that can be developed by honing in on these key characteristics and building upon them over time.

Sharpening your team’s skill sets can improve their performance and outcomes in the workplace, so let’s dig into the six personality traits associated with mental toughness. We’ll use our research to show you how to spot mental toughness in your employees and how to further develop these traits on your team.

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What Would Wonder Woman Do?

When you think of a strong, smart, powerful woman, who comes to mind?

For me, the answer is simple: Wonder Woman. 

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Call for Nominations: 2019 Top Companies for Women to Work For

What makes a company desirable for women to work? 
Many say it comes from such primary reasons as a corporate culture that’s supportive of gender diversity, flexibility in hours and work requirements to accommodate family and life balance, competitive compensation and benefits, training and continued professional development, and career advancement opportunities. 

If your organization is one that features these benefits (or more), then it could be an ideal nominee for “Top Companies for Women to Work for in Transportation.” This is the second year this program will be featured in Redefining the Road, the official magazine of the Women In Trucking Association, with the goal to highlight companies in the industry that are friendly for women in BOTH driver and professional capacities. 

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July is Cell Phone Courtesy Month

Ask Angela: What are your views on cell phone usage by commercial drivers? 

This is a very important question. Different states have different laws for non-commercial drivers, so following the law isn't a satisfactory answer. As the number of distracted driving accidents and casualties grow so does the list of states that prohibit texting and hand-held device usage for all drivers.

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The Wrong Employee… or the Wrong Role?

Every office, warehouse, and production facility has one employee who takes up an inequitable portion of their supervisor’s time and effort. This employee may bring valuable knowledge and experience to the role, but they also cause frustration for management, and other team members, because they “just don’t get it.”

What “it” is, varies from job to job, but the scenario plays out in a similar way. First, there’s the initial period while you wait for things to click. This is followed by the constructive coaching effort. Then, finally, the escalation to performance management, which is a coded way of saying warnings and performance improvement plans.

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How Important is Experience When Searching for Jobs in Trucking and Logistics?

Ask Angela: How important is experience when searching for jobs in trucking and logistics? Can I switch from an unrelated industry into transportation?  

Absolutely! The opportunities for employment in trucking and logistics are great right now. Having experience is a definite bonus and will enable you to negotiate if you have a clean driving record and strong references.  
 
If you don’t have much experience, don’t let that dissuade you. If you want to be a driver make sure you get the necessary licenses - and then apply and negotiate. In my world of logistics, the number of qualified applicants is much lower than it used to be because the need is so great. Because of this AGT Global Logistics has started an internship and onboarding program. Interns are given a comprehensive core training that exposes them to multiple areas within our business. They shadow members of our team and learn the AGT way. 

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Why Women are the (Right) Answer to the Trucking Industry’s Driver Shortage

By Lauren Domnick, Chief Data Scientist, Omnitracs

As the trucking industry struggles with how to solve the increasing driver shortage, many companies are taking a different approach to recruiting. The demographic pool is widening as organizations focus efforts on hiring veterans and recruiting young talent out of school, but there is one key demographic the industry is ignoring. According to data from Omnitracs, women account for only nine percent of drivers. The opportunities are endless when it comes to recruiting women truck drivers, but it doesn’t stop at just filling the driver’s seat. When you do the analysis, women are a proven asset to organizations, as female drivers have lower turnover rates, fewer accidents and more miles logged.  

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Penske Trucks Are for Girls Event

Penske and Girl Scouts of Northern IN got together to learn about the transportation and logistics industry. The day’s activities included: rental/service shop tour, parts bingo, relay races, logistics farm to cookie selling group races, Touch-A-Truck (with LOTS of air horn honking), air filter monsters, pizza, and a patch presentation. The girls asked insightful questions about the transportation field and the role women play in it and had a great time learning from the Penske team!

This day would not have been possible without the support of the Elkhart Team, Midwest Area, Green Hills, and our Penske Logistics friends who came in from Michigan.

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How to Manage a Family/Work Life Balance

Ask Angela: What do you recommend to a woman who is a mother and wants to work in the transportation industry? How did you manage family and job when starting out? 

This is a tough one. There never seems to be enough time in the day. Sometimes when there doesn’t seem to be many options - you make things happen. I started my logistics company  as a single mother of 4 boys. This was not easy, but with support from my family, kids and then future husband I kept moving forward.  

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How can you be more involved in Women In Trucking?

Engaged members are more likely to remain members, and we work hard to make sure our 4,000 plus members are happy and involved. However, we are often asked by members how they can become MORE proactive in supporting Women In Trucking (WIT) and our mission.

We love to hear this question, as every nonprofit depends on its volunteers to assist in promoting the organization.  From the board members to our Image Team, these are all people who give freely of their time and energy because they want to see us succeed. 

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Ask the Influential Woman in Trucking - Driver to Freight Broker

Ask Angela: How do I transition from being a driver to becoming a freight broker/agent?

This is a great question. It is smart thinking about how you can take the skills you've learned as a trucker and use them in another area of the industry. As a driver, you already understand many of the challenges drivers face. This will give you a unique perspective when fitting the carriers into jobs. If possible, get a job at a brokerage company first to learn and understand all aspects of what a broker does. There are larger companies nationally that offer to train you for the position. Keep in mind that this usually requires a work-commitment for a certain amount of time.  My advice is to research both options and see which might be a better fit for your life.

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The Secret Weapon of Today’s Successful Salespeople: Curiosity

If classic movies like Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), Tin Men (1987), Used Cars (1980)—or more recent hits like Wolf of Wall Street (2013)—have taught us anything, it’s that sales is not for those of a weak disposition.

And whether the character portrayal is ruthless and intimidating like Alec Baldwin’s Blake, broadly comedic like Danny DeVito’s Ernest Tilley, or charmingly sneaky like Kurt Russell’s Rudy Russo, movies have also suggested that salespeople need to be either pushy or conniving to achieve success.

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Third-Generation Lady Trucker Finds Dream Job in Long Haul

This blog post is one in a series by Women In Trucking member uShip that celebrates women in the logistics industry. Inspired by International Women’s Day (March 8, 2019) and Women’s History Month (March 2019), uShip is sharing inspiring stories of women in trucking, whether they’re behind the wheel, booking shipments on a laptop, or making decisions in the boardroom.

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Ask the Influential Woman in Trucking - How to Get Started

 

Ask Angela: How do I get started in trucking?

This question has many different answers. First, where do you live? Do you want to be a long hauler or do you need to stay local? If you are just starting out, the first thing is to get your CDL. Search your area truck driving schools or enroll in a truck driving program. Are there trucking schools near where you live?

The first option to obtain your CDL is truck driving school. Usually, you need to pay for truck driving schools ahead of time. Many community colleges and tech schools offer training for a Class A commercial driver’s license. Call or visit your local school to see if they offer a program. If paying for the opportunity ahead of time is an issue, there are scholarships available. Women In Trucking offers several scholarships through their foundation. To find out more visit their scholarships information page - https://www.womenintruckingfoundation.org/scholarships

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Promoting Employee Happiness

Everyone has seen the statistics about employee happiness and how it’ll change the way your workplace operates. Companies with happy employees outperform their competitors by 20%. Some companies have even gone as far as hiring an employee experience officer. One of the most notable companies to hire someone dedicated to employee experience was Airbnb back in 2015 when they transitioned their Chief Human Resources Officer to the Head of Employee Experience. The duties of the new role include shared HR functions as well as responsibilities that focus on their new “workplace as an experience” vision. To achieve this vision, most offices included a group of employees called “ground control” that focus on bringing AirBnb’s culture to life.

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The Value of Self-Awareness at Work

Great leaders often have several traits in common. We tend to see characteristics like strong communication, a positive attitude and a sense of integrity on the short list. But, where does self-awareness come into play? This attribute is often overlooked in leaders, but here at Caliper, we argue that this characteristic can make or break a work environment.

By bringing awareness of one’s self into the workplace, leaders are able to better identify who they are as an employee and why they work the way they do. Using this information, leaders can then play to their strengths while understanding their areas of developmental opportunity. Leaders with awareness are also better at managing their emotions in high-stress situations, admitting when they are at fault and leaving their personal lives at the door. For these reasons, employees often note a healthier work environment under such superiors. Not only are their benefits to the leader and the employees, but there is also a significant positive correlation between self-aware leaders and company performance.

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