Women in Logistics

26th August 2015

As our American friends celebrate Women’s Equality Day, we took the opportunity to look at our own diverse workforce. When we analyse the gender split across the six Priority Freight offices, over 40% of our staff are female professionals.

Traditionally the transport and logistics sector is considered to be a male-dominant sector. Logistics careers have conventionally been held by men, but women are becoming increasingly involved at all levels.

At Priority Freight, we strive to create a workplace environment that provides everyone with equal opportunities and development. The rich diversity of our global team is key to our success. The wide range of talent and ideas we share gives us the ability to understand, embrace and operate on a global scale, whilst embracing local knowledge and experience.

Leanne Barry started at Priority Freight in 2014 as a Team Leader in 2014. We spoke to Leanne to find out what her daily routine in logistics usually involves:

Meet Leanne

Describe a typical day

“At 0900 I normally walk in to hear the buzz of the office, the smiles and happy faces of my team and colleagues and the cake table stacked high as yet another staff member’s birthday has arrived.

“After receiving a full update from the previous night and hearing about Lorna G’s adventures getting lost in her car (she’s a new driver), we discuss any issues currently being dealt with. It’s then full speed ahead with the daily running of the team, overseeing the quotes and transport. I assist everyone throughout the day, managing any queries and make sure each member takes their break without affecting the tasks at hand and meeting the various deadlines.”

What gives you job satisfaction?

“I get real job satisfaction from my work and the recognition we receive for our efforts. I like feeling appreciated and valued at Priority Freight so I ensure that I encourage this environment within my team on a daily basis.

“Having been with Priority Freight for over a year, I still have the same enthusiasm and enjoyment from the logistical tasks/issues/solutions we are tasked with on a daily basis. I am the team leader of a dedicated, educated and diverse team who harbour an abundance of talent in their abilities as logisticians.”

Why did you get into logistics?

“In 2001 I joined the Royal Logistic Corps in the British Army. To be honest at this point I was a little unsure what ‘logistics’ was all about! Over the 12 years I served in the army, I planned, commanded and implemented numerous deployments of soldiers, rations, ammo and equipment to various theatres of operations across the world. I have planned and led 50 vehicle, 150 soldier strong patrols on missions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Bosnia and I have organised countless adventure training exercises across the globe.

“The most common requirement I needed in all of these ventures was the ability to produce an effective logistical plan that was simplistic, flexible and effective. Throughout all my logistical adventures I have always enjoyed the planning and organisation phases of each task or event. It would always involve working as a team to produce the best solution to get the job done in a timely and effective way. The flexibility of each plan would generally be tested as contributing factors would try to steer it off course and the sense of achievement you get when a ‘not so obvious’ solution is found, created and implemented is both nerve wrecking and exciting to watch unfold.”

A Career in Logistics

Logistics is a growing sector that plays a major role in the global economy. Every company in the world uses logistics in some form. In the UK alone, the logistics industry is worth £74 billion to the UK economy. According to the Office for National Statistics, 1 in 12 working people in the UK is employed in logistics and over 60% of UK freight is managed by a third-party logistics company, like Priority Freight.

The Logistics Coordinator

A Logistics Coordinator will plan and execute the distribution of materials and goods on behalf of global manufacturers to create everything from cars to aeroplanes and clothing to medicine. Logistics specialists are responsible for communication with the clients, efficiency and the resolution of transportation issues.

Liaise with international carriers to agree transport costs and ensure the best possible solutions are found to fit the client’s requirements
Tender job revenues to clients ensuring a bespoke solution is found for them best fitting their request, offering different transport solutions where applicable
Monitor the progression of transports advising the client at agreed milestones, and ensuring the transports are running to schedule
Ensure our bespoke freight management system is correctly monitored and updated when required
Build excellent relationships with multinational clients who are under immense pressure
Answer incoming telephone calls professionally and deal with enquiries quickly

Looking for a job in logistics? We’re currently recruiting, take a look at our current opportunities now.