Alphonso Lewis got his start in trucking 30 years ago as an over-the-road driver. One of the first things he realized was that as an African American, there were certain truck stops he should avoid and places that were unwelcoming to people of color.
“Even now, drivers will tell you where not to go,” explained Lewis, who drives for YRC Freight and is an American Trucking Associations (ATA) America’s Road Team Captain. “It’s 2020; it shouldn’t be that way right now. I thought we had come a lot further. Certain drivers in my terminal will tell you, ‘I don’t stop at X, Y, Z because of the way they are.’"
Lewis, who spoke about his experiences on the road and diversity in trucking during an ATA virtual Management Conference and Exhibition panel session on Oct. 26, did point out that the climate today for Black truck drivers, women drivers, and for those within the LGBTQ community has improved considerably.
“I initially came out of the military in 1986, and I wanted to be a driver like my dad was,” Lewis recalled. “The first thing I would tell employers is I drove trucks in the military and that I was very passionate about what I was doing. I thought that would get my foot in the door because the military was already inclusive—the color of your skin didn’t matter; your gender didn’t matter. So, I thought it would instantly open the door for me.
“The first couple of times that I actually tried to get a job made me feel bad,” he continued. “I felt that I was prepared for the industry, but I was turned away on a couple of occasions. I was even told at one point that the trucks I was driving in the military were too small.”
Lewis eventually found YRC Freight, and the company made him feel needed. He also learned early on from talking to veteran drivers at the time how difficult it was for a Black man to get into the industry. But over the years, Lewis has seen a change in the right direction.
“I see more and more African American drivers, and I see more and more women on the road,” he said. “I am happy that things are changing. I am not saying we are where we need to be, but it’s great to see how things have really improved.”
John Stomps, president and CEO of Total Transportation of Mississippi, is a white man who was born and raised in Birmingham, Ala., in the 1950s—a time when Birmingham was a hotspot for racial inequity and segregation.
Stomps eventually left Birmingham and moved to Houston to start his career in trucking in the 1980s. He founded Total Transportation more than 30 years ago.
“If you look at the landscape of people when I entered the industry, it was basically white male,” Stomps explained. “African Americans were moving into the industry heavily at that time, but the only females you saw were in clerical-type positions.”
For Cari Baylor, president of Baylor Trucking, growing up in the trucking industry as a young girl looked much different than it does today. During ATA’s panel discussion, Baylor recalled running through the maintenance shop as a child and visiting her father and grandfather at work. At the time, OEM calendars hanging throughout the shop were degrading to women.
“I think, ‘Oh my gosh, that doesn’t seem so long ago that it was how women were represented,’” Baylor said. “Now, throughout the industry, women can walk anywhere and be heard. To see that transition is exciting. I think we have come forward more than other sectors and industries because there is equality for not only women’s roles but for the diversity we have across our country and our industry.”
A newly released report by McKinsey & Company examines why the business case for diversity in the workplace is now “stronger than ever.” The firm’s latest analysis reaffirms a strong business case for both gender diversity and ethnic and cultural diversity in corporate leadership. According to the report, the most diverse companies are more likely to outperform non-diverse companies on profitability.
“Our 2019 analysis finds that companies in the top quartile of gender diversity on executive teams were 25% more likely to experience above-average profitability than peer companies in the fourth quartile. This is up from 21% in 2017 and 15% in 2014,” McKinsey noted. “Moreover, we found that the higher the representation, the higher the likelihood of outperformance. Companies with more than 30% women on their executive teams are significantly more likely to outperform those with between 10 and 30% women, and these companies, in turn, are more likely to outperform those with fewer or no women executives.”
As a fleet executive, Stomps said he always made it a point to hire the best people for the position, regardless of race or gender.
“In my opinion, you look for the best of the best. A good businessperson is focused on running their business successfully,” Stomps said. “It’s about hiring and keeping people employed. You must find the best possible people.”
A more inclusive business
In 1991, a young woman asked Stomps if she could drive for Total Transportation. At the time, he was shocked, but the company ended up training her and supported her while she obtained her commercial driver’s license.
The company, however, had a 1987 International cabover for her to drive, but her feet couldn’t reach the pedals all the way, Stomps explained. “The trucks were built for men; they weren’t built for females," he said. "So, we had to fix this truck. We altered our brake, our clutch, and our gas pedal to get her to where she could maneuver that truck. She passed her test, and it was history from there. She became one of our top drivers. She and her husband now own a few trucks, and they have been running for years.”
Over the years, Stomps saw that more and more women wanted to drive alongside their husbands, so Total Transportation taught them how to drive. Total Transportation has also transitioned to fully automatic transmissions to make the trucks easier to drive for all.
“A lot of the wives became better drivers,” Stomps pointed out. “If you look at our numbers today, I am proud of them, but we are not where we need to be. I look at my number of female employees who are drivers and it’s 19%, with 23% of females in executive positions. It’s obviously not enough, but it’s going in the right direction.”
To help create a more inclusive business model, Total Transportation became involved with the Women in Trucking Association. Today, Total Transportation holds quarterly discussions with its female drivers and asks them about the issues they face while on the road. During those discussions, Stomps learned that many women won’t stay overnight at a truck stop after they are seen walking back to their truck alone.
“A lot of the times they just go to get something to eat, go back to their truck, and leave because they don’t feel safe to stay after being seen going back to their truck, and it’s just sad,” he said. “We have a lot of different apps for our female drivers, and we stay in touch with them to make sure they’re safe.”
At the beginning of the summer, George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, was killed while in police custody, sparking nationwide protests and civil unrest. Following that event, James Reed, president and CEO of USA Truck, sent out an email to his entire company. The point was to make sure everyone knew the company supported them.
Aside from it being the right thing to do, Reed noted that there is a strong business case for diversity. He explained that companies with more diverse teams have 19% more revenue and higher innovation. Reed also pointed out that by 2025, 75% of the global workforce will comprise millennials, a group that has a unique perspective on diversity.
Deloitte recently released its Global Millennial Survey 2020, which explores the views of more than 27,000 millennials and Gen Zs to understand their perspectives on various issues. The study found that job loyalty among these generations will rise as businesses address employee needs, from diversity and inclusion to sustainability and reskilling.
“We believe there is a business imperative and that we are better when we are diverse,” Reed said.
Baylor pointed out that diversity and inclusion is also about having different age groups represented through the company.
“At age 30 I thought I was ready for the management team, and my dad disagreed,” Baylor explained, adding that today Baylor Trucking has a management team that ranges in age from 25 to 60. “Having that range of diverse age group brings such collaboration and great ideas.”
As a leader, Baylor said she tries to lead by example by practicing servant leadership. During the nationwide protests and civil unrest, she said it was important for the company to learn how these events affected her employees and how the company could implement a safe and welcoming environment.
“We did a lot of Facebook Lives with our drivers privately,” she said. “We have a Baylor Team page, and we heard from our drivers what they were experiencing in real time on the roadways. We also made sure that all of their concerns were heard—whether it was for the diversity and equality at Baylor; at the customer bases, where we had some trailer damage during that time; and then also hearing about what their perspective was and what conversations they were having at their dinner table.”
During the periods of civil unrest this year, YRC Freight’s Lewis said he feels the industry stepped up to make sure drivers were safe. YRC sent out regular messages to drivers letting them know that they had the company’s support.
“One of my greatest experiences was just getting a phone call from my company asking how I was doing and how I was feeling,” Lewis said. “That just made my day. As a Black man, I see my son sitting there. I’m not a very emotional guy, but a lot of that makes me emotional.”
When it comes down to it, Lewis explained that drivers just want to feel like they are part of company operations and have a fair shot in the decision-making process.
Ultimately, Reed said it’s important for business leaders to set real goals when it comes to diversity. “Make yourself accountable,” he advised. “Have training in your organization. Raise awareness. Work with your business to determine what is workable. Use your resources and give people time to go out and serve in the community.”
During a FleetOwner webinar on driver retention and recruitment, Leah Shaver, CEO of National Transportation Institute, said she advises the trucking companies she works with to keep consistent focus on minorities, women, veterans, and younger drivers. She also advised incorporating marketing, internal connection, support, and services in both internal and external marketing campaigns.
“Training for leadership roles that elevate the driver force and career path is vital, and it’s something that's missing from many professional drivers’ careers in a traditional workforce progression from one stage of work to another,” she said.
Shaver also noted that fewer than 10% of drivers today are women—even though women comprise 45% of the workforce in America. She pointed out that the Women in Trucking Association fills the need of encouraging roles for women by minimizing obstacles and celebrating their accomplishments.
“We need an organization like that for all minorities,” Shaver emphasized. “This is something that several folks have identified in the industry.”
