Trinity Logistics supports women in leadership positions

It’s not uncommon to hear about gender disparities in America’s workforce, and one common talking point is the uneven ratio of males to females in executive positions. The transportation industry is no different, with women seriously underrepresented overall.

To put things into perspective, women account for 47 percent of the U.S. workforce, according to a 2010 Department of Labor study. However, a 2015 analysis by CNN shows that only around 14 percent of the top five leadership roles in America’s S&P 500 companies are held by women. It’s obvious why this gap is a popular topic, as 86 percent of top-level decision makers at America’s most successful companies are men.

While these statistics may ring true nationwide, at Trinity Logistics, it’s the complete opposite. At Trinity, women hold a staggering 36 percent of executive or senior-level management positions. For first or mid-level management positions (directors and managers), the ratio jumps to 54 percent women.

A veteran Trinity team member, Sarah Ruffcorn, senior vice president of strategic development, was recently recognized as a Delaware Business Times DBT 40 member for 2015. This is a prestigious recognition of the region’s best and brightest young professionals under 40.

“I really don’t see myself as a female in leadership; I just see myself in leadership with an enormous responsibility to our company and my teams,” Ruffcorn said.

At Trinity, those in management positions are given leadership training and expected to follow the model of servant leadership. Male or female, leaders must remove obstacles for their team members daily, and ultimately, put their teams’ needs first.

This idea is illustrated as an upside-down triangle with the leader at the bottom. This unique culture makes for a challenging, yet rewarding experience as a leader, and gender is not a consideration when the best leaders are selected to fulfill these roles at Trinity Logistics.

Brandy McMullen, a 13-year Trinity veteran, started her career as a logistics specialist, but is now vice president of administrative services.

“What has shaped me as a female leader is the fact that I’ve been a mom for five years now, and I can tell you that I am a better leader now than I was before kids,” McMullen said. “I attribute that back to a trial-by-fire ability to multitask and nurture the development in others.”

The high percentage of female leaders may be partially accounted for by Trinity’s family-friendly atmosphere. Trinity encourages women to not only follow their career goals, but to advance in their personal lives as well. To help provide a welcoming environment for women wishing to grow their families and to cut back on team members feeling the need to leave in order to do so, Trinity provides a mothers' room for nursing moms and a paid maternity leave program.

The transportation industry is a highly competitive world, with new logistics companies popping up each day. However, according to a 2014 Bureau of Labor Statistics study, women make up only 23 percent of workers in transportation as a whole. In fact, a 2015 Women in Trucking Association study shows that women make up only about 19 percent of director positions in trucking.

Jennifer Braun, vice president and general manager of Trinity’s Kansas City office, notices the uneven ratio in the industry on a day-to-day basis.

“There is a big gender gap in transportation, more so than in other industries, and a talent gap as well for people educated in supply chain and logistics,” Braun said. “So, to find an educated and experienced woman in transportation is uncommon.”

At Trinity, female team members know their work ethic and accomplishments are what sets them apart, not their gender. Stacey Howell worked her way up from administrative assistant to vice president of LTL in just nine years.

“I believe there is still a huge gender gap in corporate America, and while it is gradually looking better for women year over year, it is still mostly considered a man’s world,” Howell said. “I, however, am one of the lucky ones; I have found a home with Trinity Logistics where they promote from within based on a job well done, not on gender.”

To learn more about careers at Trinity Logistics, go to www.trinitylogistics.com/company/careers.