YRC Freight is honored to be selected as one of the 2018 “Top 50 Companies for Women to Work for in Transportation.” Recipients of this newly created award were announced in the magazine, Redefining the Road, the official publication of the Women in Trucking Association (WIT). The “Top 50 Companies for Women to Work for in Transportation” award highlights companies in the industry who are friendly for women in BOTH driver and professional capacities. Nearly 150 transportation companies submitted nominations and more than 7,000 votes were cast identifying the top companies named to the list.
Five key features distinguish the companies chosen:
- Corporate cultures that foster gender diversity
- Competitive compensation and benefits
- Flexible hours and work requirements
- Professional development opportunities
- Career advancement opportunities
“YRC Freight is committed to creating a supportive network designed to foster relationships, enhance the employee experience, and develop a strong pool of future leaders through resources including mentoring, safety training, leadership development, and enrichment opportunities,” states YRC Freight President T. J. O’Connor.
He explains, “We have several programs in place. ‘WE Drive’ is programming that supports women behind the wheel from personal safety and wellness to mentoring and enrichment. ‘WE Lead’ provides professional development opportunities through coaching, workshops, training and more. ‘WE Engage’ allows us to connect with our communities through service.”
Melissa Tomlen, YRC Freight SVP Accountability & Performance and “WE at YRC Freight” executive sponsor describes: “‘WE at YRC Freight’ is an employee resource group focused on meeting women where they are in their careers, providing the support and resources needed to reach their goals, and cultivating strong relationships across our entire network, so no woman in our company feels like the only woman in our industry. ‘WE at YRC Freight’ is about women’s enrichment, empowerment, entrepreneurship, engagement and excellence. We are proud to be driven women driving forward together. WE drive, WE lead, WE engage.”
Since launching in November 2017, “WE at YRC Freight” has sponsored 120 women to attend WIT’s Accelerate! Conference, hosted Girl Scout Transportation Patch events, deployed a women’s empowerment themed trailer, announced YRC Freight’s partnership with Truckers Against Trafficking, and launched a customized women’s leadership development program with 75 women participating in the first year alone.
Senior leaders from YRC Freight including T. J. O’Connor (President), Melissa Tomlen (SVP), Don Hinkle (VP), Bryan Campbell (VP), Patricia Nazemetz (YRCW Board Member) and YRCW CFO Stephanie Fisher, have all attended the WIT conference alongside the women YRC Freight sponsors who include million mile award-winning drivers, terminal managers, sales leaders, recruiters and emerging leaders.
“Being able to connect directly with the women in our organization, hearing their ideas, and building on their passion for our industry is driving our programming,” says Tomlen. “We are just getting started.”
