Why is diversity in the workplace so important? Bison Transport recognizes diversity and inclusion as a critical business ingredient that strengthens our company, our community and our industry. To achieve the full effect of this, not only must we create a diversified and inclusive workplace, we must leverage the depth and talent advantage that diversity brings to our business and equally celebrate these differences.

The trucking industry is evolving and growing. And as majority of Bison Transport’s drivers are retiring, we are faced with increased vacancies and shortages of labour. We need to effectively recruit and retain employees in an increasingly competitive market. It is widely known that an increasing number of women, visible minorities, newcomers to Canada, youth, and Indigenous individuals have increasing numbers in our labour force.

What steps does Bison take to ensure inclusion of all team members? Bison has created a diversity and inclusion approach outlining the importance of diversity in our workplace and how we are going to take the steps to create a feeling of inclusion within the company. Some of our current and future initiatives involve enhancing our internal information and communication, developing new recruitment and training programs, adapting our working environment and creating and delivering on community initiatives.

What events does Bison feature to showcase diversity? Bison celebrates our diversity in different ways throughout the year. We recognize the diverse population of our employees and are making the efforts to ensure everyone feels included and acknowledged. Some examples include cultural spotlights on our podcast, the addition of cultural snacks and vegetarian options during our weekly summer barbecues, a monthly calendar including holidays/celebrations from all demographic groups, semi-monthly cultural highlights showcasing events from different religious backgrounds and engaging our leaders to highlight and celebrate diversity within their teams.

Workplace stats: When we think about the transportation industry, it is historically male driven. Today at Bison Transport, however, we are proud to have an office staff of over 40 per cent women and are above the industry average for women in driving positions. We are continuing to use our resources to adapt to industry trends and understand the value of bringing in ideas and experiences from all types of backgrounds.