Great Women in the Industry

News

Mar 28 2018

· 2 min
Great Women in the Industry

In March, we celebrated International Women’s Day. As this month comes to a close, we thought it would be only appropriate to dedicate this week’s blog to all of the great women in this industry. Here at Erb, we are proud and grateful to employ some of the hardest working women we know. We recognize, however, that this industry still has a long way to go.

 

Generally speaking, female workers make up roughly 48% of the Canadian workforce. If this is the case, then why do they only make up roughly 6% of the transportation industry? Or, even lower, 3% of the engineering industry. Well, both of these industries have been labeled ‘male dominated’ for many years now. We need to change this!

 

The stigmas surrounding trucking are slowly disappearing, and more and more women are entering our workforce. It is so important, now more than ever, to recognize the skills of our employees no matter their gender, race, culture, or background. In every workforce, when men and women work together, great ideas are born. You cannot have one without the other. We need a diverse group of people to create new ideas and enhance the quality of our work!

 

It was Vernon Erb who created this company in 1959, but did you know that it was his wife, Viola, who kept the wheels turning? Viola was not only a wife, but also a hard-working, multi-tasking, powerful woman who was a fundamental piece in creating this massive company. In their early years, Viola worked from home as Vernon went out onto the road. She played many parts at once, and was an essential part of their success. This small, two-person company was built on the dedication and commitment from both Viola and Vernon.  Together, they worked tirelessly to build what we now know as Erb Transport.

 

Don’t forget to go home and celebrate and acknowledge the women in your life who you admire or look up to. We all have one! (Thanks, Mom!).