United Kingdom Warehousing Association - Roger Williams

The logistics industry should be doing more to improve the public’s perception of it, if it is to stand any chance of receiving more government money to fund training and development

It is probably fair to say that logistics – and the transport and haulage sectors in particular – does not enjoy a positive public image.  Lorries are seen by many as little more than motorway-clogging, ozone layer busters, while the two million white vans on our roads – and the white van men that drive them – have become little short of national hate figures.

Indeed, according to recent research by Skills for Logistics, if you ask the average person to describe someone employed in logistics and transport, they will portray an overweight, middle aged, right wing, white man.

As an industry we may complain that such caricatures are grossly unfair and point to the huge contribution that road haulage makes to the UK economy, but what exactly is the sector doing to improve the public’s perception of it?

The answer, it would appear, is not much.  The industry has tried in the past to improve its appeal but, in truth, previous ‘make-over’ efforts have been piecemeal, underfunded and rendered ineffective through lack of unanimity within the sector.

I believe that there is little doubt that the industry is in urgent need of a co-ordinated campaign that not only informs school and university leavers about the opportunities offered by a career in logistics, but educates society about the sector and makes an impact on our nation’s policy-makers.

If such a campaign is to stand any chance of success it will mean that some of the traditional barriers that exist between companies, trade associations, professional institutes and unions operating within the sector will have to come down and a unified approach to key areas of work adopted.  Importantly, it will require dynamic leadership.  On that latter point, it has always seemed to me that too many of our sector’s leaders are bashful.  After all, when was the last time someone from the logistics industry was knighted and where are the iconic leaders in our sector whose views and opinions leap out from the business pages of our daily newspapers?

Ours may not be an industry that encourages the cult of public individual publicity but we need more leaders who are not inhibited when it comes to making the case for the sector.

There is no doubt that the logistics business deserves the respect of the nation.  The industry is the fifth largest in the UK economy.  It turns over £75 billion a year and employs 2.3 million people, which is 8% of the total UK workforce.

However, while the construction industry, which employs a similar number of workers, receives 13% of publicly funded training, logistics receives under 2%.

With sectors such as construction (and hairdressing!) continuing to receive a disproportionate amount of government money to fund training and development, the industry has every reason to feel aggrieved.  However, we must not wallow in self-pity and must do more to engage with the public if we are to improve our standing in the wider community.

We have an industry to be proud of.  Let’s share that pride with the rest of society.

Roger Williams is chief executive officer of the United Kingdom Warehousing Association (UKWA) – the leading trade body for the third party logistics industry.  For further information, visit: www.ukwa.org.uk/

Published: 10/02/2010