Behind Barnes – Gail Croft (HGV Driver) #IWD2024
As International Women’s Day approaches on Friday, the world celebrates the growth, success, and achievements of women all over the world. It’s a day to honour the progress made towards gender equality and to recognise the significant contributions of women in all areas of life.
At Barnes, we always embrace the spirit of International Women’s Day, and love to highlight the remarkable achievements of our very own women in logistics! For International Women’s Day 2024, we sat down with Gail Croft, an HGV Class 1 Driver and had a little chat about her day to day here at Barnes.
Here’s what she had to say:
1. What does your role entail?
My role entails working for Barnes Logistics as an HGV driver. I collect and deliver loads from and to various customer locations.
2. Can you tell us about your journey, how did you get your job at Barnes?
I gained my HGV 1 license in the Army in 1999. Commercially I’ve been driving HGVs for over 20 years. I applied to work at Barnes as I was looking for a friendly transport company that values their employees and provides excellent working conditions.
3. What does a typical day look like for you?
There are various shift patterns and contracts across the Barnes group. For the work I am typically assigned, I can start between 17:00 and 20:00hrs, collecting a unit and performing vehicle checks at the Rochdale depot, then going to a local customer site to collect a trailer. From there I could have as many as ten collections or deliveries and sometimes as few as two. Delivering goods up to the North East or Midlands and everywhere in between! For me, shift lengths average around 11 hours. The work I am typically assigned involves bay work, which means no heavy manual work with pallets and pump trucks.
4. What does being a woman in transport mean to you?
Being a female in the transport industry has never adversely affected me. I’m a grafter who doesn’t want any special attention. I have always been in male dominant careers, The Army, Close Protection, and the Prison Service. I just crack on.
5. What would you say to other women looking to join the industry?
I would say go for it to any other female wanting to join the transport industry. As long as they are willing to graft as hard as the guys, they will be fine.
If you are inspired to follow in the footsteps of remarkable women like Gail in the logistics industry, explore more empowering stories and insights in our other blogs.
