With a clear goal to encourage more women into joining the haulage industry, Volvo Trucks has partnered up with Girl Torque, an organisation founded last year by HGV driver Karen Sutherland from Ian S Roger.

Girl Torque aims to promote the role of women in the transport and logistics sector and raise funds for charity. Since its launch, it has grown  rapidly, gathering nearly 50 women members, who all work in the UK haulage industry, many of them as HGV drivers.

“What Karen and the team have achieved with Girl Torque in such a short space of time is simply incredible. We recognise that the road transport industry has traditionally had a gender imbalance – and still does – but together we believe we can support each other to help drive change and strengthen the industry for the future,” said Neil Park, MD of Volvo Truck and Bus Centre North and Scotland.

“At Volvo Trucks, we are focused on increasing inclusion and improving gender balance within our own team, but we also recognise the benefits to wider industry in having more women represented, whether that be in the cab, workshop, factory, office, or boardroom. Joining forces with Girl Torque will help us to dispel outdated myths around working in transport and promote the wider career opportunities available to women,” he continued.

Karen Sutherland, founder of Girl Torque, who drives a Volvo FH 540 Dual Clutch, has also commented on the news of the partnership: “I had to pinch myself when Volvo said they wanted to enter into a partnership with us. This whole idea of Girl Torque began at my kitchen table last year – to now have this kind of support from a global brand is simply incredible. When I told the girls they couldn’t believe it!”

“We’re currently busy preparing to launch our 2023 calendar, plus we have a range of dual-branded Girl Torque and Volvo merchandise coming. It’s fair to say that with this new partnership, our fundraising objectives have just been turbocharged. There’s really no ceiling to what we can achieve together,” she concluded.

For the future, Volvo Group has set itself a target of having 35% woman within its workforce by 2030, with a variety of initiatives on the agenda to help it achieve that target. Employing more women in the industry and increasing gender equality is essential for business performance and the future prospects of the industry.