Innovision Fall 2019

SPRING 2019 | 19 Their presentation discussed their success with She Drives and other driver-focused initiatives. A few key points of their presentation include: • If you want women in the industry, show women in the industry. Put them in your ads! If women see other women doing it, it will show them that it is a viable option for them. Also, women already in the industry will appreciate the representation. • After including women in their advertisements, NFI’s female population increased by 36% in just one year! • The first 90 days of drivers in the industry/at a company are crucial. We want to make sure a driver hired in New Jersey and driver hired in California receive the same support and information that is needed. • We put safety first at all times by keeping our fleet age low, keeping advanced software in our trucks and celebrating safe behavior. This helps in retaining all drivers in the industry. NFI has given Allison all the opportunities for her to grow, from overseeing all functions of the company to finding where her interests lie to presenting at a Women in Trucking conference in Dallas, Texas. Because NFI is a privately-owned family-run third party logistics company, Allison has always seen and felt the family aspect of it. Not only is NFI helping Allison grow, but they try to help and recognize every employee they have. Located in the main lobby of their headquarters lies the Haul of Fame, a gallery of some of NFI’s best drivers over the years. NFI created NFI cares, a program where employees put a set amount of money into a fund. The fund is available for any employee who needs extra money in a time of need or financial hardship. She says, “It really drives home the family aspect that’s in the business; when someone is hurting, the family is there to help.” As she progresses in her career, she hopes to stay with NFI for a long time. If anyone is considering going into the industry, Allison says, “My advice is to go for it. The industry is growing and there’s no reason you can’t do it.” Allison Geist presented alongside some of her coworkers at the 2019 “Accelerate! Conference & Expo” by Women in Trucking Association AllisonGeistcamebacktocampustoeducatstudentsabout logistics and the importance of new technologies in the trucking industry.