THE SECOND annual report, written by Kirsten Tisdale of Aricia Limited for Women in Logistics UK CIC, finds women are heavily under-represented in the sector compared with the wider workforce, where they make up 48%. Women hold 1.2% of HGV driver roles and 9.4% of delivery driver and courier jobs, and the proportions of female HGV and forklift drivers have fallen since last year’s report. Women account for 21% of warehouse operatives and between 14% and 24% of managers. Clerical roles come closest to parity at 43–44%. The share of directors who are women has risen to 24%.

On pay, logistics generally has a smaller gender pay gap than the UK as a whole. Warehouse supervisors are the exception, with a median gap of 12.2% in favour of men.

Among the 203 logistics companies that submitted gender pay gap data for 2025-26, 154 (just over three quarters) had a mean gap in favour of men and 162 (four in five) had a median gap in favour of men. More than 97% were majority male in their top pay quartile and nearly 95% were majority male overall. Only four companies had mean and median gaps within 5% either way and more than a third of the minority gender in both their top quartile and workforce. All four are in the smallest employer size bracket.

The median gap across logistics companies is now 7.3%, close to the 7.2% recorded in 2017-18. It rose sharply after the 2021 driver crisis, when HGV driver pay increased by 11% between April 2021 and April 2022 against 5% for warehouse operatives, and has fallen again as minimum wage rises have lifted pay at the lower end. The report notes that the sector figures are unweighted because companies report in size bands.

The report also warns of a compliance gap. The Employment Rights Act 2025 will require employers with 250 or more staff to publish annual equality action plans, voluntary for the 2026-27 reporting year, with plans due by 4 April 2027, and mandatory after that. Plans must set out gender pay gap actions and measurable commitments, include a menopause support plan and show transparency around outsourced labour providers.

Of 185 logistics companies analysed, fewer than three in five linked to any pay gap information on their own websites, and based on past performance the report estimates fewer than one in eight are likely to be ready.

The report is available to buy from the Women in Logistics shop and has been provided to its supporting sponsors.