Women Driving Change magazine was created in response to a growing demand for gender diversity in Canada’s professional truck driving sector. The publication’s goal is to be the voice of women behind the wheel, beneath the hood, running dispatch, organizing the office, selling the supplies, and all points in between. There are endless opportunities for women to build a long-lasting and rewarding career in this area and Women Driving Change intends to showcase these opportunities along with the people who have already done so.
Women make up 47% of Canada’s workforce, yet they only account for 3% of drivers. With support and guidance from the Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada (WTFC) and the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada (PMTC), Women Driving Change intends to discuss the reasons why women have not traditionally chosen professional truck driving as a career and what is and should be done to address these roadblocks.
The magazine will also showcase the talented women who have proven that fulfilling careers are achievable in the industry, and it will highlight the forward-thinking companies that are building robust equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) policies into their business practices. It will also explore innovative tools, technologies, and ideas.
Sharing these stories is crucial to reaching the next generation of women drivers and proving to them that they too can create a career in the sector, that forward-thinking companies are working hard to transform so that everyone is accepted and respected, and that associations are working hard on their behalf to activate change at the national and provincial level.
Women Driving Change is proud to tell the stories that matter most to Canadians working in this important sector. Thank you for your support!
Jessica Potter
Senior Publisher
publishing@matrixgroupinc.net
Shannon Savory
Editor-in-Chief
editor@matrixgroupinc.net
Jessica Potter Senior Publisher
Jessica has been with Matrix Group Publishing Inc. for more than a decade. She started on the phone, as a sales person, and has since transformed into a publishing force to be reckoned with. Rest assured, if Jessica is calling you about the possibility of creating a magazine for you, she has already done her research and believes it could be a success.
In fact, one of her favourite parts of the job is what others might call a necessary evil; the research. She explains, “My favourite part of publishing is the research we do on behalf of our clients and the many industries we serve across North America. When I reach out to an association, the research has already begun and even in the preliminary stages, I am already confident that this particular group could sustain a publication.”
One of Jessica’s favourite projects to date has been the creation of a bundled package for one of our existing clients, which includes magazine advertising, magazine profiles, and website advertising. “There are always new technologies emerging in the publishing sector, including digital publications, online buyers’ guides and e-newsletters,” she says. “Advertising has had to keep up with these trends, and creating this bundled package really assisted us in providing a ‘one-stop-shop’ for our clients. We now handle magazine and web ads for them, which frees up their time for other association initiatives.”
One such initiative is growing membership, something that Matrix can help out with as well. Jessica points out that having our sales team make hundreds of calls a day to industry specific businesses goes a long way to getting an association’s name in front of potential members. “When our sales team makes calls on any given magazine, they are explaining that they’re calling on behalf of such and such association, they’re sending media kits that include the association’s logo, and they’re providing information that includes the association’s website, names of contacts, and mission statements. Our sales team is calling for advertising, but they’re inadvertently showcasing our association clients to businesses who are good candidates for membership, too.”
Shannon Savory Editor-in-Chief
A long (LONG) time ago, Shannon walked out of the University of Regina with a Journalism Degree and straight into a job as editor for Matrix Group Publishing, Inc. It didn’t take long for her to earn top spot as Editor-in-Chief, a position she has held for over 17 years.
Shannon has helped get around 1,000 magazines to press. She has guided clients who are brand new to magazine publishing through the process, and she has built lasting relationships with her association contacts, many of whom have worked with Shannon for over a decade.
“I’ve seen all sides of it,” she says. “I have helped clients who came into the process knowing nothing about publishing a magazine, and now they are seasoned veterans. I have also worked with clients who have had horrible experiences with other publishers, and after working with Matrix, they now see that the creation of a magazine for their members can actually be quite fun and rewarding.”
After nearly two decades working in the industry, you might think the job would get boring. Not so, says Shannon. “Every day brings something different. In addition to editing articles and working with graphic designers on layouts, I am planning out production schedules – sometimes a year in advance – and am making sure that the entire production team and our clients are staying on track with deadlines. I’m managing websites and looking for articles to post as blogs for our own magazines (Canadian Mining Magazine, Western Built magazine, and Women Driving Change magazine), and I am working with industry partners on getting our line-up of magazines to various events across North America. Days rush by; there is never a dull moment.”
Each issue of Women Driving Change includes:
- Greetings and updates from respected industry organizations.
- Several feature articles that explore the issues most affecting women working in Canada’s professional trucking driving sector, including the topics of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI); human resources; training; the latest technologies and tools for drivers; and much more!
- On the Road With… introduces a female professional truck driver who has a story to share.
- Beneath the Hood With… introduces someone who has devoted their career to keeping rigs safely on the road.
- The Good News Spotlight showcases the ways Canadian trucking companies and their employees are doing good across Canada.