The heavy vehicle industry has never lacked strong women. What it has often lacked is enough visible pathways, enough connection points, and enough support to help more women see a future for themselves in the sector and build lasting careers once they get here.
That is the thinking behind HVIA’s Women’s Network, a new initiative designed to support women across HVIA member organisations and help create a more inclusive, better connected heavy vehicle industry.
Importantly, this is not a network for women only. It is for anyone who wants to champion a stronger and more diverse sector, and who recognises that attracting and retaining talented women is not a side issue, but part of building the industry’s future workforce.
At its heart, the initiative is about practical support and shared progress. It aims to connect people, encourage collaboration, share success stories and highlight the real opportunities that exist across the heavy vehicle sector, from workshops and manufacturing to dealerships, parts, logistics, corporate roles and leadership.
That matters because the challenge is still very real. While the industry has made progress, there is still a clear gap between where we are and where we could be. For many businesses, the issue is not willingness. It is knowing how to make change stick, how to build the right culture, and how to ensure capable people feel welcomed, supported and able to advance.
HVIA sees the Women’s Network as one way to help bridge that gap. Not by competing with the good work already being done elsewhere, but by adding another layer of connection and support that is tailored to HVIA’s membership and the broad mix of businesses that make up the heavy vehicle sector.
The network will provide a platform to share stories of women already making their mark in the industry, while also encouraging member organisations to learn from each other about what works. Sometimes that might mean highlighting a successful internal program. Sometimes it might simply mean creating opportunities for conversation, visibility and peer support.
Truck Week 2026 will help shine a light on that ambition, including through the HVIA National Women’s Network Breakfast at TruckShowX in the Hunter Valley. The event is intended to bring people together, celebrate women in the sector, and build the sort of connection that can lead to real momentum over time.
For the Truck Week audience, the message is simple: this is about making sure the heavy vehicle industry is a place where more good people can see a future.
That is good for businesses, good for workforce capability, and good for the long-term strength of the sector.
And if we want more talented women to choose this industry, stay in it and thrive in it, that is something worth backing.