Rachael McWilliams

Loving the lorry isn’t just about driving one. That’s what Rachael McWilliams, Operations and Development Director, has discovered over the past decade and half she’s been working in driving recruitment...

“One of the first things I did was enrol on a one night a week, year-long International CPC course. That really opened my eyes to the importance of road transport, the logistics cycle and the essential role lorries play in all our lives.”

Rachael McWilliams, Operations and Development Director

Rachael McWilliams

Loving the lorry isn’t just about driving one. That’s what Rachael McWilliams, Operations and Development Director for Wilson Gibb Management Services (WGMS), has discovered over the past decade and half she’s been working in driving recruitment.

“When I started, I knew nothing about road transport, logistics or recruitment. I kind of got my job with Driver Hire by default,” says Rachael who, back in 2004, was fresh out of Heriot Watt University with a Business Management degree. But, like a slow-burn rom-com, Rachael has grown to ‘Love the Lorry’.

“When I joined the team I was the only female working in the Edinburgh office,” Rachael recalls. “One of the first things I did was to enrol on a one night a week, year-long International CPC course. That really opened my eyes to the importance of road transport, the logistics cycle and the essential role lorries play in all our lives. That in turn led to a real enjoyment of road transport & logistics recruitment, which has such an essential role in the smooth running of the industry.”

WGMS is one of Scotland’s top small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and operates Driver Hire offices Edinburgh City, Edinburgh West, Borders, Fife, Grangemouth, Motherwell and Newcastle.

During the Coronavirus pandemic, Rachael played a key role in supporting all branch teams within WGMS, ensuring essential operators across the region had access to the key workers they needed. As a result, Rachael stepped up from Area Manager to her new role as Operations and Development Director.

 

“Throughout the pandemic, our seven branches supported clients across the Central Scotland area and Newcastle in key sectors such as pharmaceuticals, food & drink, online retail, infrastructure, utilities, construction and more. We have welcomed many new clients who haven’t had the need for a flexible workforce until now and it feels good to be part of a family doing a job that really matters.”

Regarding driver recruitment and the future of the logistics industry, Rachael says, “Finding work for drivers – any time – is great and it gives me a real feeling of satisfaction. Attracting younger people to the industry is key for the future of the industry –  more female driving talent in particular.

We have definitely seen our candidate database diversifying more over previous months – more so than ever. Just one example of that is the fact that we have airline pilots driving for us now.”

Rachael adds, “There’s much more to road transport than just driving. That’s what I’ve discovered. It’s a realistic career with a whole host of job opportunities.

Nowadays, when I’m driving across Scotland, I’m always looking at lorries – their load, livery, whether the operator has had a recent fleet upgrade. I’m also a Truckfest regular, so was delighted that we could get back to Truck fest Scotland 2021 in September. After a long wait, it was even bigger and better than any others! I guess you can say that I really do ‘Love the Lorry’!”

Get in touch with Rachael at Driver Hire Edinburgh City or read more on National Lorry Week here.