Senior traffic commissioner becomes CILT president

New CILT president Beverley Bell has said the logistics industry needs to challenge stereotypes and raise its profile if it is to address the widening skills gap in the sector.

Senior TC Bell, who officially took the CILT helm this month, addressed guests at the institute’s Annual President’s Inauguration Lunch, asking “why don’t people want to work in our industry?”.

She said more needed to be done to challenge the stereotype of a ‘typical lorry driver’ and to champion the “great work being done every day” by transport and logistics employees if the sector was to attract more young people.

Bell added that she was “privileged” to take on the role of president for 2015-2016 and thanked outgoing president Jim Spittle for his efforts, saying he would be a hard act to follow.