Logistics at a CrossRoads: Vol 9 📦 Invisible Loads: What Logistics Still Gets Wrong About Childless Women

👩🏽‍💼 A follow-up to my CNBC post — and a call for change in 2025.

“What if the strongest person on your team is carrying the heaviest load — and no one sees it?”

When I shared my experience in the CNBC piece about childless women in logistics, the response was overwhelming. Women across industries — many of whom never speak up — told me they felt seen, maybe for the first time.

This post is for them. And for every leader in logistics ready to listen. 

1 in 6 women globally experience infertility during their lifetime.
(World Health Organization, 2023)

I’m childless — not by choice.
I’m an ovarian cancer survivor.
I’ve known pregnancy, but not childbirth.
I’ve known grief, and I’ve kept showing up — every single day.

🚫 Misunderstood Responsibilities

Being childless doesn't mean being carefree.

Many of us care for aging parents, sick siblings, or pour time into community, faith, and causes that matter. These responsibilities may look different from parenting — but they’re just as real.

📉 When “Flexibility” Becomes Inequity

Childless women are often:

• The default for last-minute coverage

• Overlooked for vacation time

• Expected to “stay late — you don’t have kids anyway”

We’re not resentful — we’re exhausted.
We’re not bitter — we’re overlooked.

We’re not less committed — we’re carrying invisible loads.

💡 From Sympathy to Structure

If you're a leader in logistics, here’s where change starts:

✅ Don’t assume “no kids” = more time
✅ Respect caregiving of all types
✅ Schedule fairly — based on capacity, not stereotypes
✅ Reevaluate time-off policies for equity

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🧭 We Can Do Better

It’s 2025. Logistics thrives on precision — it’s time we apply that same intentionality to how we treat people.

👉 Stop measuring commitment by who works the longest.
👉 Start seeing value in those who carry the unseen.

Let’s build teams where inclusion isn’t optional — it’s foundational.