Women are doing amazing things in transportation and logistics. Each month, we highlight a member who is succeeding in the industry.
. Durham is the founder and president of Xcelente Trucking and Logistics Training Services.
June 2023 Member of the Month
The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Stephanie Klang as its June 2023 Member of the Month. As a professional driver for 38 years with 4 million miles, she provides her knowledge and perspective as an industry advocate and driver ambassador.
Klang began her career in the trucking industry in January of 1980. At the time, there were very few driving schools and the regulations were more relaxed, so when she took the written test for her class A license, her husband was allowed to teach her on the job.
The pair drove as a team for 15 years, traveling through 48 states. However, she was often treated as her husband’s helper or as an extra logbook.
This changed in 1987 when she started her career at CFI, a growing company with an open-door policy, commitment to safety and providing excellent equipment. From the first day, she was treated like a fully qualified driver and was able to flourish.
Klang learned about WIT and its mission when Founder Ellen Voie was promoting ride-alongs in 2010. The next year, she was chosen to pick up Debbie Hersman, board member for the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), in Washington D.C. and drive her to the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) in Louisville, Ky. A film crew was hired by Conway, her employer at the time, to capture the experience, launching Klang’s media career. Due to this successful event, she received Conway’s Constellation award in 2012, an honor only awarded to five out of 30,000 employees.
In 2013, she joined America’s Road Team (ART). As the only woman nominated, she became the third female driver in the history of ART. With the support of her company, Klang was able to attend several events a year and make a difference in enhancing the trucking industry’s image.
In 2015, WIT developed its Image Team, a volunteer group comprised of professional drivers and industry experts who represent the spirit of the association and share their knowledge and experience with the media, at events, and more. Klang immediately jumped at the opportunity to be involved. Additionally, she offered her perspective and expertise by serving on the WIT board of directors.
Klang achieved her goal of retiring from driving at the age of 60, but her influence on the trucking industry was far from over. After retirement, she transitioned into CFI’s marketing department to continue attending high school career days and truck shows. When the COVID-19 pandemic began in March of 2020, she took it as a sign to retire.
However, in the fall of 2022, she felt called to continued her involvement with WIT as an Image Team member and driver ambassador for the association’s WITney trailer program, educating and amplifying how a career in transportation can be rewarding for women. She speaks at industry events, truck shows, and career days.
“In my 4 million miles of driving in transportation, I came away with a few things,” said Klang. “Do the right thing when no one is watching; nothing great is achieved easily or without grit; if you do not like where you are in life, improve yourself and move up; practice and improve every day; and be positive and kind. On the days I did not feel my best, I got up and fulfilled my obligations anyway and they turned out to be some of my best days.”
May 2023 Member of the Month
The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Michaela Nejaime as its May 2023 Member of the Month. Nejaime is the enterprise sales manager at TruVideo, a video-first texting platform designed to create more transparency in the vehicle sales and service process.
Nejaime’s professional career began at a technical recruiting and staffing company, where she quickly learned some hard lessons experienced by women in business. In meetings, Nejaime noticed that she was typically looked over and questions were directed at male counterparts. As a result, she would often defer to suggestions submitted by others, knowing it was wrong to not make her voice heard.
After her career transition to TruVideo, a heavy equipment dealer contacted the company, as he had mistakenly received a TruVideo link meant for an automotive dealership nearby. Accidentally clicking the link, he was impressed by the high-definition video of RO being performed, combined with the capability of texting updates back and forth between dealer and customer. The dealer asked TruVideo if the same solution could be implemented at his dealership, however, at the time, this could not be done because TruVideo was co-founded by a retail automotive dealer and lacked visibility into the trucking industry.
Immediately recognizing the opportunity to enter a new market, Nejaime pitched the transportation industry to her leadership team, which agreed to give her the chance to prove her instincts correct.
“The trucking industry is the lifeblood of our country,” said Nejaime. “There isn't anything that we touch that hasn't been brought to us by a truck.”
Taking on this initiative by herself with no additional resources, Nejaime began asking dealerships questions regarding their goals, customer experiences, and areas that needed improvement to better understand how they conducted business. It didn’t take long for Nejaime to discover the value TruVideo could bring to this industry, expediting the service process and ensuring trucks were back on the road sooner rather than later.
By following her instincts, Michaela discovered a new sales channel for her company and the results speak for themselves. Due to her diligent efforts, TruVideo has now been implemented by several hundred similar dealerships within the industry in the U.S. and Canada. One dealer, for example, averaged $3,100 more per RO in a 30-day time period with TruVideo versus without the platform.
“Typically, there are only a few women sitting at the same table with you during business discussions,” said Nejaime. “As a woman in this space, it is sometimes natural to doubt yourself and to doubt your ability to contribute. We need to remember we have a lot to offer.”
April 2023 Member of the Month
The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Angelika Mangino as its April 2023 Member of the Month. Mangino is the culture and engagement manager at Clean Harbors, North America’s leading provider of environmental and industrial services.
Originally from a small farming community in Ohio, surrounded by acres of farmland and farming equipment, Mangino, a dedicated champion for women in her industry, gained a new meaning for the word “trucks.” Unbeknown to her at the time, Mangino’s professional career would someday grow into working for the largest North American hazardous waste and environmental services company.
As a lead employee engagement ambassador of diversity, equity, and inclusion, Mangino celebrates drivers across the company and is an active participant in all seven employee resource groups at Clean Harbors. Last year, at the 2022 Women In Trucking Accelerate! Conference & Expo, Angelika had the honor of presenting the first female truck wrap to Cathy Spencer on behalf of Clean Harbor’s Employee Resource Group, Women Advancing our Values in Environmental Services (WAVES).
Additionally, she leads and manages the companies Commercial Driver’s License Sponsorship Program and supported more than 200 employees in receiving their CDL in 2022.
“Employee engagement can only be achieved through the active participation of our employees,” said Mangino. “They are the change we want to see and without them, diversity and inclusion wouldn’t exist.”
A mentor and advocate, Mangino continues to champion and promote change across the industry for females by being an active member of the Women In Trucking Association and company liaison. Her leadership and dedication to females across the transportation and logistics industry is evident through her ongoing efforts and work.
“Continue to strive for change within our industry and aim to improve the perspectives of females behind the wheel of a truck,” said Mangino. “In this industry, we still believe it’s all about males and that is not the case. We are making strides and seeing change, as the percentage of females in the transportation and logistics industry increases each year.”
March 2024 Member of the Month
The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Tanya Miracle as its March 2024 Member of the Month. Miracle is the Director OE Truck Channel at Bridgestone Americas.
Even though Miracle has been involved in the trucking industry since she was in high school, she said that it was 100% by accident that she still finds herself in the trucking industry today.
She lived in Ohio when she started her career as a dispatcher for Robert’s Express in 1993. From there, she worked for a tire mold company for a few years.
She was married (and divorced) to an owner operator who hauled oversize drop deck freight. She fully understands the sacrifices and challenges faced by the families of long-haul drivers. She knows how difficult it is when birthdays and holidays must be missed, or when the industry is experiencing a downturn and work is uncertain. She remembers those tough days but feels that it helped shape who she is today and helped build her resilience and courage.
When Miracle decided to apply at Bridgestone, it was for the role of developing consumer tires, but the interviewers introduced her to the commercial truck group, and that is where she is today. Since then, she has fallen in love with the people, the industry, the weather in Nashville, and her work. She genuinely enjoys the interactions with the trucking industry. Working and meeting people at conferences and conventions, from truck drivers to CEOs, all interacting together, and sharing their knowledge and experience is part of the collaborative environment that keeps her in the industry. Everyone exchanges ideas and thoughts as equals, no matter what their title in their company may be. As Miracle says, “It is a great industry to be in.”
The most unique aspect of Miracle's role is how she goes about being in a predominantly male world - she promotes from within and continues to "break the bias" by breaking down the barriers for women in the industry. She creates pathways for women to succeed and ensures that everyone has the tools necessary to realize their full potential. Miracle has a progressive mindset and leverages her technical expertise as a previous design engineer to drive initiatives and innovative ideas to deliver solutions to her customers (OEMs and fleets). She selflessly shares information and contacts to make Bridgestone a great place to develop talent and preserve a culture of comradery. She is in her element when she can mentor and teach others in the industry.
Outside of work, Miracle’s main interests are her children, family, and playing golf. She has nine children - three stepchildren, three of her own, and three adopted children. She loves being both a woman with an amazing career and a mom.
Miracle won an internal Bridgestone America award for being part of the R213 team in 2020 and was further awarded as a top woman to watch in Bridgestone in 2022. As an inspiring and thoughtful leader, her biggest piece of advice is, "don’t be intimidated or come into the industry with a preconceived notion of what the trucking industry is; the societal stereotypes about ‘trucking’ are just not true.”
Miracle really believes that it is a shame that the trucking industry’s image is viewed as it is at times. She recognizes that the trucking industry is much more accepting and open than it is perceived to be. She feels that it is nice to see more diversity and that it will help to move the industry forward. With diversity comes innovative ideas, philosophies, and mindsets that will only help make the trucking industry even stronger in diverse ways.
In the future, Miracle still sees herself in the trucking industry. She is a passionate person and wants to continue doing what she can to make the industry the best it can be. She would like to do whatever she can to continue to move the trucking industry forward. “This industry was created by hard-working, driven people who move the world around us into the future every day."
February 2024 Member of the Month
The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Kimberly Diggs as its February 2024 Member of the Month. Diggs is the Senior Content Marketing Manager at Triumph.
Diggs had no idea when she was the arts and entertainment editor for 14 newspapers years ago that she would end up in marketing, let alone the trucking industry.
How did Diggs find herself working in the trucking industry? She recalls that, almost two years ago, a recruiter from Triumph reached out to her while she was handling marketing and PR for an alcohol brand. At the time she said, “I was working a dead-end job that I was very unhappy in and when the recruiter reached out to me, I took the plunge!”
She’s now the content marketer for Triumph. Part of her job is to get a deeper understanding of the life of a trucker in order to effectively speak to them. The more she has learned, the deeper her appreciation has grown for truckers and the individual sacrifices that are made to ensure our society does not collapse. She feels that truckers are truly unsung heroes.
Diggs has received fantastic opportunities to host a webinar about becoming a content creator as a driver and be a panelist in a discussion about the importance of centering the voice of drivers in company messaging. In both opportunities, she hoped to spark some thought around women and GNC folk seeing themselves as thought leaders.
She says that “In an industry that has been male dominated for a long time, these winds of change are important, and we should share any information we have to help the next person shine brighter while more companies are open to it.” She loves the fact that she has the opportunity to make an impact and how exciting it is to see it come to fruition.
Diggs is sure many of us have been given the short but classic speech that we have to be twice as good to receive half of what our counterparts do. “Though I didn’t like why I was receiving this advice, I took it to heart and received the wake-up call of my career a few years before working at Triumph because that advice smacked me in the face one day.”
She presented her plan for content marketing and PR for the company she was working for at the time and was able to expertly answer every question asked of her by the members of the sales team they were presenting to. The next day, the VP went down the line, giving specific feedback about what the sales guys appreciated about her teammates’ presentations. When she (the VP) got to Diggs, her feedback was “they liked how professional you are.” This was not because she had a lackluster plan, and they were struggling to find a compliment. This was because, based on her race, gender, age, or some fun cocktail of these intersections, they expected her to be unprofessional.
“This is the unfortunate reality of being a member of a marginalized group. The key is to understand this reality; determine how much control you have in your career and future; and rise to great everyday with confidence and a coffee.”
She would like any women wanting to join the trucking industry to know that “you should always advocate for yourself. You are knowledgeable, you are capable, and the company you work for knows that you have something to offer because you are there.”
Though many women assume they won’t be able to enter trucking, especially as drivers or owner-operators, Diggs has seen a shift in attitude on social media, as part of her job is to keep up with trucking content all over the web. “I think lots of women assume they can’t work in trucking because they’re moms or they are juggling too many responsibilities, but you get on TikTok, and you see so many women doing it! They are moms, wives, mentors, bosses, truckers and more. It’s empowering to realize you can type in a topic on TikTok and there is a good chance a woman’s video may show up giving you valuable information about that topic. Things are changing for the better.”
Diggs is extremely optimistic about her bright future. She plans to stay in marketing and would like to progress to a senior role. Being able to mentor, provide guidance, and support is something that she is interested in doing in the future.
January 2024 Member of the Month
The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Kierra Meyer as its January 2024 Member of the Month. Meyer is the Senior Manager of the Operations Academy at Sysco Corporation.
Meyer knew when she was in college that there was more extensive training needed for truck drivers. Little did she know though that she would end up being an intricate part of that training and so involved in the trucking industry.
While in college, she was privileged to help coordinate the One Republic concert that was performing at the campus. The night before the show, everyone was getting ready and setting up for the performance. A driver that was arranging the stage had to do a blind reverse, with a 90-degree turn into the parking lot. He had a crew member out there with him helping to guide him to the dock. It would have been fine if the hospitality manager had moved his van, but that was not the case, and the spotter signaled the driver to turn too late causing the DOT bumper to smash into the back of the van making it undriveable. Meyer remembers her first thought at the time was “I feel like there should have been some type of training to prevent this.” Fast forward to today and we find Meyer developing curriculum for trucking, warehouse, and logistics!
Meyer started her career in the trucking industry from a friendly referral. A previous coworker started a new job at a Bakery Supply Distribution Company and mentioned Meyer’s name to the company’s director. Meyer met, interviewed, and eventually became the DOT Safety Manager and Assistant Warehouse Manager. She started her role in 2016 and has been working in the trucking industry ever since. In March of 2022, Meyer started working at Sysco Corporation as the Senior Manager of the Operation Academy.
Meyer and her team work on curriculum design for Sysco’s Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training facilities. Their in-house training is offered to existing employees to help them advance their career at Sysco by becoming CDL certified drivers. The program will help increase the number of qualified drivers at Sysco and increase the career earnings potential of those trained. The program is taught by professional trainers employed by Sysco and the company covers all costs of training, licensing, and certification. After graduating and obtaining a CDL, each qualified driver will be offered a position as a driver at Sysco. Along with the CDL program, Meyer also manages the curriculum for all new Sysco Delivery Partners, whether they already have their CDL or have just graduated from the CDL program.
This course dives into the skills needed to help their Delivery Partners stay safe while working efficiently. They also collaborate with Veterans giving them opportunities after their training to drive for them. They have several training classes, including backing, all done in a safe environment with the emphasis on safety.
When Meyer is not working, she tries to live sustainably. She once bought a table that did not last long. When it broke, she decided that she was going to fix it, and she did. Since that time, she tends to buy things that are used or make it herself. Her current project includes refinishing an oak dining table and six chairs. Last year, she built shelves with scrap wood that was given to her. She finds fun in gaining new skills because you never know when they will be useful. It is wonderful to be able to have the skills to change things and make them even better than they were.
Meyer believes women are the movers and shakers of the trucking industry. In a traditionally male-led industry, women now have the unique opportunity to push boundaries, make significant changes, and bring in new opportunities! She would love to see the trucking industry workforce be closer to 50/50 men and women. We have come a long way, but we can still bring it even closer. The more women hear about the opportunities available to them, the more excited they become and want to be a part of the trucking industry.
Her advice to women wanting to break into the trucking industry is to make your voice heard with any new or helpful ideas that will lead you to make your mark! She also states, “Don’t be afraid to jump into projects or work. People will always remember your initiative, not if you did everything perfectly the first time.”
It is truly amazing how Meyer never saw herself working in the trucking industry, but looking back to her college days and remembering how she felt more training should be done to help the truck drivers and here she is designing the curriculum to help drivers be able to learn to do all their backing skills. She wants to make work easier for others and by seeing the big picture that can happen. “Just take it day by day!”
December 2023 Member of the Month
The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Deb Beecher as its December 2023 Member of the Month. Beecher is an area risk manager I for J.B. Hunt Transport and recently celebrated 40 years with the company.
Raised by a 3-million-mile safe driver, Beecher was familiar with the trucking industry and had an appreciation for drivers and the work they do across the nation. She remembers passing by J.B. Hunt on her way to church every Sunday and shortly after graduating high school, her best friend’s father who was a vice president of transport at the time encouraged her to apply. The decision was easy as the passion for the industry was already there.
Celebrating 40 years with the company in 2023, Beecher did not start her time there thinking she was going to make a full career out of it. “My intention was to go into nursing, but I ended up on a different path,” said Beecher. “Since the start, I have really enjoyed working at J.B. Hunt. I look back now, and know transportation is where I was meant to be. I have held various roles at this company but have always come back to the operational side and working with the heart of our company, the drivers.”
Beecher understands the importance of safety within her company and values deeply the opportunity to provide safety resources to its drivers. “Many drivers have connected with me to say thank you and I love that about my role,” said Beecher. “Whenever our drives utilize new safety resources, it’s like a lightbulb turns on for them and it’s not just a good feeling, it’s a great feeling.”
A fond memory of her time at J.B. Hunt was before driver load sheets were digital and one that was essential to an important load has been misplaced. Mrs. Hunt personally took the time to help Beecher look for the load sheet until it was found. She enjoyed the time she got to spend with Mrs. Hunt saying, “she has always had a heart for the drivers of J.B. Hunt and would do whatever it took to make sure their time at the company was successful.”
In 2018, Beecher received the Rodney Horton award that is given in recognition and appreciation of commitment to J.B. Hunt and compassion for others. The award is in honor of Rodney Horton who was a long-time employee and exemplary person who passed while employed with J.B. Hunt. In this same year, Beecher and her team received the Pillar award for Q1 for Truckload Support category.
Beecher is a champion for women in the trucking industry saying, “I encourage women within our industry to show up to work, do your job well, and you will be recognized for your work. Believe in yourself and never think you aren’t capable.”
November 2023 Member of the Month
The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Maria Cardenas as its November 2023 Member of the Month. Cardenas is the marketing manager at Sworkz, a nearshoring and staffing service provider.
Cardenas’ father’s first job was providing food to truckers on the highways. Years later, as a little girl, he used to sit her on his lap, and she would steer the wheel in a parking lot while he drove slowly. Those moments with him sparked her fascination with driving. “It's funny how it all comes full circle,” said Cardenas. “From those childhood memories to now working in an industry that's intrinsically tied to my family's history.”
She is now 27 years old and believes being a young woman in this industry has its own unique set of challenges such as feeling the need to prove yourself and fighting against stereotypes of how a woman should conduct herself or act. However, Cardenas considers herself lucky to have been born into a family where her grandmother, mother, and sister all exuded leadership and strong character. From their example, she has learned to be a strong woman and unapologetically herself.
As a result, she has held onto her values and principles, and surrounds herself with empowered women who have guided her through her journey. Cardenas is determined to carve a path not just for herself, but for other women too; enabling them to shine even brighter by staying true to themselves, even in a world that often casts being unique in a negative light.
Cardenas feels her journey wasn't conventional as she has worked in various marketing agencies, spanning B2B and B2C industries to e-commerce to NGOs and education platforms. But it was Sworkz that led her to the nearshoring industry and its unique challenges.
“The idea of empowering women in this male-dominated field resonated with me deeply. As part of the leadership team, I have the privilege and ability to make impactful decisions, advocating not just for women's talents but also helping some of them as business owners to grow their companies,” said Cardenas. “At Sworkz, we are more than just hollow words – we realize we need to lead with our actions. Our leadership team is 50% women, and our marketing team is almost 90%. As a nearshoring and staffing service provider, we have a responsibility to embody the change we want to see in the industry.”
Cardenas hopes her story inspires women to keep breaking more barriers saying, “if you're a woman considering working in this industry, never apologize for being yourself. Embrace your uniqueness, your skills, and your passion. I hope my journey can be a testament that age and gender are not a barrier and what truly matters is your dedication, kindness, and the mark you want to leave on the world.”
October 2023 Member of the Month
The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Lauren Keeney as its October 2023 Member of the Month. Keeney is a regional driver from S&H Express, Inc. based in York, PA.
Keeney was inspired to earn her CDL while waiting at a traffic light. As she finished making Amazon deliveries for the day, she glanced at the tractor trailer beside her and saw a woman was behind the wheel. “I realized that if she could do it, I could too,” said Kenney.
Shortly after, Lauren enrolled at the Shelly Truck Driving School in York, PA. Training Supervisor Bob Grimaldi remembers Lauren as someone who always in high spirits and quick to master even the most complicated material. “Lauren never shied away from a new challenge and never settled for good enough,” said Grimaldi, who has closely followed her career at S&H Express which is affiliated with Shelly Truck Driving School. “She wanted to be the best she could be, and she worked with her classmates to help them reach the same level.”
S&H Express Recruiting Manager Andrea Whipple has known Lauren since they were teens working together at Tom’s Gas Station and says, “Lauren has always been a hard worker. Even as a kid, she strived to do better. She has one of the biggest hearts and would help anyone out, whenever.”
Lauren’s desire to help others and her drive to succeed continues. In September 2021, after earning her CDL, Keeney signed with S&H Express. She has recently begun to train new drivers and is earning rave reviews. Last year, Dispatcher Tina Bailey assigned Keeney to an important dedicated account in Richmond, VA and Keeney has achieved 100% on-time service for the customer. “What is notable is that this is a five-times-per week York, PA to Richmond, VA run to a very difficult, very tight dock location,” said Bailey. “It’s a location that many other drivers have refused after their first run. Not Lauren, and she is always willing to help other drivers, even from other companies, who are having trouble backing into that customer location.”
S&H Express Director of Operations Doug Forry adds, “Lauren has a bright future in trucking. She’s smart, determined, and always willing to go above and beyond in this male-populated industry. She is one of a kind!”
Keeney’s advice for anyone who is thinking about trucking as a career, especially women, is to do their research stating, “talk to the director of a reputable school, ask to talk with a few of their graduates, and call the recruiting department of a small, large, and mega trucking company. Interview them and a few of their female drivers so that you can make an informed decision for yourself.”
Further showcasing her love for the road, Keeney enjoys travel. Her York to Richmond assignment affords lots of opportunities to appreciate beautiful scenery and take note of sites that would be great for vacation.
September 2023 Member of the Month
The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Laura Duryea as its September 2023 Member of the Month. Duryea is the Director of Driver Recruitment and Professional Growth at Boyle Transportation, a specialized transportation logistics provider.
Duryea got her start in the transportation industry as a professional driver which was inspired by driving the shuttle bus while attending Carnegie Mellon University. After graduating with a Viola Performance degree and a change of heart, she ultimately decided to attend Pittsburgh Diesel Institute, resulting in a 25-year driving career.
The last two of those driving years were spent as a team driver at Boyle Transportation before transitioning to the Manager of Recruiting, Retention, and Driver Development for 5 years. She has been the Director of Driver Recruitment and Professional Growth since July 2023 and believes her 25-year driving career brings a unique perspective to the position.
In 2022, Duryea was named as a member newly established Women of Trucking Advisory Board (WOTAB) of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The mission of this advisory board is to support women pursuing careers in trucking, expand scholarship opportunities for women in the trucking industry, and enhance trucking training, mentorship, education, and outreach programs for women. She was also recently named as a mentor in the Women in Motion Mentor Program with the American Trucking Association (ATA).
Outside of her impressive career in the transportation industry, Duryea is also a member of the Savannah Professional Women for Good which supports local non-profit organizations in her community. She was also the secretary of the Dover Volunteer Fire Department for 10 years and ran LaDa Farms, an organic farm that supplied organic produce to local natural food stores for 15 years.
Duryea is a passionate member of WIT and its mission saying, “women are collaborative by nature and when we come together for a cause we can change the world and this industry.”
August 2023 Member of the Month
The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Vontyna Durham as its August 2023 Member of the Month. Durham is the founder and president of Xcelente Trucking and Logistics Training Services in Memphis, Tennessee.
Following in the footsteps of her cousin and fiercely determined to dominate a male-populated industry, Durham attended trucking school and obtained her CDL. She was the only woman in her class at the time, as women were not widely accepted in these professions, but she knew she could do it like the guys – if not better.
Now, with more than 18 years of driving under her belt, Durham is fueled by her dedication to her community and is a firm believer in second chances. As a result, she is the first woman in the State of Tennessee to establish a CDL apprenticeship program specifically developed for women, youth, and justice-involved individuals.
“I’m a game changer and I focus on making a difference and changing lives,” said Durham. “My goal is to show people that whether you have been homeless or have been incarcerated, you can still have a rewarding career. You could say I’m like the underground mother of the trucking industry.”
Durham’s commitment to the empowerment of the next generation sparked the development of the first-ever youth trucking dispatcher and CDL program. The program is available to individuals between the ages of 16 and 24 and provides mentorship, job shadowing, and advanced skill building. In 2022, she received the Leaders and Legends award by the City of Memphis for these efforts.
She is also a member of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot (SDAP) Program.
Durham is creating a movement by training highly qualified drivers to meet the growing demand of the transportation industry. She encourages all women to have confidence in themselves and pursue a career in the trucking industry saying, “if you’re determined and you’ve decided this career path is what you want to do – just go for it. Set yourself up for success, stay focused, and accomplish your goals.”
July 2023 Member of the Month
The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Liana Castro as its July 2023 Member of the Month. Castro is a driver trainer at LGT Transport, a leading transportation company in the cryogenic industry.
Driven by the freedom, flexibility, sense of adventure, and opportunity to travel, a career in trucking was the perfect fit for Castro. She began pulling reefers, followed by going local to deliver food service. She then transitioned to linehaul and pulled doubles and triples. Later, when Castro was interested in hauling fuel, the company she applied to needed cryo drivers. That was the moment she was introduced to the cryogenic industry.
"I found it absolutely fascinating and was glad I got into that division instead,” said Castro. “It opened more doors for me and ultimately led me to LGT Transport.”
With 14 years of experience in truck driving, Castro has established herself as a skilled, reliable, and dependable driver. She is meticulous about her equipment, follows the customer's requirements, and consistently goes above and beyond. Proving to be an invaluable member of the LGT team for the past six years, she was promoted to driver trainer in February of 2023. As the first female to hold this position at the company, she is paving the way for other women to follow in her footsteps.
Today, Castro trains drivers to transport cryogenic materials such as CO2, liquid oxygen, nitrogen, and argon. Her role is crucial, as she ensures that new drivers learn to follow all safety protocols. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience to help others thrive in the industry.
With perseverance, determination and passion, Castro demonstrates that anyone can succeed in pursuing their dreams. “Don't be intimidated or put off by the industry just because it's male-populated,” she said. “Trucking is a great opportunity for anyone willing to put in the effort. Keep at it.”
The Member of the Month program supports a key pillar of the WIT mission - promoting accomplishments of women in the transportation and logistics industry. Do you know a woman who is making significant strides in our industry or want to share your own journey? Submit a story below.