by Women In Trucking Staff, on Mar 31, 2026 8:39:54 AM
The ballroom buzzed with energy last Friday afternoon as nearly 120 female professional truck drivers and more than 200 allies came together — joined by industry leaders like FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs — to celebrate female professional truck drivers at the 15th annual “Salute to Women Behind the Wheel.” The event was held at the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) in Louisville, KY.
Every year, the Women In Trucking Association (WIT) hosts the “Salute” to honor, recognize and celebrate female professional truck drivers for their passions and successes to keep America’s freight moving. As part of the event’s tradition, at the beginning of the event all attendees who were not female drivers lined the entrance to form a chain of celebration. Women professional truck drivers then entered the room and everyone cheered them on with applause, high-fives and genuine appreciation for all their hard work and dedication.
Drivers Share Their Stories and Experiences
The program was led by the WIT Image Team members who shared their personal stories, with an emphasis on the important role they play in representing the Women In Trucking mission through the WITney® Educational Trailer. WIT Image Team members Allyson Hay, Professional Driver with Walmart Private Fleet and KayLeigh McCall, CDL Instructor with Ogeechee Technical College, shared their experiences as WITney® Ambassadors (drivers who are trained to support events where WITney® is present) with WITney® Champions (companies that haul the trailer). Their experiences focused on raising awareness of the WIT mission, promoting career opportunities for women in trucking, and recognizing achievements of outstanding women in the industry.
Allyson Hay (Walmart Private Fleet) and KayLeigh McCall (Ogeechee Technical College) share their experiences as WITney® Ambassadors who help to amplify the WIT mission and promote career opportunities for women in trucking.
Additional Image Team members also shared how WIT has fostered a true “sisterhood” in being part of the association. Ingrid Brown, Operations Manager and Professional Driver for Blackjack Express and Kellylynn McLaughlin, Professional Driver with Clean Harbors, described how they became involved with the association and how they ultimately became members of the WIT Image Team. Brown hauls specialize freight (heavy, oversize and refrigerated) while McLaughlin has more than 10 years in dry-van operations, driver training, specialized equine transport and over-the-road hazardous materials. Both women also shared their stories of how much being part of the WIT Image Team has had an impact on their careers as professional truck drivers.
Finalists of WIT’s 2026 Driver of the Year program were recognized for their leadership in safety standards and representing drivers in the industry: Kellylynn McLaughlin (Clean Harbors Environmental Services), Fabiola Campos-Buenavista (FedEx Freight), Ingrid Brown (Blackjack Express) and Gina Jones (Werner).
Part of the program also highlighted the stories of the finalists of WIT’s 2026 Driver of the Year award program, which recognizes outstanding female professional truck drivers who lead the industry in safety standards while actively enhancing the public image of the trucking industry. Sponsored by Walmart, finalists of this year’s Driver of the Year program include:
- Ingrid Brown, who has built a 46-year career in trucking and current serves as Operations Manager and Driver at Blackjack Express in West Memphis/Proctor, AR — specializing in heavy haul, oversize and refrigerated freight commodities. Rebecca Pettit, Chief Council of Federal Moto Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) was in attendance to present Brown, who was named the 2026 Driver of the Year, with a certificate of achievement. As mentioned earlier, FMCSA Administrator Barrs also was in attendance for the presentation.
- Fabiola Campos-Buenavista, who serves as a FedEx Road Team Captain and is actively involved in community outreach, school safety education, and disaster relief efforts. She is a professional driver and driver development instructor for FedEx Freight.
- Gina Jones, who earned her CDL at age 50 after a successful career in retail management to join her husband Steve on the road. A company driver for Werner®, Jones has received the 2024 TA Citizen Driver Award, the Werner Safe Driver Award, and the NTA President’s Safe Driver Club Award.
- Kellylynn McLaughlin, WIT’s first Driver Ambassador and national transportation driver dump and roll off for Clean Harbors Environmental Services.
WIT also featured a photo wall and posters of each Driver of the Year since 2020, lining the aisle with their pictures.
Read more about Ingrid Brown Being Named WIT’s 2026 Driver of the Year.
Placing an Emphasis on Fostering Connections
With WIT’s enhanced mission statement to “champion the employment and advancement of women in trucking, foster connections, and recognize achievements,” attending truck drivers were asked to participate in a Networking Bingo Game to encourage networking and make it fun. On the game card, each box had a call-out of some characteristic to find in another driver (for example, “find a driver who has driven over 3 million miles” or “find a driver who travels with a pet.” Throughout the Bingo game, Image Team members KayLeigh McCall and Kellylynn McLaughlin pumped up the crowd with roaming mics. They helped folks find drivers that matched their bingo cards. They kept the audience engaged and excited to participate.
At the end of the event WIT Image Team member Melissa Eauclaire announced the door prize winners, pulling from the completed Bingo cards.
"The Salute is such a special way for WIT to truly honor female professional drivers,” says Jenny Fall, WIT’s Director of Driver Engagement. “From the celebratory entrance to the final picture, I'm honored to be part of a celebration that lifts up and recognizes the true powerhouse women behind the wheel."
Related Articles:
- Salute to Women Behind the Wheel
- Rolling with the Best: WIT’s Salute to Women Behind the Wheel 2025
- 2024 Salute Recap: We “Salute” Female CDL Holders!
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