
The annual award recognizes those in the transportation industry who provide leadership, create change, and inspire.

Women In Trucking, in partnership with TrueBlue’s Centerline Drivers, is currently accepting nominations for the 2026 Influential Woman in Trucking Award—one of the industry's highest honors recognizing women whose leadership is helping shape the future of trucking. Now in its 16th year, this prestigious award celebrates women who make or influence key decisions across the trucking, transportation, logistics, and supply chain industries. Nominees are recognized not only for their professional accomplishments, but also for their vision, leadership, mentorship, and commitment to paving the way for others.
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Angela Lentz serves as chief people officer for Daimler Truck North America (DTNA), where she leads the people and culture strategy behind one of the region's largest commercial vehicle manufacturers.
Mari Roberts, CTP, serves as senior vice president of the North America Supply Chain Centers of Excellence for PepsiCo Beverage US and PepsiCo Foods US, where she leads operational excellence across manufacturing, warehousing, transportation, fleet, and integrated business solutions.
Sauny Tucker serves as CEO for Tucker Freight Lines, where she leads the safety, human resources, recruiting, and marketing efforts, while helping guide the company's continued growth and expansion.

Chief People Officer
Daimler Truck North America
Angela Lentz serves as chief people officer for Daimler Truck North America (DTNA), where she leads the people and culture strategy behind one of the region's largest commercial vehicle manufacturers. She serves on the DTNA Operating Committee, the company’s senior leadership body for North America, and on Daimler Truck’s global Human Resources Operating Committee. Through these roles, she brings a people-focused perspective to business decisions and organizational transformation at both the regional and global levels.
That perspective is grounded in nearly three decades of experience across the business. Before leading DTNA’s people organization, Lentz held roles in purchasing, materials, quality, and finance and has worked in both corporate offices and the Portland Truck Manufacturing Plant. Her cross-functional background gives her a practical understanding of the business, allowing her to connect workforce strategy with operational performance.
For Lentz, leadership is built on connection and trust. Known for her transparent style and passion for developing others, she has built a reputation as a mentor and advocate for employees across the organization. Through mentoring relationships, leadership engagement opportunities and skip-level conversations, she creates space for employees to share their perspectives, grow professionally and feel connected to the company's success. As a Commercial Driver's License holder, she has taken a hands-on approach to understanding the industry and the people who keep it moving, strengthening her connection to employees, customers and transportation professionals.
Lentz is also committed to helping the next generation of industry leaders thrive. Previously named a WiT Top Woman to Watch in Transportation, she champions employee development initiatives and supports the Women's Interactive Network, a DTNA employee business resource group that offers mentorship, professional development and opportunities to expand professional networks across the company. Through these efforts, she helps women build stronger careers and take on new opportunities across DTNA and the commercial vehicle industry.

Senior Vice President, North America Supply Chain Centers of Excellence, PepsiCo
Mari Roberts, CTP, serves as senior vice president of the North America Supply Chain Centers of Excellence for PepsiCo Beverage US and PepsiCo Foods US. In this role, she and her team are responsible for delivering operational excellence across manufacturing, warehousing, transportation, fleet, and integrated business solutions.
Roberts has held numerous field operations and corporate positions in transportation and supply chain in her 26-year career with Frito-Lay. She graduated from Arizona State University with a B.S. in Supply Chain Management.
Roberts received her Certified Transportation Professional (CTP) certification in 2009 and served as chairman of the National Private Truck Council (NPTC) Institute Board of Governors from 2014-2022 and is currently chair of the NPTC Board of Directors. She has been involved in and has held leadership positions with multiple employee resource groups at Frito-Lay, including the Women's Inclusion Network and PepsiCo Asian Network, and served as the executive sponsor for the EQUAL ERG. Roberts and her team are also actively engaged with the Valor ERG, honoring and supporting military-affiliated individuals and their communities.
Roberts was recognized as one of the 2022 Influential Women in Trucking finalists by WIT. She was also recognized by the Asian American Business Development Center as a 2026 recipient of the Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business Award.

CEO
Tucker Freight Lines
Sauny Tucker serves as CEO for Tucker Freight Lines in Dubuque, Iowa, though her connection to trucking began long before she carried the title of CEO. As the daughter and granddaughter of professional drivers, she grew up understanding that behind every truck is a person and a family. In 2001, she entered the industry alongside her husband, AJ Tucker, beginning a journey that would eventually lead them to acquire Art Pape Transfer in 2018 and build what is now Tucker Freight Lines.
Today, Tucker leads the safety, human resources, recruiting, and marketing efforts, while helping guide the company's continued growth and expansion. As the company has grown, Tucker has remained grounded in something much harder to measure, knowing the people behind the business. She is known for an open door, a willingness to listen, and a leadership style that pairs compassion with accountability.
That approach has helped shape the company’s culture and the leaders growing within it. Tucker is passionate about creating opportunities for others, particularly women, and encouraging people to recognize the value of their own voice and perspective.
WIT has recognized Sauny as a Top Woman to Watch in Transportation, while Tucker Freight Lines has been recognized as a Top Woman-Owned Business in Transportation and a Top Company for Women to Work in Transportation. Under her leadership, Tucker also earned 2026 TCA Elite Fleet certification. Beyond the company, Sauny has remained committed to the Dubuque community, including Tucker’s longstanding support of Opening Doors, which provides housing and resources for women and children working toward stability and independence. These recognitions reflect the culture Sauny has worked to build at Tucker and her belief that growth is about more than the size of a company. It is also about the people and communities who grow with it.

Leah Shaver is president and CEO of The National Transportation Institute (NTI), where she leads the organization’s efforts to turn compensation and human resources data into powerful benchmarking tools that drive recruiting and retention success for trucking’s most vital assets: professional drivers and diesel technicians. With nearly 25 years of industry experience, Shaver has partnered with hundreds of motor carriers and private fleets to shape strategies around driver compensation structures, career paths, workforce development, and recruiting and retention programs. Her work also focuses on building pathways to attract more women and younger generations to trucking and strengthening the industry’s pipeline from pre-hire to retirement.
Shaver previously served three terms on the Women In Trucking Association’s Board of Directors, is an active board member for the Next Generation in Trucking Association and serves on multiple fleet capacity boards.
As a longtime host on SiriusXM’s Road Dog Trucking Radio, Shaver connects directly with drivers on topics most important to them. She is recognized across the industry as a leading voice on driver engagement, helping companies create data-driven programs that fortify today’s workforce needs and position trucking as a first-choice career for the future.

"Sharing the stories of influential women in trucking inspires more women to pursue rewarding careers in an industry that keeps America moving. Centerline is honored to sponsor the 2026 Influential Woman in Trucking Award as part of our continued commitment to advancing opportunities for women across the industry."
Jill Quinn
President
Centerline Drivers
The winner will be announced during the 2026 WIT Accelerate! Conference & Expo in Dallas, Texas. Finalists will participate in a panel discussion on October 28, where they shared their personal journeys, leadership philosophies, and advice for rising talent.




Nominations can be made by any individual or by an organization familiar with the nominee and her work.
High-performing women in a corporate, manufacturing, supplier, owner-operator, driver, sales or dealership setting within the transportation industry in North America. Nominees must have a proven record of responsibility, mentorship, and serve as a role model to other women in the industry. Please note: nominees do not have to be a member of the association.
A complete award nomination form consists of the following:
You can start the nomination process here.
No, there is no fee to nominate.
If the individual is not named winner, they can be renominated.
Nominations will be accepted through Monday, August 31.
After the awards nomination deadline, nominations are submitted to the award selection committee established for review that year. After finalist candidates have been selected by the committee, final approval for the winning candidate will be voted on by the awards committee and Women In Trucking executives. The finalist candidates will be notified by WIT and publicized to industry and trade media. The winning candidate will be announced at the award presentation during the annual Accelerate! Conference & Expo.
Oct. 28, 2026. Each finalist will serve as a panelist for a panel discussion on Oct. 28 during the 2026 Accelerate! Conference & Expo hosted by the Women In Trucking Association in Dallas, TX. The winner announcement will directly follow the session.
Contact Lana Nichols
Phone: (208) 217-2147
Email: programs@womenintrucking.org.