Member of the Month

The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Elizabeth Perez as its June 2022 Member of the Month. Elizabeth is a professional driver for DVL Express and was named one of their best drivers for September 2021. She began her career in truck driving three and a half years ago and has been with the company for almost a year.

Growing up in Mexico, Elizabeth lost her father early in life and as one of the oldest children, she took on the maternal responsibility of her seven siblings. As a result, she began working in the United States making minimum wage at a pizza restaurant. She was known to be curious and hardworking and quickly became one of the main kitchen workers who learned and managed all processes.

Elizabeth tried many different career paths until one day she saw a woman driving a semi-truck. Seeing how confident and strong this woman was, she decided that truck driving would be the perfect match for her personality.

“Truck driving is a job that always keeps you in suspense,” she said recalling a time she got caught in a snowstorm transporting a load from Illinois to Missouri. She has since visited all 50 states and says that Colorado and California are her favorite because they remind her of Mexico more than anywhere else.

Although this career path has its challenges, she enjoys the fact that it is still rewarding in many ways. “As of now, I am thankful for the helpful and caring people that surround me at DVL Express, and I am especially grateful for my dispatcher and the connection that we share.”

In her spare time, Elizabeth enjoys speaking to her family via FaceTime and exercising while waiting for a load. “As for my future, my biggest dream is to own a big and beautiful house someday, which would become a home for my whole family.”

The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Charlene Frelix Johnson as its May 2022 Member of the Month. Charlene is a professional driver for Republic Services and has been with the company for more than four years.
 
Charlene is one of the few women in her division at Republic Services, the East Mesa yard. She hauls loads of trash and hazardous materials across her service area five days a week, provides exceptional service and stops at nothing to succeed within her role. She is a shining star on the team, highly respected and serves as the go-to for many operational challenges on within the field.
 
Growing up in Mesa, Arizona, Charlene is a family-oriented woman and very grounded within her faith. She is the mother of two children and takes every opportunity to show them the value of hard work and dedication. She decided to enter a male-populated industry and take on all challenges that are associated with her role. Her wittiness, strategic mindset and personable attitude brings her success within the workplace.
 
Charlene is well known by the customers within her service areas and does an outstanding job of building positive rapport and relationships with the customers on route. Her customers look forward to her service on a weekly basis. For example, one day a young child was admiring her truck as she drove down the street collecting the containers for service. After completing the street, Charlene circled back to the location of the child, stopped, and allowed him to look at the inside of the “big blue truck.” He was amazed and thoroughly enjoyed his time looking at all the controls and buttons in the truck.
 
Within her leadership, Charlene is a great teacher. She jumps at the opportunity to lead and teach her fellow drivers. Her positive energy is contagious, and she has a soft touch in communicating with her colleagues. When she’s not at work, Charlene is enjoys spending quality family time with her five beautiful grandchildren.

The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Jennifer Macalaguin as its April 2022 Member of the Month. Jennifer is vice president of engineering at Navistar, Inc. in Lisle, Illinois.

Growing up, Jennifer loved math and science. She is a curious person who loves to design mechanical things, such as interaction of gear systems. She was raised in the Philippines and completed an engineering degree there. Then, she received a scholarship in the U.S. and completed her Master Degree in Industry Technology. Later, she also completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA) while working at Ford Motor Companies.

The commercial vehicle industry has always excited Jennifer because of the vital role it plays in our economy and the massive impact it has on every single one of our lives. “Knowing that everything I’m working on is making people’s lives easier, more enjoyable, and safer is one of the biggest reasons I love working in this industry,” she said.

As a female engineer at Navistar, Jennifer brings a different perspective to designing trucks. “I represent women and their unique needs and requirements that need to be considered when designing our vehicles. There are concerns and variables that I’m more acutely aware of because I am a woman. So, I make sure that my perspective and insights are expressed and heard,” she said.

As the industry has evolved, so too has the equipment. With the increasing number of female drivers in the trucking industry, the designs of trucks are continuing to advance and become compatible with the specific needs of women.

Jennifer is passionate about innovation and application of Design Thinking that resulted in her being recognized with numerous awards. She continues to explore her interests, stays committed to her passions, and embraces opportunities to explore new ideas. She completed an executive program at Stanford University focused on customer innovation and INSEAD at France focused on global leadership.

Jennifer’s advice for women in the industry is to seek a mentor throughout your career to gain wisdom. “By working with a mentor, you can learn from their past experiences and gain a support system as you determine your career goals. A mentor doesn’t need to have the same professional background as you, but should be someone that you can speak openly with and someone who shares your same definition of success,” she said.

Persistence, determination and a positive perspective on challenges is also crucial to success. “It is important not to be intimidated or discouraged by challenges. You should think of obstacles as opportunities to grow rather than roadblocks. There will always be roadblocks on the journey to success. The key to success is to have persistence in the face of challenges,” said Jennifer.

Ginger is WIT's March 2022 Member of the Month. She is an Automated Side Loader (ASL) Recycling Truck driver for Waste Management (WM) in Oklahoma City.

Ginger is a native Oklahoman who grew up in Enid and moved to OKC about seven years ago. She has quite the entrepreneurial spirit as she ran a restaurant in Enid for almost 20 years before changing careers and starting a business. Her business transported pets of military families across the country from one duty station to the next because pets aren't included in the moving process. Ginger visited nearly every state in the nation before being injured while acting as a good Samaritan helping a stranded motorist. 

While Ginger was recuperating from the shoulder injury, she started training to drive a school bus. The training she received put her on the pathway to becoming a truck driver. As a child, she always loved watching the trash trucks empty the large metal cans and throwing them like they weighed nothing at all, but never dreamed of the possibility of driving a truck someday. She drove a school bus for Mustang Public Schools and loved interacting with all the children. However, in May 2020, the school district shut down because of the pandemic.

Ginger saw a sign that WM was hiring and decided to apply. She was hired and said she had finally found her niche. Ginger says the joystick-type controller is like playing a video game. There's a great deal of skill involved in using the joystick to empty the recycling carts without damaging or knocking them down.

Each day her mission is the same, emptying an estimated 900 carts and returning each one to its original place without any damage or failure.

“One of the things that many people don't know is the unique service offered to senior citizens or disabled individuals in that even with the automated trucks; the driver will stop the truck, retrieve the cart, empty it, and place it back in its spot. It is so rewarding to help these folks!” she said.

A big benefit of the job is the smiles she receives from the children on her route. Ginger always waves or honks the horn for them. One young boy on her route draws pictures all about the recycling truck and all the recycled items. He leaves the pictures on the cart, and she keeps them in her truck and on her refrigerator at home. 

One thing most people don't know about Ginger is that she is in Oklahoma's Amateur Softball Association (ASA) Hall of Fame. She received this honor because of her skill as a shortstop for over 35 years in Oklahoma.

Ginger loves her job and encourages other women to join, saying, "Don't hesitate! Women can do anything! It's a great industry! Jump in and enjoy the ride!"

WM is a sponsor of the Salute to Women Behind the Wheel, an event hosted by WIT to celebrate female CDL holders on Friday, March 25, 2022 at the Mid-American Trucking Show in Louisville, KY.

The Women In Trucking Association has announced Roberta McKenna as its February 2022 Member of the Month. She is a professional driver for Clean Harbors National Transportation.

Roberta is one of the few women in the company who hauls loads of hazardous material across the country. It’s no easy feat, but this is her happy place. Much like the roads she traverses daily, her journey to a successful career as a female driver certainly was not without bumps, but now that she’s found her way to Clean Harbors, she happy to say it feels like home.

Growing up in Malaga, Ohio, Roberta spent much of her childhood on her family’s farm. At an early age, she operated tractors, bulldozers, and trucks to assist with the daily rigors of maintaining a beef farm. It was then that she fell in love with driving.

It wasn’t until Roberta was in her mid-twenties that she would encounter the harsh stereotypes and challenges of being a woman in the industry. 

As a single mother, Roberta saw trucking as a means to support her family.  After earning her CDL Class A license at the age of 28, she began driving small dump trucks for a local paving and construction company in Crofton, Maryland. The company consisted mostly of women, and with the comradery and support from her female coworkers, Roberta fell even more in love with making driving a lifelong career.

However in 1985, Roberta began driving for a new company that delivered bakery supplies. Unlike with the paving and construction company, Roberta often experienced discrimination. Every day, Roberta’s male counterparts taunted her and made derogatory comments. She was given late shifts and extenuating hours that didn’t meet the demands of being a single mother. The consistent negativity, prejudices and lack of respect eventually took a toll on Roberta’s mental health. 

Unwilling to put up with disrespect, Roberta changed jobs, this time landing at a major corporate manufacturer. Conditions, however, did not improve. She continued to struggle with gaining the respect of her male coworkers. With poor management and false promises on compensation and driving routes, Roberta debated quitting and leaving the industry all together. But she loved driving and couldn’t imagine herself in another career. Fueled by the desire to provide her son with the best possible life, she powered on, speaking up when her male coworkers made discriminatory remarks and demanding a fair work schedule. Her efforts didn’t always result in change, but she could be proud of herself for demanding the respect she deserved.

Then, in 2013, Roberta landed a new role with Clean Harbors, which recognized her talents and celebrated her as a woman making strides in a male-dominated field. 

With more than 36 years in the transportation industry, eight of which have been at Clean Harbors, Roberta feels that much of her experiences has made her who she is today – strong, powerful, and determined. 

She has helped pave the way for future female drivers and will continue to advocate for those, no matter their gender, who want a make a career out of driving.

“Be yourself, love yourself and the skin you are in,” she advises other female drivers. “Make the day what you want of it and never give up. We are all in this together and together will be stronger!”

WIT has announced Aldijana Miljkovic as its January 2022 Member of the Month. She is the owner of Lina Express, Inc., a Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) certified trucking company located in the Chicago area.

Aldijana started her career working as a receptionist with no experience or knowledge in the trucking industry. Moving quickly up the corporate ladder, she became a recruiter, dispatcher, accounting manager, then an operations manager. Through this process, she realized her love for the industry and discovered her passion. 

To further explore this passion, Aldijana bought her first truck as a side job and became an owner-operator. She hired her first team drivers as she continued working as an operations manager. After five years, her side business grew to eight trucks and a team of drivers.

“My boss wasn't happy with my side growth and constantly reminded me, ‘it's a man's world.’ At the same time, I was managing his 75 trucks and my 8 trucks with no problem,” she said.

After eight years working for the same company, Aldijana felt underappreciated and put down. She parted with the company and obtained her own authority.

“I'm proud I got my WOSB certificate and am now running my own company, under my own authority," she said. "We specialize in power only LTL 48 states."

Aldijana has now been in the trucking industry for nearly a decade. Her goal is to empower other women and make sure they know that they can do anything, regardless what others say.  

The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Baiba Blumbaha as its December 2021 Member of the Month. She is the Kenworth regional sales manager at PACCAR Parts, a division of PACCAR Inc.

From an early age, Baiba knew she wanted to work for a transportation company. She was fascinated by trucks and the logistics side of the industry. Baiba worked for a logistics company after graduating from Oklahoma State University in 2010 and was recruited by PACCAR a few months later. Growing up in Latvia in Northern Europe, Baiba was familiar with DAF Trucks, a division of PACCAR, and felt it was the right company for her. She moved to Bellevue, Washington, to work at PACCAR’s corporate headquarters and on her first truck plant tour, she fell in love with manufacturing.

Over the past ten years, Baiba has worked in many different fields of the company such as materials, purchasing, marketing and sales. As Baiba’s roles have evolved, she has used experience from previous positions to build a solid foundation of knowledge and unique perspective. Baiba believes each position she has held has aligned with the different phases of her life. “At this point in my life, I really enjoy working in sales. It gets me out of my comfort zone and makes me more strategic. I feel like this role is a great fit for where I am right now,” said Baiba. Getting the opportunity to get to know the end customers is important to Baiba. Whether it is an owner-operator or a large fleet, she likes meeting with customers to better understand their business needs.

As a regional sales manager, Baiba is on the road a lot, traveling to Kenworth dealerships around the U.S. and Canada. Baiba meets with dealership management and sales staff to learn about their business needs and how to best serve customers in their area. Baiba knows dealers in California have different needs than dealers in remote areas of Canada. She credits district parts managers for setting her up for success by providing information that helps her strategize business opportunities that strengthen the partnership PACCAR Parts has with Kenworth dealers.

Baiba values the expertise of colleagues who have been in the industry long term and enjoys working with young adults who are new to the trucking industry. She knows first-hand the impact a mentor can have and wants to be that person for others creating their career path.

Giving back is important to Baiba. She has served as PACCAR Parts Diversity Council Chair for several years and led PACCAR’s fundraising efforts for the Juvenile Diabetes Research’s event “Beat the Bridge.”

“Women have the same education and drive to forge ahead as men,” said Baiba. “Women should work in the transportation industry and continue to support and mentor each other. Just go for it, you will not regret it!”

The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Jessica Midkiff as its November 2021 Member of the Month. She is an author and a program development specialist, trainer, and facilitator for Saving Innocence.  

Years ago, Jessica couldn’t show her face on camera or in public out of fear for her life. She was uneasy, constantly looking over her shoulder. Jessica is a child sex trafficking survivor—suffering years of sexual, physical and mental abuse at the hands of exploiters.

Now she is using her experiences and strength to educate, empower and advocate for young girls throughout Los Angeles County. Though she has endured a tumultuous past, Jessica has become a survivor-leader, dedicating her life to helping others in similar situations. 

Over the last several years, there has been a noticeable industry-wide effort to combat human trafficking. Knowing this modern-day slavery is taking place on our highways and truck stops puts truck drivers in a position to identify victims. Survivor advocates like Jessica help victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) to escape the life. She offers various types of support, mentorship, and develops programs to assist in the recovery and employment of survivors.

Along with her work as a survivor-advocate, Jessica has spoken at various conferences, testified before the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Jessica has received numerous awards for her outstanding work with victims of sexual exploitation, including being nominated for the 2015 Woman of the Year by one of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Don Knabe.

She recently co-authored a book with Alan Smyth called, “Men! Fight For Me” with the goal of reaching men and women everywhere to fight against human trafficking. Jessica is also going back to school, working towards a degree in psychology. Her hope is to become a therapist and continue assisting children and adults who have been commercially sexually exploited.

The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Jazmin Vasquez as its October 2021 Member of the Month. She is a professional driver for NFI Industries at their Chino facility in California.

Jazmin’s father and brother are both truck drivers, and Jazmin figured if they could do it, so could she. Jazmin began her professional driving career in 2019, hauling freight over-the-road and while she enjoyed the opportunity to see the country, Jazmin decided to take a yard tractor driving position with NFI two years ago, in part to stay closer to home and her family in southern California. 

Jazmin is one of few drivers (and even fewer female drivers) in the country who operate an electric heavy-duty truck - in this case a Kalmar Ottawa electric terminal tractor. Jazmin appreciates the reduction in noise and fumes compared to the diesel truck she used to drive, but most of all, Jazmin is proud of the fact that she is contributing to healthier air quality and a liveable climate future for her nephew and generations to come. 

Jazmin’s shift is quite rigorous, making dozens of drops and hooks on NFI’s campus each day. She’s been impressed with the electric terminal tractor’s ability to meet the demands of this grueling duty cycle, and she is no stranger to strenuous demands herself, frequently lifting the hefty charging cables on-site in order to plug in the vehicle. Jazmin is looking forward to the next generation of fast chargers, which will be lighter and more nimble.

Jazmin recently participated in Run on Less - Electric, an electric truck technology demonstration event in September and is featured in the NFI profile video here.

As for being a woman in a male-dominated industry, Jazmin shared that it’s been a great experience so far and encouraged other women considering a career in the trucking industry, “If you want to drive, don’t let anyone tell you, you can’t.”

 WIT has announced Melissa Bencivengo as its September 2021 Member of the Month. She is a professional driver for Carbon Express.

Melissa’s love for trucking began at six years old. She was introduced to trucking by her uncle, who drove a big sleeper truck. When he would stop by the house to visit family, he would always take Melissa out to his truck. Uncle Rebel and his truck won her heart and set her life path. Melissa was so small she had to stand up on the seat to pull the air horn. Growing up, she was consistently told trucking and heavy machines are not a job for women. Those comments only made her more determined to pursue her dream. Melissa’s enthusiasm is front and center when she talks about her trucking career.

Her career began in 1999 with driving dump trucks and operating big equipment including well rigs and pile drivers. Ultimately, Melissa earned a CDL Class A license and joined Carbon Express in 2019.

Melissa is more than a truck driver, she holds many labels; wife, Mom to six children, a certified nurse’s aide in the State of NJ and a tree arborist. Melissa is a driven, talented and knowledgeable woman who loves her family and driving her truck.  

One of the few women in the trucking industry driving liquid bulk trucks, Melissa says, “Control the tanker, don’t fear it. Driving a liquid tanker is like driving with a dance partner, only you have to be the dance lead and control the movement of the product in the tank.” Customers often comment that they are surprised to see a woman get out of the truck.  

Melissa loves Carbon Express; she has found her forever work home. Carbon is well suited for women drivers. They only have day cab trucks, so over-night drivers stay in hotels and not sleepers. Carbon Express does this to give their drivers respect and a better quality of rest, making them safer drivers. This summer Melissa’s time on the road has afforded her to take the family on a free vacation with rewards points earned from those overnight stays.

Melissa knows she is unique being a female in the male dominated liquid bulk business, but that has never discouraged her. At Carbon Express she is part of a team and is respected by her male counterparts. She is quick to point out how the other male drivers have gone out of their way to support, encourage and provide her the information to make her successful. She knows she can ask questions about directions, equipment, and even which are the best hotels to stay at. Melissa does her part to help keep Carbon Express the leader it is today in bulk liquid transportation. Carbon is always looking for great female drivers like Melissa in various parts of the country.

The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Charlene Poe as its August 2021 Member of the Month. She is the founder and managing partner of Middletown Truck Stop Eatery & Drive Thru, a business startup in Delaware.

A conversation with a friend, who is a truck driver, led Charlene into the trucking industry unexpectedly. That conversation was about the lack of commercial truck parking in her state. She was curious about it and did some exploring. At that time, she was also doing research for a business idea she was considering starting with her family. She came across a study done by the Delaware Department of Transportation. The study confirmed the need for more commercial truck parking in the northern and southern ends of Delaware. Charlene and her family made the change in their business plans to focus on providing commercial truck parking and amenities.

They are still in the beginning stages, but plan for the location to be a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified commercial truck stop. The location will have an extensive list of amenities that any professional truck driver would need while over-the-road. This includes an eatery, fitness center, healthcare clinic, truck service center and much more. Charlene and her family have a vision of effectively sustaining mobility. They will provide cleaner meat-based menu options along with some vegan/vegetarian food and drink options for healthier mobile living.

Charlene and her family aim to break away from the norm by redefining the truck stop image. They are clients of the Women’s Business Center in Delaware, members of National Association of Truck Stop Operators (NATSO), National Association of Self Employed (NASE) and Women In Trucking Association (WIT).

Securing capital is a challenge, so Charlene and her team are launching a perks-based crowdfunding campaign in the coming months on the Indiegogo platform. They will also consider investors.  

“Everyone has something different and of immense value to bring to the table. When you truly discover what it is that you bring to this space, do it from the heart, with all your heart. Adopt a servant/leader mindset and never, ever give up!” said Charlene.  

The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Nona Larson as its July 2022 Member of the Month. Nona is the Director of Customer Experience at PACCAR Parts, a division of PACCAR, Inc. Nona was also a 2022 Top Woman to Watch in Transportation.

Since Nona was a kid, she has always wanted to know how things work. She grew up playing with Tonka trucks and working on cars with her dad. It was a source of confidence for her to know how to fix her car. Nona’s desire to understand how things work led her to engineering.

Nona majored in chemical engineering and started her career in the aerospace industry. She made the switch to the trucking industry when a friend called her about an opportunity at PACCAR’s Technical Center. Nona is proud of her ability to identify talent in technical areas and help women establish themselves in their career of choice. After making the move to PACCAR, Nona realized she could make a real difference in encouraging women as they advanced in their careers.

“I strongly believe in the power of team building and bringing people together with diverse backgrounds. It’s important to avoid stereotypes when building a team so that you create opportunities for non-traditional workers, which contributes to better collaboration and results.”

Nona has had an exciting career in engineering leadership roles and advocates for women entering the transportation industry, particularly in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and management roles.

“I can relate to women beginning or growing their careers in the transportation industry. Helping women find a path to meet their ambitions is an area I care strongly about. There are so many opportunities for women in the trucking industry and it’s very gratifying to see so many women making their mark in this business.”

Nona’s husband is also an engineer and their son followed in his parent’s footsteps. A few years ago, they had a fun family project, rebuilding her son’s 1977 Datsun 280 Z sports car. Nona’s specialty is paint and corrosion and they converted the garage into a paint booth. And because many of the parts are no longer available, they put their engineering skills to the test and made their own to complete the restoration.

When Nona isn’t working on projects, she’s playing music. She sings and plays the piano, saxophone, guitar, and other string instruments.

Nona’s advice to other women is to be true to yourself. “You can only be one person 24/7 and that is yourself. You can put on a suit or change your style for a presentation, but it’s important to always remain true to yourself.”