Member of the Month

The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Julianne Mills as its June Member of the Month. She is the director of safety at NFI Transportation.

At 24 years old, Mills started at NFI as a safety analyst. Even though she did not have a background in trucking, her master’s degree in Education from Fairleigh Dickinson played a major role in her career development. Being a safety analyst at NFI consisted of learning driver qualifications and safety compliance.

In 2013, Mills led a pilot program at NFI that focused on how to quickly and compliantly hire safe drivers. The program resulted in a decrease of average days to hire from 22 to 8, which was instrumental considering the ongoing driver shortages. The pilot consisted of restructuring the recruiting team in different locations. This created accelerated application processing times and the ability to better work with the applicants on the opportunities at NFI. The safety department would then be in charge of running compliance reports to ensure the safety of a driver. After the pilot, Mills was promoted to an onboarding manager.

Women In Trucking (WIT) has announced Emily Soloby as its May 2020 Member of the Month. Soloby is the co-owner of AAA School of Trucking, based out of Philadelphia, PA, and the Founder and CEO of Juno Jones Shoes, a new company creating stylish steel toe work boots for women. She is also the founder of the group Hazard Girls (Women in Nontraditional Fields), and the host of the new weekly Hazard Girls show on the WAM (Women and Manufacturing) podcast.

Soloby has had a lifelong love of boots, but started her career on a different path. While majoring in Women’s Studies at the University of Minnesota, she volunteered as a courtroom advocate for abused women. That experience led her to apply to law school, and she later graduated from Temple University School of Law.

After earning her law degree, Soloby became a legal aid lawyer, helping women and children in divorce, child custody, and abuse cases. After a few years, she decided to return to graduate school for her Master’s Degree. While studying for her Master’s, Soloby met her future husband. After receiving their degrees, they developed an interest in a family business, AAA School of Trucking, located in Harrisburg, PA.

Soloby and her husband both went to work for the business, learning it from the ground up and eventually buying and expanding the business. They opened a second campus in Philadelphia, where they live. Her husband focused on overseeing the day to day operations of the school while Soloby focused on procurement. Together, the couple grew the business through both government and private contracts, and have now been successfully operating the school for over a decade. Under their leadership, AAA School of Trucking provides CDL training and licensing as well as equipment and safety consulting both locally and nationwide, and has amassed a long client list of high-level government agencies and billion-dollar companies.

One of things Soloby loves about her work at AAA School of Trucking is the opportunity to help others. With her background assisting disadvantaged families in legal cases, it was a natural fit for her to find a way to help people through the new career opportunities that trucking provides. AAA School of Trucking works closely with a variety of organizations that provide funding for individuals to get new career training and job placement assistance, which AAA has excelled at for over 20 years.

It was during these years at AAA School of trucking that Soloby often had to run from client meetings to busy work sites, and couldn’t find the footwear she needed. She was looking for something with heavy tread and safety features, but that was still stylish and would look good with both jeans and her professional clothing. She scoured the internet, and found nothing even close to what she wanted. That’s when she decided to combine her love of boots, her background in helping women, and her decade of running a successful transportation safety company, to create Juno Jones.

Soloby spent two years heavily researching the market, and speaking with hundreds of women in trucking, trades, engineering, construction, and many other fields, to learn exactly what was missing for them in safety footwear. She built a team including her husband and business partner, former Cole Haan designer Amanda Butler, and many industry professionals and advisors, and Juno Jones was born.

Their first release, the Meti Boot, is a classic Jodpur style ankle boot with a side zipper, steel toe, puncture-resistant midsole, and slip-resistant rubber outsole with a heavy lug tread. It’s water resistant and has a removable comfort insole. The boots are ASTM certified and OSHA compliant. But the thing that sets the Meti Boot apart the most is its style—it was designed to give women options in safety footwear, and to provide something they can wear from dropping off the kids, to the office, to the work site, and out to dinner. Soloby personally oversaw design and development of the boot, including eight prototypes and countless fit-testers for comfort.

Juno Jones launched the Meti Boot on Kickstarter in February 2020, and reached its funding goal in just 29 hours. The boots are now available for pre-order on the Juno Jones website, www.junojonesshoes.com.

Additionally, Soloby had the honor of debuting the Juno Jones Meti Boot at Philly Fashion Week, and Juno Jones was honored to be selected as a Company in Residence for the Philadelphia Fashion Incubator at Macy’s.

Soloby also founded the Facebook Community “Hazard Girls (Women in Nontraditional Fields)”, which is a positive place for women in transportation, engineering, trades, and all traditionally male-dominated fields to come together for networking, support and friendship in a positive environment. The group also holds in-person educational events to inspire young women and girls who may be interested in non-traditional careers.

Check out Soloby’s new weekly Hazard Girls show on the WAM podcast by Jacket Media, where she is the host, interviewing members of the Hazard Girls about their experience and advice working in different industries. Also keep an eye out for Soloby at the WIT Accelerate! Conference in September, where she will be available to talk about AAA School of Trucking, Juno Jones Boots, and Hazard Girls.

Sign up for the Juno Jones email list at www.junojonesshoes.com, and follow them across social media @junojonesshoes.

Women In Trucking (WIT) has announced Cindy Reaves as its April 2020 Member of the Month. Reaves is the vice president of Gulf Coast sales and marketing for Linden Bulk Transportation LLC (Linden), a subsidiary of Odyssey Logistics & Technology, in Montgomery, Texas. After an impressive 40-year career in the trucking industry, she is retiring in April 2020.

Through the past four decades, Reaves rose through the ranks at several trucking companies, excelling in communication, negotiation and relationship building with many high-profile Fortune 50 companies. Along the way, she developed meaningful customer relationships by taking care of their freight with the utmost attention to quality and handling deliveries the way her customers would if they did it themselves. Today, Reaves manages more than 50 of the most prominent supply chain brands in the southwest.

“I’m most proud of the relationships I’ve made with my customers and the time I’ve had to get to know them – they’ve become my friends,” said Reaves. “Most of them are asking for my personal phone number – if they don’t have it already – so that they can keep in touch with me after I leave.”

Throughout her career in trucking, Reaves has been devoted to providing outstanding customer service and went above and beyond to make sure her customers knew their business was valued. From monitoring police escorts for a forgotten load in the middle of the night to hand-delivering ice cream to the soccer game of a prospective client’s children, she did whatever it took to make her customers feel appreciated.

“It never mattered what time of day or what day of the week, Cindy was always available for our customers to solve a problem, find an emergency truck or just answer some questions,” said Michael Salz, president Linden. “Her dedication to Linden and her customers has always amazed us and exceeded our expectations for 18 years.”

As she prepares to leave the trucking industry, Reaves has one hope for its future—to see more women in transportation and logistics. She’s been a mentor to many women, an advocate for more diversity in leadership roles and has educated college women on career opportunities beyond driving a truck. While inroads are being made, Reaves also understands that equality is an industry-wide challenge.

“I’ve worked at six trucking companies in my career, including Linden, and too few leverage the incredible talents of women,” Reaves recalls. “We need more women recruiting women. When a woman is considering a career in any industry, they want to see that they are respected and valued.”

Reaves believes there are several keys to attracting more women to the trucking industry. First, upper management needs to buy into women being in leadership roles. Also, current women in trucking need to actively recruit other women and be advocates who lead the charge for more diversity. In addition, more representation is needed on high school and college campuses to expose young women to the industry. Lastly, the industry needs to communicate the wide variety of jobs that can be obtained at a transportation and logistics company—IT, sales, marketing, accounting, human resources, operations and more.

Throughout all of the miles she’s traveled, Reaves has also been a catalyst for drivers. When the competition was high, she worked tirelessly to ensure there is a steady stream of work. “Drivers don’t get paid if their wheels aren’t rolling. It makes me nervous, seeing them sit idle in a terminal, so I work hard to find loads to get them back on the road.” Reaves has also valued the opinion and experiences of dispatchers and drivers, encouraging leadership to consider the experiences of the people out in the field every day.

“It’s going to be hard to leave Linden, but I’m looking forward to not checking emails so frequently and spending more time with family. I’ll be watching my grandson play college hockey and my granddaughter playing volleyball. I’m also competing in two golfing tournaments this year.”

On her way out, Reaves has the following advice for young women seeking employment in the logistics industry. “Make sure this is what you want to do, be sincere and honest, and always do the right thing to help the customer.”

Women In Trucking (WIT) has announced Su Schmerheim, one of the few female solo horse haulers in the nation, as its March 2020 Member of the Month.

As a lifelong horse enthusiast, Schmerheim’s passion for horses began in her teenage years. Since the age of 23, she has been showing Arabian and Half-Arabian horses in Michigan and at regional/national events around the United States.

Finding a career that involved her love of horses always had seemed like just a dream, but when she left her corporate job in 2011, a friend suggested that Schmerheim consider finding work in the horse transport industry. Later that year, she began working for a local horse transport company, where she had the opportunity to obtain her CDL.

Five years later, a new opportunity presented itself. After connecting with Schmerheim through social media, Kyle Ecclestone, president of Ecclestone Horse Transport (EHT), offered her a new job. EHT is an international equine logistics company, providing worldwide horse transportation by both road and air.

This opportunity allowed Schmerheim to grow her career. Today, she is involved in both driving and logistics planning for EHT. She was assigned her own truck, a custom Kenworth T800 with a Doyle 15-horse trailer. Her feline co-pilot Jake often travels with her.

“The most exciting part of the horse transport industry is the unknown,” said Schmerheim. “Loading and hauling a live load certainly presents its fair share of challenges at times. No two days are ever the same.”

In the past year, Schmerheim has presented her truck at several truck shows, including the Trucker’s Jamboree in Walcott, Ia.; the Shiawassee County Truck Show; and the Richard Crane Memorial Truck Show in St. Ignace, Mich. She was also the recipient of the Women In Trucking Award, presented by association president and CEO Ellen Voie at the Richard Crane show.

Schmerheim encourages anyone interested in a trucking career to check out a truck show near them. She points out that it is a great way to connect and network with other people from the industry.

Women In Trucking (WIT) has announced Jacinda Duran, a third-generation female truck driver as its February Member of the Month.

Duran has been around trucking her entire life. With many family members in the industry, she says it was inevitable that she would be too. Her mother was a professional truck driver for 23 years and often took Duran with her on the job. Her father drove dump trucks and cement trucks. Her grandmother hauled produce in California for over 50 years. Her grandfather did his truck driving in the 1950s. They even have a relative who appeared on the television series, Shipping Wars.

Ten years ago, Duran started her logistics career at FedEx Express as a courier, then transitioned into big rigs in 2014. She has experience driving limos, buses, charter buses and everything in between.

Today, Duran drives enclosed car carriers for Plycar Transportation, based in Kings Park, N.Y. The company recruited her after seeing her social media page, Jacinda Lady Truckin. They recognized that her passion for trucking was a great fit for their elite trucking team. Through Plycar’s six-week training program, Duran learned to transport, load and unload unique, one-of-a-kind cars and became the company’s first solo female driver.

For the past year, Duran has driven from coast to coast and in all 48 states. She says the best thing about her job is the freedom. She continues to inspire women to reach for the stars through her social media platform. She makes every day an adventure and continues to explore this great country.

“I stay out on the road for a long period of time, living in my truck. I get to travel the country, seeing friends, making new friends and living the best life out on the road. I am blessed and thank God every day for my health, my life and my blessings,” said Duran.

Duran is a proud mother of two children. Her daughter is in nursing school at Northern Arizona University and her son is a cadet in the US Air Force Academy, obtaining a degree in Aero Engineering.

WIT has announced has announced Karen Noel as its January Member of the Month. She is an owner/operator with Forward Air.

After working over 30 years in the banking industry, Noel found herself laid off. In 2015, her husband was changing careers and asked her if she wanted to go intro trucking with him. It was an industry he was familiar with, but she had no experience. Noel decided to join him on the road as a passenger.

“Once I was out on the road with him, I saw other women truck drivers,” said Noel. “It never registered with me that women could be truck drivers too.” She started asking every female truck driver she saw how they felt about the career. All the responses she received were positive.

Six months into being a passenger with her husband, Noel decided to go to school to earn her CDL. Without a background in trucking, she really worked hard to overcome challenges, such as backing. She credits her husband for encouraging her throughout the process and being her “rock.”

Once she earned her CDL, Noel and her husband worked for Knight Transportation as a team for three years. Now, they are owner-operators with Forward Air.

“Trucking has made me a better person. I’ve learned patience while out on the road,” said Noel. “I’m excited to be a member of Women In Trucking and support its mission. I would like to see more women working in the trucking industry.”

Noel wants to be an example to her grandchildren that they can be anything they want to be.

Women In Trucking has announced Mona Chisum as its December Member of the Month. She is the driver supervisor for TP Trucking.

Chisum’s story began in 1988 when she drove her first truck. Teri and Amzel Butler owned a small logging company that Chisum’s husband at the time worked for as a log hauler. They lived on the job and Chisum’s husband watered the road at night with their 1956 Peterbilt water truck so it wouldn’t be as dusty the next day. One evening, Chisum tried driving the rig herself.

“The minute I got my hands on the wheel, it felt like I was home,” said Chisum.  

There weren’t many female drivers, especially log truck drivers at that time. Amzel Butler not only partnered with her husband in the company, but she was also a log truck driver.

“Amzel is the reason I ventured into the transportation industry. My deep admiration for her was the catalyst that got me where I am today, the driver supervisor for TP Trucking,” said Chisum.

Chisum thought driving a water truck off-highway in the evening hours was a far cry from being a truck driver. In 1990, she had two small children and needed a job that would help support her family. She decided to take the test to obtain her CDL. She spent a few weeks learning how to drive a logging truck. The pre-trip gave her some trouble at first, but ultimately she became a CDL holder.

FV Martin Trucking hired Chisum, where she said it was like having 29 big brothers to learn from every day. While employed with FV Martin, she drove log trucks, flat beds, dump trucks and water trucks. She even experienced having one of their trucks as a tender on some forest fires.

In 2002, Chisum became the safety director at FV Martin. She enjoyed this role because she wanted to help the drivers be the best they could be. During that time, she learned a lot about DOT and OSHA regulations and even taught some highway drivers to be log truck drivers. In 2004, after 14 years, she left FV Martin to work as the safety director for a growing refrigerated freight company, Cross Creek Trucking.

“While there [at Cross Creek] I learned even more, but this time about life over the road. During that 11-year span I traveled cross country and learned to navigate big cities, manage my time to the best advantage, learned to live in a sleeper for several weeks at a time and saw some of the most beautiful sights in North America,” said Chisum.

Then in 2015, Chisum joined TP Trucking for what she believes is a long-term career move. She started out as a flat-bed driver and is now the driver supervisor. Her job duties include helping with electronic logging and dispatch devices, on-boarding of new employees and equipment allocation, to name a few.

For anyone, especially women, who are thinking about venturing into the trucking world, Chisum advises to remove the word “can’t” from your vocabulary.

“When I started in this industry, there weren’t many women and it’s so nice to see more and more out on the roads. Just because you haven’t tried it doesn’t mean you can’t do it,” said Chisum.  

She suggests to take the time and work on strengthening your weaknesses. If you’re not very good at backing, take the time in the middle of the day when no one is around to practice. If you’re nervous about navigating the urban areas, get out a map, use Google and a GPS so you’ll feel comfortable about where you’re going.

The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Melissa Gaglione as its November Member of the Month. She is the founder and president of Safety4her, a high visibility women’s clothing company specifically designed for women working in hazardous work environments.

After years of working in the towing and trucking industry, Gaglione struggled tofind comfortable safety clothing that fit properly. The existing market for safety wear was mostly for men with a “one size fits all approach.”  The clothing was consistently too long, too wide, or too heavy.

With her background in insurance, Gaglione knew that a poor fit could cause women to face a higher risk of injury. In 2018, she founded Safety4her, designing clothing that met state regulations while being comfortable for women of all sizes.

The clothing line carries sizes X-small to XXL. The fabric uses spandex, giving a better fit for all shapes and sizes. This decreases the chance of clothing getting caught on an object, causing injury. Safety4her offers the first high visibility line of leggings which are patent pending with features that include high visibility striping, three pockets, water resistant, breathable, non-see through, and high waisted. Safety4her also carries class2 adjustable vests with spandex sides for a better fit option. “No more vest dress ladies,” said Gaglione.

In early 2019, Gaglione made her first sale and traveled all over the U.S. meeting women and selling products. She is now carrying her line with several companies around the country.

“I want women to feel empowered,” said Gaglione. “I want to set a positive example not just for my own children, but all young girls, that nothing can stop you from being who you want to be.”  

You can find more about Melissa Gaglione and Safety4her at www.safety4her.comand also can follow safety4her on Facebook: @safety4her2018 and Instagram: @safety4her.

The Women In Trucking Association has announced Tracy Gaudette as its October Member of the Month. She is a professional team driver with US Xpress.

Gaudette’s mother and step-father were team drivers in the late 1980s. She had always thought it would be the perfect career for her. However, as a single parent to a small child, she decided to put that dream on hold. After raising two daughters, she made that dream a reality just five years ago.

Being a professional driver allowed Gaudette to travel, something that was very important to her. As an Air Force Veteran, she proudly drives the Navy truck in US Xpress’ military fleet. “There are only five trucks in the military fleet, so this is a huge honor,” said Gaudette.

When Gaudette began her driving career, she was in a vulnerable situation. “I was beaten down emotionally and mentally and didn't believe in myself,” she said. “By doing this job day after day for five years, I have built up my self-confidence, self-esteem and have realized how strong and capable I am and I will never let anyone take that from me again. I have gained so much, including the ability to finally love myself.”

In June 2018, Gaudette was selected as US Xpress’ Team Driver of the Month and overall Team Driver of the Year the same year. In 2019, she was selected to be a Wreaths Across America driver. She has also been a WIT Facebook group administrator for the past two years.

Her advice for other women drivers is to always be professional and keep your standards high. “Strive for excellence and never settle for ‘the norm’ or let yourself get lazy. Always treat others as you would like to be treated, even if they aren't treating you well. You are a professional woman driver so let that shine through always.”

Women In Trucking (WIT) has announced Leigh Foxall as its September Member of the Month. Foxall is the founder and CEO of Truck Parking Reservations and a 30-year veteran of the trucking industry. She has experience leading large and small businesses into and through tremendous growth phases. It is said she has diesel in her blood. 

After moving to Portland, Oregon in 1986, Foxall began working for the Jubitz family at Dial-A-Truck/DAT Solutions. The Dial-A-Truck offices were housed in “the brown broker building” at the far corner of the Jubitz Truck Stop parking lot. Trucks parked within inches of the building and the only way to get to the Ponderosa for lunch was to walk through the fuel island. There and then is where the diesel got into her blood. 

Foxall has worked side-by-side with several successful technology pioneers in the transportation industry. Al Jubitz, who recognized a pain point for shippers and brokers looking for truck drivers to move their loads, and Scott Moscrip, who starting his company by employing his family and their friends to build what is now Truckstop.com, are a few of them.   

After spending over 20 years with these colleagues, it is no surprise that Foxall started building Truck Parking Reservations. The solution allows a driver the ability to search for safe and secure reserved truck parking.

Just ask an over-the-road truck driver how long it takes to find truck parking in or around a major city, or if they can find a spot after 6pm, and you’ll see there is a truck parking crisis. In fact, over the past few years, American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) studies have shown truck parking as a top critical issue for truck drivers. 

“The pandemic has caused an even greater truck parking crisis for the trucking industry. Due to the lockdown, property owners in major cities with safe and secure overnight parking are no longer able to serve the trucking industry with much needed available, reserved truck parking spaces,” said Foxall.

Working for technology companies has been Foxall’s full-time career path, but her passion for WIT runs deep. For six years, she served as chairwoman on the board of directors. She also helped staff the WIT trade show booths, attended conferences, and was always there to support and encourage Ellen Voie, WIT president and CEO, while she was building the association. 

“I will never forget the first ‘Salute to Women Behind the Wheel’ event with WIT. When the doors opened, we had no idea what to expect. Female drivers, their families, and supporters streamed in through the doors for what seemed like 30 minutes,” said Foxall. “Some women had tears running down their face as they thanked us for honoring them. It was an amazing day and I am fortunate to have built relationships with women who too have diesel in their blood.”

The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Rochelle Montes as its August Member of the Month. She is the Chief Import Operations Officer for Terminal Transfer, a proud military wife and mother of two beautiful boys.

Montes grew up in southeastern Alaska on a commercial fishing boat. She remembers anxiously seeing the barge as her curiosity of logistics sparked in wonder. Awaiting supplies seemed so mysterious as the only access they had to the outside world was by boat or plane. Her hometown of Yakutat, AK is not a frequented location by much more than fisherman and locals. You grow up to do one of a few things if you are lucky enough; work for the cannery, the K-12 school, logging, the local native corporation and a few other limited opportunities. The chance at any of these opportunities seemed slim and her mother wanted more for her at a young age.

After relocating to Oregon, a whole new world was before her. Montes is Native and looking different was an obstacle, but she found comfort in being a tomboy. She feels that was an advantage while pursuing her career in a “man’s industry.” At the age of 17, while still attending high school, she began her first logistical job in distribution. She learned the basics about inventory, discrepancies, shipping, receiving, dock doors, and trucks. In 2000, she started as an entry-level employee at Terminal Transfer, the company she ultimately would circle back to years later and find her lifetime career. Pushing paper, answering phones, checking in drivers were part of her daily tasks and soon became more. Moving into the international side of transportation working hand in hand with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for inspections and compliance on ocean import cargo was her new found passion.

Montes was recruited by Nike World Headquarters at the age of 21 and it was there she gained a lifetime of experience and appreciation for logistics. Working nationwide with distribution centers, routing guides, transportation providers and retailers was an incredible insight on the true behind the scenes consumer products timeline. “Not only was it a privilege to be a part of the Nike culture and surrounded by top athletes of the world, but Nike also helped me to embrace my heritage and feminism in a way I never had before. Something I had often felt ashamed of had now become some of my strongest attributes,” she said.

In 2006, Montes had her first child, who was born with several medical complications requiring multiple operations. This forced her to leave her dream job to be home with him during this trying time. She tried to find her identity and a way to repurpose her career path to one that would be more in line with her new lifestyle as a mother of a child with special needs, so she became a massage therapist. Upon completion, she struggled to connect with this new industry.

She helped her father get his trucking company established and before she knew it, she was running a full trucking operation out of her home in Spokane, WA. Dispatching four over-the-road trucks, processing oversize permits, accounting, payroll, mileage, taxes and the works. She couldn’t get enough and here she was back in trucking. Once she got his operation rolling, he was ready to take over the reins.

Shortly after in 2011, she was contacted by Terminal Transfer to see if she could come back and assist because one of the owners was ill with breast cancer. She relocated her family back to Portland to get re-established. “Given this huge new array of knowledge from the many new perspectives I had the blessing to obtain, I brought a significant piece of the puzzle with me and quickly moved up the ladder,” she said.

Montes is celebrating nine years back with the company and has been an Officer since 2017. “I am blessed to have found a company who embraces and celebrates women in the industry,” she said. She has had the privilege of taking part in regular speaking engagements at the Columbia River Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association (CRCBFA), Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC) and Western Cargo Conference (WESCCON) annual conferences.

“I have been blessed to help inspire other women, women of minority and women without college education that you can make something of yourself in the trucking industry. You can be a success if you have the right drive, mindset and willingness to do what it takes to do what others won’t. Be willing to get out on a forklift, lump boxes, ride with drivers, get all the certifications you can. Soak up every piece, even if you don’t think it would be of value, do it anyway. Get dirty, because that willingness to be a team player and show your integrity may just stand out amongst people who aren’t willing,” she said.

Women bring such an added value and perspective to this industry. Organization, precision, nurturing, undying strength are some of a few attributes Montes and many other women bring to the table. Our obstacles we are given in life can do one of two things for us; it can define us, make us bitter, make us angry for the inequality we may have experienced. Or, it can fuel us to grow, learn, become all we want to be and use these lessons to benefit ourselves and others around us.

“It is our duty as women to help bring up the next generation of women leaders, coach them, prepare them and most of all change the stigma that this is a man’s industry,” she said.

The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Debra LaBree as its July Member of the Month. She is the owner-operator for Castle Transport, LLC leased to Landstar Inway, Inc.

LaBree’s first career was a cosmetologist, but she always wanted to drive a truck. When the time was right, she and her husband obtained their CDLs and became professional drivers. They have been driving team since 2006 and have been owner-operators for the past six years. With over 1.4 million safe driving miles, LaBree has received six safety awards from Landstar.

Volunteering and giving back to her trucking community is a priority for LaBree. She has dedicated the past eight years to being an administrator on the WIT Facebook group of over 10,000 members. The Facebook group is celebrating its 10-year anniversary and is a positive platform for WIT members to connect and collaborate on best practices, advice and ideas. WIT is also revamping its website and offering members a secure site to share their stories, challenges and concerns.

LaBree also serves on the WIT Board of Directors and the WIT Image Team. Through her experience with the Image Team, she has mentored drivers and other owner- operators, appeared on The Today Show, and has been highlighted in the NY Times, industry publications, SiriusXM and industry podcasts.

“When women tell me they are thinking about trucking for a career, I tell them to DO IT, they won’t regret it,” said LaBree. “It gives me great pleasure to mentor drivers so that they can reach their professional potential in their careers.”