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 Kathy Tuccaro as its December 2022 Member of the Month. Tuccaro is a Heavy Equipment Operator for ExxonMobil.

Although Tuccaro was a nurse for 13 years, she found herself on a destructive path, even homeless, due to decades of unresolved trauma. A wake-up call led her to a women’s recovery center, where she spent the next year relearning who she really was and accepting the most authentic version of herself.

At the age of 42, nursing was the only career she knew so she attended a career planning workshop to figure out her next steps in life. After three days of aptitude and personality tests, she was handed a paper that had “Heavy Equipment Operator” in large, bold letters. “I laughed so hard I almost fell out of my chair,” Tuccaro said. “I didn’t even like equipment, I was not mechanically inclined, and I considered that a man’s job. I told the woman that her test was wrong.” However, the woman looked back at her and sternly said, “if you believe in yourself a little bit, you will see the test is right!”
 
From there, Tuccaro was sent to a non-profit organization, Women Building Futures, where ExxonMobil was sponsoring 16 women to take a 12-week Heavy Equipment Operator course. She was selected out of 170 applicants, hired by ExxonMobil in 2013, and now drives a 400-ton 797F Caterpillar Mining Truck, a 52,000-gallon water truck, and a 24M Grader. “I highly encourage women to try a career in the non-traditional trades,” she said. “It pays well, is super fun, and will challenge you to be your best self in every aspect of your life.”
 
Now 10 years sober, Tuccaro has written three books and travels the world working with women and youth in schools, juvenile homes, prisons, and communities. Additionally, she has won two awards for being an ambassador for women in the trades, has been featured in magazines, on radio shows, podcasts, and TV shows, and is a co-host on a radio show, Women Road Warriors, with Shelley Johnson on TNCRadio.Live.

Tuccaro’s experience with homelessness inspired her to start “Operation Hydration,” where she distributes water to the homeless during the hottest months of the year in the cities where she’s traveling. She also started a work boot recycling program, donating gently used boots and hard hats to programs that assist people in need who are pursuing a job in the trades. This initiative has led her to distribute more than 7,000 pairs of boots to the communities in Alberta, Canada.


When asked about her advice to other women, Tuccaro said, “to anyone out there who is craving change, start by changing the story you are telling yourself. You must believe in the person you want to become, then work every day to reach your goals. You won’t regret the efforts put into building a new and better you. If I can do it, so can you!”

The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Raquel Sanchez as its November 2022 Member of the Month. Sanchez is a feeder driver for United Parcel Service (UPS).

When Sanchez joined the Army National Guard in 2011, she was offered the opportunity to drive a truck. Inspired by her father, Jim Sanchez, who has been a driver for UPS for more than 38 years, she realized her love for being behind the wheel. Sanchez left the military after eight years and continued doing various jobs, however, never felt completely satisfied in her work. 

Following the passion she found for driving trucks, Sanchez began her career at UPS in August 2019 as a part-time employee and loaded packages on to delivery trucks. Progressing quickly, she became a delivery driver, and eventually began driving a semi-truck for UPS in February 2022. 

Most recently, Sanchez and her father made history by being the first father and daughter long-haul team on the West Coast. “As someone who is just starting their career, I feel blessed to have my dad by my side as a mentor,” said Sanchez. “In 1997, my dad was on the first experimental UPS sleeper team when I was just seven years old. Who would have thought I would be his partner all these years later?”

Since long-haul driving is a mostly sedentary job, Sanchez believes in the importance of staying healthy and focuses on nutritious foods to stay energized behind the wheel. Additionally, when she is not driving, she makes it a priority to spend time in the gym, saying, “staying healthy allows me to keep moving packages from one destination to the next and I know I am doing my part to move the world forward by delivering what matters.”

Sanchez feels a sense of accomplishment driving a truck and encourages other women to pursue a career in this industry, saying, “more than 70 percent of goods and services are delivered by trucks and being able to deliver loads on time gives you a sense of self-importance and value and I feel proud of the work I do after completing my last stop of the day.”

The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Jessica Olsen as its October 2022 Member of the Month. Olsen is professional driver for SRS Distribution.

Olsen was introduced to the world of trucking when she worked as a truck stop waitress. She wondered if a professional driving career would be a good fit and regularly questioned drivers coming through about their careers and what it takes to be successful in the transportation industry. However, after becoming a single mother, she had to pause her efforts to follow this career path.

Like many restaurant workers in 2020, Olsen was laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With continued encouragement from her customers, she used the stimulus money she received to go to trucking school and obtained her CDL.

Open to embracing new experiences, she looked for opportunities in her area that would give her experience behind the wheel. She accepted a position at ABC Supply driving a boom truck. While at the company, she also learned how to operate a crane and became National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) certified.

“I stumbled upon crane operation simply because my previous employer was at the top of an alphabetical list,” said Olsen. “I had no idea what I was getting into or how much fun I would end up having. Operating a crane is like stepping into the shoes of a much larger and more powerful being and each job site is a puzzle to solve. I truly enjoy going to work every day and 18 months later, that magic still hasn’t worn off.”

In May of 2022, Olsen began her career at SRS Distribution as a professional driver and Logistics Specialist II boom driver and operator. She is known for consistently delivering materials in a safe and efficient manner. Additionally, she has built a reputation within her company of having a positive attitude and many of her coworkers say she is a pleasure to work with.

Olsen encourages other women to pursue a career in the industry and to not get discouraged. "Don’t be afraid to go after an intimidating specialty and always be confident in your own abilities.”

The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Haleigh Fickett as its September 2022 Member of the Month. Fickett has been a transport driver for R.H. Foster Energy for a little more than four years.
 
Following in several family member’s footsteps, Fickett’s professional driving career started at a young age. She attended a local technical school and in an effort to gain a better understanding of the trucking industry, she entered the CDL program. Within a few weeks of joining the class and getting some time behind the wheel of a truck, she fell in love with it and knew she had found where she belonged.
 
Fickett has held a CDL for eight years but has only been actively driving for about five years due to difficulties getting hired at a young age with no experience. After obtaining her Class A CDL at the age of 17, she spent a few years working on local farms and other jobs, while constantly applying for different professional driver openings. At the age of 20, she took a position working for the Maine Department of Transportation, which allowed her to get some experience driving plow trucks and other equipment involved in road maintenance.
 
Fickett is always up for a new challenge and jumped at the opportunity the following summer to begin her career at R.H. Foster Energy, obtain her hazmat, and start learning how to haul fuel. Although this decision was a huge step for her, as she never planned to haul hazmat, she believes it has been the best career decision she could have ever made and considers it to be one of the most enjoyable jobs she could ask for.
 
“Hauling fuel is a unique branch of the trucking industry, but one I find very exciting,” said Fickett. “It takes a lot of focus and caution to work with hazardous materials, but it comes with incredible benefits, such as being able to deliver to different locations every day and practicing driving skills in various situations that arise with delivering to public spaces. Local jobs like mine are a great option for women, such as myself, who love the trucking industry, but enjoy the option to be home every night.”
 
This past May, Fickett had the privilege to compete in the Maine Truck Driving Championship, competing against some of the top tanker drivers in the state and ultimately taking first place in the tanker division. As a result, she qualified for the National Truck Driving Championship and was able to compete against the top tanker drivers from across the U.S.
 
“If I could give any advice to other women interested in the trucking industry, it would simply be to never underestimate yourself,” Fickett said. “I was nervous when I was getting started in my current position because it is a very physically demanding job, but I have proven time and time again that if I truly put my mind to it, anything is possible.”

The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Maria Rodriguez as its August 2022 Member of the Month. Maria is a professional driver.

As a longtime restaurant worker who was laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Maria was seeking stable employment when her boyfriend, who was also in pursuing a career in transportation, convinced her to give trucking school a try. Being a mother of a 4-year-old son, she needed a job to provide for her family while being close to home. She attended the New England Tractor Trailer Training School (NETTTS) and knew it was the right career path.

With a consistent schedule, she appreciates being able to be home before her son finishes school. “I think I’m unique because I’m a mother and I am still able to go to work as a truck driver. It’s very rewarding to have a stable income and be able to come home to my son,” she said.

Additionally, Maria is a trainee in the Biden administration’s Trucking Action Plan’s extended 90-Day Trucking Apprenticeship Challenge, which is focused on attracting and retaining talent within the transportation industry. Earlier this year, she was chosen to participate in a special White House event for the program, allowing her to make a speech about her journey to truck driving and then introduce the President of the United States, Joe Biden. The attendees of this event included freight executives, including WIT President and CEO Ellen Voie, truck drivers, and senior officials.

As a first-generation immigrant from Venezuela, Maria is proud to be an advocate and uses her voice to encourage other minorities, including other females and Latinas, to pursue a career in the transportation industry.

“Women are capable of getting into trucking, they just need to take the first step and enroll,” Maria says. “There are plenty of opportunities where you can go over the road or, if you’re a mother like myself, there are local routes where you are home daily.”

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.”