Women In Trucking Announces 2025 Distinguished Woman in Logistics Award Finalists

 

ARLINGTON, Va. – March 20, 2025 – The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) is pleased to announce the three finalists for the 2025 Distinguished Woman in Logistics Award (DWLA). This prestigious award, sponsored by the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) and Truckstop, honors the exceptional achievements of women in the North American transportation industry, celebrating their leadership and contributions to this essential field.

 

The finalists for the 2025 Distinguished Woman in Logistics Award are:

 

 

These women have demonstrated outstanding leadership, innovation, and commitment to advancing the logistics and transportation industry, leaving a lasting impact on their organizations and communities.

Martha Payne represents North American transportation and logistics providers as a transportation attorney at Benesch, offering counsel on a broad range of transportation issues. Her practice focuses on risk analysis, contract negotiation, and supply chain management. With significant knowledge in cargo liability, risk management, and contracting, Payne has worked with U.S. carriers and served on the National Law Center for Inter-American Free Trade’s Sub-Committee on Uniform Liability Regime. She has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Transportation Lawyers Association and continues to serve on the board of Fields of Peace, a nonprofit promoting global peace through children's leadership.

 

Peggy Mecca, president and CEO of Mecca and Son Trucking, has led the company for 55 years, expanding its operations from regional trucking to global logistics, port drayage, and specialized freight. She modernized the business and built a large fleet, expanding services to include commodities requiring special handling. Mecca has guided her company through recessions, natural disasters, and the pandemic, always prioritizing employee stability and growth. As a Certified Women’s Business Enterprise, Mecca actively drives industry change through various organizations. Collaborating through her board role on the Bi-State Motor Carriers Association, she has worked closely with the NY/NJ Port Authority and Director of the Federal Maritime Commission. She is proud to have helped improve carrier and port operational practices dealing with demurrage and per diem regulations. Her engagement continues in organizations such as the New Jersey Business and Industry Association’s (NJBIA) Women Business Leaders Council.

 

Sharon Johnson serves as chief legal officer for MODE Global, overseeing the company's global legal and compliance affairs. In 2024, she was named Compliance Week’s Compliance Innovator of the Year and received the Outstanding General Counsel award from D CEO magazine. Johnson has guided MODE's compliance program to achieve the Navex Excellence in Ethics and Compliance Award for two consecutive years. An advocate for ethics and compliance, she regularly speaks at industry conferences and is a board member of the Texas A&M University School of Law Alumni Board. Johnson leads a collaboration between TIA’s Fraud Task Force and TCU students to enhance fraud analysis, data visualization, and carrier vetting.

 

The finalists were selected by a distinguished panel of judges, including:

 

 

The winner will be announced during the TIA Capital Ideas Conference and Exhibition on Thursday, April 10, in San Antonio, Texas.

 

The DWLA continues to celebrate the women who are transforming the future of transportation and logistics. By recognizing their leadership, the award highlights the growing influence of women in the field and inspires the next generation of women leaders in transportation.

 

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Women In Trucking Association, Inc. is a nonprofit association established to encourage the employment of women in the trucking industry, promote their accomplishments and minimize obstacles faced by women working in the trucking industry. Membership is not limited to women, as 17 percent of its members are men who support the mission. Women In Trucking is supported by its members and the generosity of Gold Level Partners: Arrow Truck Sales, Bridgestone Americas, Daimler Truck North America, FedEx Freight, Great Dane, International Motors, J.B. Hunt Transport, Michelin North America, PACCAR, Penske Transportation Solutions, Ryder System, UPS, Walmart, and WM. Follow WIT on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube. For more information, visit www.womenintrucking.org or call 888-464-9482. 

 

Truckstop is a trusted partner for carriers, brokers, and shippers, empowering the freight community through a platform of innovative solutions for the entire freight lifecycle to increase efficiency, automate processes, and accelerate growth. As one of the industry's largest neutral freight marketplaces, Truckstop provides the customer service as well as scale of quality loads and trucks to give customers of all sizes, whether on the road or in the office, the transparency and freedom to build lasting relationships and grow their businesses. To learn how Truckstop is helping move the freight community forward, visit https://truckstop.com.

 

Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) is the professional organization of the $343 billion third-party logistics industry. TIA is the only organization exclusively representing transportation intermediaries of all disciplines, doing business in domestic and international commerce. TIA is the voice of the 3PL industry to shippers, carriers, government officials and international organizations. TIA is the United States member of the International Federation of Freight Forwarder Associations (FIATA). To learn more, visit tianet.org.