Plover, WI – March 8, 2022 – The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) announced today three finalists for the 2022 Driver of the Year award sponsored by Walmart Transportation. The third annual award recognizes outstanding female professional drivers who lead the industry in safety standards while actively enhancing the public image of the trucking industry.
The 2022 Driver of the Year finalists are:
Peggy Arnold, a company driver at Yellow Corporation for nearly 30 years. She received Yellow's Million Mile Safe Driving Award with nearly 1.9 million accident-free miles. Arnold is proud to serve on Yellow’s leadership team, the Women's Inclusion Network Employee Resource Group and is also part of the safety team. “Our safety team spends countless hours helping our fellow drivers prevent on the job injuries and with a goal to be accident free. I am a part of our new drivers training program and take my job straight to the heart. Every day I do my best to train and teach to the best of my ability,” she said. Arnold is named as a 2022 Top Women to Watch in Transportation by WIT, American Trucking Associations America's Road Team Captains Finalist 2022, Yellow's Road to Excellence Award 2021, and Certified Safety Trainer 2021.
Francis Hernandez, a professional driver with Waste Management, Inc. for 25 years without a single accident. “I put safety above everything while I am behind the wheel. I want to be sure that I get home safe to my family each day and that those who share the road with me do also,” she said. Hernandez is a mentor and a certified trainer. She enjoys giving new drivers a solid foundation to be safe and productive for the company she works for. Hernandez also participates on the Green Team, helping with disaster clean up across the country. Supervisors and peers describe her as someone who leads with safety at her forefront, has a team attitude, is dependable, and customer oriented.
Courtney Ohlandt, pulls 28-foot triple trailers for FedEx Freight. During her 28-year career at FedEx Freight, she has logged more than two million safe-driving miles and has joined the ranks of the Master President’s Safety Team. Ohlandt started her career in the industry when she was just 18 years old with encouragement from her father. She has always been up for a challenge and worked in a variety of roles such as hostler driver, management, pick-up and delivery driver, and road driver. Supervisors describe Ohlandt as dedicated to safety and efficiency, reliable and inspiring for those around her.
The judging panel includes: Tricia Tullis, general transportation manager, Walmart Transportation; Jeana Hysell, senior safety consultant, J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.; Ellen Voie, WIT president and CEO.
The winner will be announced at the Salute to Women Behind the Wheel event hosted by WIT on Friday, March 25 at the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) in Louisville, KY.
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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: Amazon, Arrow Truck Sales, Daimler Trucks North America, Expediter Services, FedEx Freight, Great Dane, J.B. Hunt Transport, Michelin North America, PACCAR, Penske Transportation Solutions, Ryder System, Walmart, and Waste Management. Follow WIT on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. For more information, visit www.womenintrucking.org or call 888-464-9482.