Our Mission

Bio coming soon.

Carmen Anderson, a company driver at America’s Service Line, LLC, has 2.5 million safe-driving miles. In 2015, Anderson won the South Dakota Truck Driving championship and went on to compete in nationals in St Louis. Two years later, she was selected for the Wisconsin Road Team.  In August 2019, she was named the Wisconsin Motor Carriers Association (WMCA) Driver of the Month. She also won the WMCA 2019 Driver of the Year, the first woman to be named the sole recipient of the award. The same year, she was appointed to the WIT Image Team. Anderson is a lifetime member of WIT and a lifetime member of Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA). She also serves on the organizing committee for the South Dakota Special Olympics. She was named one of the WIT Top Women to Watch in Transportation in 2021. She is trained to recognize and prevent human trafficking through her involvement with Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) and has appeared on TV news to speak on the topic. 

Ingrid Brown, a native of Boone, NC/Mountain City, TN and lives by "Nothing in life is simple, it takes hard work and in the end it's a positive journey to success". Ingrid's four decade career as a Professional Truck Driver of diversity as an Independent Owner, CEO and as a Company driver. As well as being an Operations Manager of specialized refrigerated freight brings her experience of diversity to the trucking industry in all areas.

Ingrid has been a Women in Trucking Association charter member since 2007 and an Inaugural Image Team member since 2015. Ingrid serves on the Advisory Committee and was a panelist speaker at the 2023 WIT Accelerate Conference.

Beginning November, 2023 Ingrid became the host of 'Life on 18 Wheels' presented by WLA, Inc Trucking, of Mount Airy, NC. A video/audio podcast, Ingrid will be providing 'Life on 18 Wheels' to the transportation industry and to those interested in entering as a  professional truck driver.

Ingrid has dedicated her driving career toward CMV Safety and the safety of the general motoring public. Ingrid continues to work directly with FMCSA in D.C. for safer highways. In 2019 Ingrid was chosen as FMCSA's CMV Voice of Safety Our Roads, Our Safety campaign. Ingrid can be seen and heard on billboards, television commercials, SiriusXM and major media as the FMCSA safety advocate. Brown also was a speaker in FMCSA 2020 Trucking Safety Summit. 2015 she was selected on NASTC America’s Road Team and NASTC Woman Driver of the Year. In 2018, Ingrid was a TA/Petro Citizen Driver Honoree and the Oklahoma City Petro was rebranded as Ingrid R. Brown OKC PETRO. In 2021, Ingrid was named to the St. Christopher’s Fund driver council and one of 21 on the 50th Anniversary Wall of Fame of the Mid America Trucking Show.

Ingrid continues to be an advocate for driver awareness and safety through her involvement within the industry and can be seen in numerous major magazines, radio, TV news specials, social media, podcasts and speaking engagements.  

In March 2019 Ingrid was the cover of USA TODAY MONEY and the feature video of Females in Trucking. 

Ingrid Brown's passion is mentoring women and others in the trucking industry by paying it forward.

As a professional driver for 38 years with 4 million miles, Stephanie Klang now provides her knowledge and perspective as an industry advocate and driver ambassador.

Klang began her career in the trucking industry in January of 1980. She and her husband drove as a team for 15 years, traveling through 48 states. In 1987 when she started her career at CFI, she finally felt treated like a fully qualified driver and was able to flourish. 

Klang learned about WIT and its mission when Founder Ellen Voie was promoting ride-alongs in 2010. The next year, she was chosen to pick up Debbie Hersman, board member for the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), in Washington D.C. and drive her to the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) in Louisville, Ky. A film crew was hired by Conway, her employer at the time, to capture the experience, launching Klang’s media career. Due to this successful event, she received Conway’s Constellation award in 2012, an honor only awarded to five out of 30,000 employees. 

In 2013, she joined America’s Road Team (ART). As the only woman nominated, she became the third female driver in the history of ART. With the support of her company, Klang was able to attend several events a year and make a difference in enhancing the trucking industry’s image.

In 2015, WIT developed its Image Team, a volunteer group comprised of professional drivers and industry experts who represent the spirit of the association and share their knowledge and experience with the media, at events, and more. Klang immediately jumped at the opportunity to be involved. Additionally, she offered her perspective and expertise by serving on the WIT board of directors. 

Klang achieved her goal of retiring from driving at the age of 60, but her influence on the trucking industry was far from over. After retirement, she transitioned into CFI’s marketing department to continue attending high school career days and truck shows. When the COVID-19 pandemic began in March of 2020, she took it as a sign to retire.

However in the fall of 2022, she felt called to continue her involvement with WIT as an Image Team member and driver ambassador for the association’s WITney trailer program, educating and amplifying how a career in transportation can be rewarding for women. She speaks at industry events, truck shows, and career days.

“In my 4 million miles of driving in transportation, I came away with a few things,” said Klang. “Do the right thing when no one is watching; nothing great is achieved easily or without grit; if you do not like where you are in life, improve yourself and move up; practice and improve every day; and be positive and kind. On the days I did not feel my best, I got up and fulfilled my obligations anyway and they turned out to be some of my best days.”

Jodi Edwards has been a CDL-A truck driver with J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc. for more than 24 years, during which she has driven nearly 2 million miles collision-free. Throughout her career, Jodi has exemplified a passion for safety and professionalism and is an encouraging advocate for women entering the transportation industry.

Among her many accomplishments, she has been named Driver of the Year for her region, was awarded the J.B. Hunt Million Mile Award for driving 1 million safe miles and has received 18 years (and counting) of consecutive safe driving awards at J.B. Hunt.

Jodi has been a Smith System® certified instructor for nearly 10 years and has been a driver trainer at J.B. Hunt for more than 20 years, where she continues to share her wisdom and experience while driving with J.B. Hunt’s intermodal division.

As a member of the Women in Trucking Image Team, Jodi has been recognized nationally for her professional achievements, being interviewed for industry publications as well as sharing her thoughts live on the Sirius XM® radio show “Road Dog Trucking.” Jodi is a cherished member of the J.B. Hunt family and an important voice and ally for women throughout the transportation industry.

Allyson Hay has been a truck driver for 25 years, her CB handle is "Cadillac." She currently drives for Walmart's Private Fleet. She has 1.8 Million Safe and Accident Free Miles. She has the great honor of being on Walmart's RoadTeam as well as the Image Team with Women In Trucking. She represents the driver perspective at various events, truck shows, and hiring events. She helps drivers prepare for Truck Rodeo Competitions and is a friend and mentor.

She is a NATMI certified driver trainer and has the privilege of bringing out the best in a driver by transforming them into a truck driver and not just someone that drives a truck. She believes drivers have so much to offer the industry.

In addition, she is a Store Ambassador doing her best to solve problems around their stores, as well as being a Highway Ambassador leaving positivity along the way.

She is also certified in Food Safety helping Feed America in times of disasters.

Wyzeena Heeny is a professional driver trainer with over 20 years of driving experience with Covenant Logistics out of Chattanooga, TN. She's been a Road Team Captain for the the Tennessee Trucking Association since 2013. She's also a team member of the Women of Covenant and a member of the Image Team for the Women In Trucking Association. 

She has been presented by American Trucking and Bus Industries for the Women in Trucking honoring a roster of 76 professional truck and bus drivers since 2016.

Five important keys that are motivating and inspiring to her as a professional driver are demonstrating the values of cares:

C Communicate 
A Attitude 
R Respect 
E Excellent 
S Staying Safe 

Jeana Hysell was an Owner Operator hauling anything that would fit in a dry box. She now works for J.J. Keller auditing motor carriers with fleets and helps them maintain compliance in accordance with FMCSA. Jeana holds a MS Master of Science for Occupational and Transportation Safety, CDS (Certified Director of Safety), CDT (Certified Driver Trainer), and Accident Investigator. Her schedule typically has her working 5-6 days on the road, visiting clients (motor carriers) and usually weekends off.

Jeana is deemed a subject matter expert on the following topics:

• Driver Training
• Freight Watch/Security
• Hazmat
• Life Style on the Road
• Regulation/Legislation (FMCSA)
• Safety
• Sleep Apnea
• Time Management
• Tolls
• Smith System Trainer

Angelique Temple is no ordinary woman. She grew up in New York, she is married, but has been “a single mom most of the time.” A very busy mom with, six children, two pursuing a career in the medical field and one interested in following in her footsteps going into the trucking industry. Whatever her family needs, she is there for them. They are her whole world, but that’s not all, she is a very caring, generous person. Angelique recently helped two local organizations get everything they needed so that they could reach their goals of feeding over 400 people Thanksgiving dinner. She helps with giving hand sanitizer, socks, etc., to a homeless shelter, and is sponsoring some families with Christmas presents. For the past 13 years she has been rescuing pit bulls. When asked why she feels the need to be a part of the rescue team she said, “People just label all these dogs dangerous and vicious, but they’re not all mean dogs.”

Her talents are endless. She is someone that has vision and sees it through. She has always wanted to drive a truck, haul tankers, and own her own company. She has been hauling Hazmat for 20 years, having all the CDL endorsements. Right out of truck driver training school she hauled gasoline. She owns two companies, Tornado Transport LLC and Temple Transportation. When asked if she still enjoys the trucking industry, she said, “I love it! The freedom of trucking, the freedom of running your own business is great!”

When asked what she would like to do next, she said she wants to mentor the younger generation just getting into the world of trucking. She would like to work with them from the beginning while they are training, then continue on while they are working. She would like to help build their self-esteem so that they can be independent. That means so much to not have to be dependent on anyone but yourself. She would teach them that the sky is the limit for them in the trucking industry. When asked what advice she would give to the next generation of truckers, she said, “Just do it!”

Angelique is an Image Team Member for Women In Trucking. She has also been selected to be one of the new voices of safety for FMCSA’s Our Roads, Our Safety Program.

Michele Joslin is currently employed at a local tree nursery as a crane truck driver and equipment operator. Spring and Fall hours are long and hectic but summertime offers some down time where she spends much of it refurbishing golf carts and doing some wood working in her 30 x 50 backyard shop. She lives on about 10 acres with her husband and 2 dogs enjoying occasional visits from her 3 kids and 9 grandchildren.

Her driving career has spanned decades, first certifying as a commercial driver in 1987. Since that time, she has driven school bus, coach bus and all manner of trucks both in Canada and the U.S. logging countless miles. In 2020 she qualified for her motorcycle licence and enjoys commuting to work on her 1981 Yamaha Maxim.

In 2004 she qualified as a Fleet Driver Trainer and still does some contract work as a driver trainer and safety consultant. She spent more than 10 years as an instructor at the Humber College Transportation Training Centre in Toronto, Ontario and often takes time to answer questions and mentor former students.

When she is not working, she clocks volunteer hours, having spent many weekends with the Fergus Truck Show, Toronto Regional Truck Driving Championships (past chair), Trucking for a Cure, the local Humane Society as well as running children’s events at a local trailer park.

LaBree became a professional truck driver in 2006. She is an independent owner-operator of Castle Transport LLC, and has been leased to Landstar since June of 2014. She has been a team driver with her husband, Del, for all of her career. They run JIT (just in time) freight and are able to be home most weekends.

LaBree has been instrumental in growing and managing the WIT Facebook group that has over 11,000 active members. In 2016, she became a member of the WIT Image Team, a group comprised of individuals who represent the WIT mission and participate in ride-along events for legislators, regulators, and industry leaders to provide a deeper understanding of the obstacles they face on the road. They also speak to the media and other industry professionals at public events and industry trade shows.

Bio coming soon.

Jill Maschmeier is a professional Safety Director with National Carriers with 20 years of experience.

Jill is very confident speaking on the following topics:

• Driver Training
• Freight Watch/Security
• Fuel Routing
• Regulation/Legislation
• Safety

KayLeigh McCall is a Driver Training Engineer for Schneider National and has 7 years of commercial motor vehicle experience. She started her driving career as a school bus driver in Evans County, Georgia. After 2 years with the school system she went on to get her Class A license and work for 3 years at Evans Concrete as a mixer truck and tanker driver. 

KayLeigh began her career at Schneider as a Regional Van Truck Load driver. She delivered to the eastern 24 states while in this position. Now, she is a dedicated port drayage driver with Schneider. She enjoys a Monday-Friday schedule on this account.

In 2021, KayLeigh was named the Featured Female Driver for Schneider. This role has allowed her to be a voice and for current and future female drivers. As the Featured Female Driver, she was invited to speak about the Driver Experience during Schneider’s 2021 Customer Advisory Event.

As a native of Claxton, Georgia, KayLeigh enjoyed being a stay-at-home mom and pastry chef for 10 years. She currently resides there with her husband and four children.

Kellylynn McLaughlin was the Women In Trucking Association’s first Driver Ambassador. In this role, she traveled around the country educating those she met about the importance of the transportation industry and shares some of the challenges drivers face within the industry. She has worked in a variety of driver configurations and is currently an over the road driver hauling hazardous materials for Clean Harbors Environmental Services.

Before she got in the driver’s seat, Kellylynn received a degree from the Oklahoma State University, served in the Peace Corps, worked internationally for a non-for-profit organization and was a professional instructor in passenger safety. It was as the Director of Logistics at a high school marching band that she discovered she loved everything about driving a truck and the problem solving it entailed.

Kellylynn is passionate about the trucking industry and is a tireless advocate for professional drivers. In addition to training new drivers to prepare them for the challenges they will face, she is also actively involved in sharing the “driver” perspective with decision makers in the industry. She firmly believes the general public should be educated about how important truck drivers are to the American economy and seeks to raise awareness about ways to support CMV drivers to do their jobs safely.

She serves on the FMCSA Women In Trucking Advisory Board (WOTAB), the FMCSA MCSAC Commercial Driver Panel, the Advisory Council for Truckers Against Trafficking, and was honored to be a participant in the Executive Office of the President’s Gender Policy Council Roundtable Discussion in January 2022 and a finalist for the 2019 WIT Influential Woman in Trucking Award. Kellylynn currently serving as a member of both the Central & North Texas Freight Advisory Committee and the North American Strategy for Competitiveness (NASCO).

Vanita Johnson found Women In Trucking (WIT) the summer of 2020 when she was looking for scholarships for trucking school.  In the fall of 2020, she was the recipient of WIT's Ryder Charitable Foundation Scholarship and has been related to the organization ever since. 

Vanita earned her Class A CDL on November 5, 2020, after resigning from 13 years in the education field. Immediately she applied for her own authority and began her trucking business Executive Enterprises LLC on January 8, 2021.  The first year in business she was a team driver.  The second year in business she was a one woman show.  She was the driver, dispatcher, very minor repairwoman, bookkeeper, and administrative assistance to name a few. 

In February 2023 Vanita sold her truck and trailer and now drives for EPES Transport System LLC.  EPES was a highly recommended company to work for as a female driver.  Vanita is a System X driver and is tremendously enjoying her experience as a company driver.  Her next step is to become a driver trainer for EPES.

Vanita has served on WIT’s Image Team since 2021. As an Image Team member she has done numerous interviews with publications such as CNBC, Insider, Fleet Owner, and NewNation’s Morning in America.  Vanita is grateful for every opportunity to pay it forward by sharing her stories and experiences as a professional female driver. Her favorite part is encouraging others by telling her testimony about being the first truck driver in her family at the age of 49. 

Mentorship is a huge part of Vanita’s contribution to the trucking industry.  She successfully completed LeadHerTrucking’s 10-month pilot mentoring program in June of 2022.  As a result of this program’s completion, she served on the Mentor Match Taskforce for Women in Trucking.  Currently she mentors several women and a couple of men.  Vanita holds her mentors in high esteem for being pioneers that have paved the way for women truckers. 

When Vanita is off the road she spends her time with her son and family who supports her in all that she does.  She also goes back to schools and speaks to the students about career opportunities in trucking.  Vanita has a Bachelor of Criminology Degree and a Master of Middle School Mathematics Degree.  She is a woman of no regrets as she lives life stepping out on her faith in God.

Bio coming soon.

Carol Nixon is a professional truck driver with over 30 years of experience. She has driven for Walmart for nearly 10 years hauling general freight. Her work schedule is typically 5 days on and 2 days off. She is a certified driver trainer (CDT) since February 2019 through NATMI and teaches Walmart’s safety course which is close quarter maneuvering and pre-trips at their Bentonville, AR warehouse since September 2021.

Carol is very confident speaking on the following topics:

• Customer Service
• Driver Training
• Healthy Eating
• Life Style on the Road
• Safety

Carol has won many awards from Walmart for MOST Inspirational and Safety every year employed. She was also nominated and chosen for the TA Petro Citizens Driver Award in 2018, having a TA truck stop named after her in North Bend, Washington.

She gives back to her community by having been a Living Organ Donor to a fellow driver’s spouse (Kidney) and by volunteering overnights when available at Safe to Sleep Women’s Shelter.

Jo-Anne Phillips has been in the trucking industry for 35 years. She resides in Irishtown, New Brunswick.  With her partner, Jo-Anne operates a 23-unit fleet and four other full-time businesses. She averages one trip on the road per month (5-7 days) to remain connected with her team and to better support her fleet & the industry.

Jo-Anne is confident speaking/sharing on the following topics:

• Budgeting
• Customer Service
• Driver Training
• Exercise Physiology, Ergonomics
• Life Coaching
• Life Style on the Road
• Nutrition - BSC. Nut
• Time Management
• Tolls

Jo-Anne has offered many interviews on radio and several written article for; The Truckers Newspaper, Snaped Moncton, Trucking East. She has won numerous awards within the trucking industry and one from Prostate Cancer Canada, the Moncton Local Hero Award.  She is a server, a philanthropist, and an effective motivator.

In her spare time, she enjoys Hiking, Cycling, Travel, Kayaking and Culinary experiences.

Susie De Ridder is a professional truck driver with 40 years of experience. She resides in Fredericton, New Brunswick and has been hauling a variety of freight for years.

Susie is very confident speaking on the following topics:

• Border Crossing 
• Life Style on the Road
• Mentoring
• Promoting Ladies in Trucking
• Regulation/Legislation

Susie has a passion for truck shows, promoting students into the trucking industry and staying healthy. She gives back to her community by supporting SPCA, homeless shelters, and women’s shelters. She is the recipient of the 2020 Women In Trucking Driver of the Year award.

I began my career in early 2019. I have experience in the local, regional, and OTR setting. I have hauled dry vans, straight trucks, drop decks, Conestoga, and refrigerated units. I have spent time with Schneider International, Cheeseman Transport, and most recently, R&L Carriers. I am a Professional Driver who chose to leave the truck to take the opportunity to impact the future generations coming into the transportation field and keeping safety at the forefront through Telematics and driver coaching. I hold my Class A with several endorsements and still drive when needed. 

Before starting my career in transportation, I earned an Associate in Early Childhood Education from Ivy Tech State College and a Bachelor of Humanities and Social Sciences with a Certificate in Latino Studies from Indiana University. I entered the Emergency Management field in 2009 and held a variety of roles in that field. Every role I was in had a liaison component between management and the public. I have a unique ability to speak to any level of personnel within an organization. I can adapt quickly to an audience and enjoy bringing energy to the conversation. When I am excited about safety, those around me get excited too.

My passion is for empowering others, so it was a logical choice to be trained and certified to be a driver trainer. I am a safety professional who can switch between tasks effectively and efficiently to be productive and enhance team performance. I am effective when implementing programs for efficiency and reducing overhead costs, in addition to coaching and motivating drivers for change. I enjoy the challenge of being a liaison between safety and the drivers to bridge safety communication barriers. I am well-versed in the comprehensive analysis of operations, process improvements, and federal compliance.

I relocated to Easley, SC in November of 2022 from Indiana. It is here that I have been able to truly start giving back to the industry that has given me so much. I started practicing my Spanish communication skills again in March of 2022 and I hope this will open more opportunities for me to impact others. I support the mission of Mentoring Matters and give back as a mentor when needed. Sharing struggles and best practices is just one small way we can give back to those coming into the industry. I believe we are called to build up, lift-up, and cheer up one another. I am one small part of the bigger picture, but every person counts!

Skills and areas of expertise include:

• Safety
• Driver Training/Management
• Hours of Service
• Proper CMV Inspection
• Federal Regulations and Compliance
• Creating Training Content
• Collaboration
• Verbal and Written Communication
• Motivating through example
• Emergency Planning
• Customer Service as a driver, safety, and employee

April Crysel has just celebrated her 10 year Anniversary of joining the professional Ladies drivers on the road. In those 10 short years she has gained experience in varying equipment. She has boy and girl twins that are grown and have children of their own giving her 3 wonderful grandsugars.

April Started her career at Maverick Transportation hauling specialized flatbed, hauling Glass to 48 states and Canada at the age of 45 after her factory job went to another country. April then became a driver trainer / Driver support team for Ryder systems. In this role, she drove box truck, flatbed, doubles, Refrigerated tanker, containers, dump beds. On a support team you float where you are needed it could change day to day flying out to different accounts to fill in train or even start up a new account. After all that excitement, she settled in to working for an owner operator hauling containers out of the ports until the issue with the Panama Canal. April also tried her hand at Safety Manager and Dispatcher at GTM for 2 years enjoying helping other drivers get started in their careers. She loved the office but missed driving so back on the  road  she went and She is now  in the process of going back to hauling Fuel tanker which she had done for a year in the past until the company she was working for sold out.

She became involved in WIT in 2015 when she found the facebook page and Sandy Long mentored her and put her on the Facebook Mentoring page.  

Melissa Eauclaire is a company driver with Boyle Transportation. Melissa started her career as a school bus driver in 2003. She completed 14 years in the school bus transportation with 4 years as a driver, 4 years as a dispatcher and 5 years in safety.

After relocating to TN, she became a motorcoach operator traveling the US and Canada for 3 years. When the pandemic shut down leisure travel, she decided to pursue a dream of obtaining her class A and started team driving with her husband.

She enjoys traveling the country with her husband and has visited all 48 continuous states and a few provinces in Canada. She is currently working on a list of places to visit when vacationing. In her off time she enjoys riding her Harley Trike and camping.

I have been working for SRS distribution for roughly two and a half years now, where I currently hold the position of a CDL and Crane examiner and instructor. I developed into my role to help students obtain their goals while increasing diversity and inclusion within the company as their first female instructor and first female to go through our in-house academies. My goal is to continue to expand the diversity and inclusion in the field and provide a culture so that other women, including my younger sister, can get excited and feel comfortable achieving their dreams within the industry.

Meet Yuma Haidara, 34, from Manchester, New Hampshire. She is an OTR commercial truck driver for Walmart Transportation. She has been on the road for over 11 years. In that time she has become a mentor and a Certified Driver.

Her lifestyle constantly fights the norm of a truckers lifestyle by falling in love with activities that keep her moving. She's a Seabee Combat Veteran, who has done multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. A marathon runner, Avid Hiker, Entrepreneur, Traveler, and loves seeking new adventures.

She is passionate about helping others and speaking out about mental health in the Veteran community. She's an active board member and participant in numerous Veteran non-profit organizations. She truly believes in love and how it's shaped her into who she is today despite all life's obstacles.

Esther Parsons has been a professional truck driver for six years.  Currently, she is a Feeder driver for UPS at the Eastern Zone Regional Hub in Middletown, PA. 

In 2017, Esther left her job of 15 years as an administrative assistant in the lawn care industry to earn her CDL and become a truck driver. She jumped from the cubicle to the cab to support her two children in college. She was a linehaul driver for Yellow Freight for five years before joining UPS in May 2023. During her time at Yellow, she served on the Women's Inclusion Network Employee Resource Group and was a driver trainer.  

Esther is an outspoken advocate for women in the transportation industry.  She is a mentor with Women In Trucking and LeadHERtrucking, eager to help anyone navigate the industry during their first few years.  She is also a Trucker Buddy with Trucker Buddy International, a pen-pal program that pairs professional drivers with classrooms.  She enjoys giving interviews, ride-alongs and being a guest on podcasts.  Her most memorable interview was with Fox & Friends' Steve Doocy in Time Square for National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. 

In 2023, Esther was one of the few drivers recognized in Women In Trucking's “Top Women to Watch in Transportation".  She was also a panelist speaker during WIT's Accelerate Conference. 

Esther loves networking! She "never met a stranger" and appreciates any opportunity to lend a hand or share her story, not only as a truck driver, but also as a single parent and domestic abuse survivor. "If I can help at least one person today, it’s a good day."