As we close the calendar pages on 2018, we wanted to take the opportunity to look back at the amazing growth and successes for Women In Trucking (WIT) Association this past year. In January we started the weekly Women In Trucking Show on SiriusXM’s Road Dog Channel 146. Every Saturday, WIT President Ellen Voie interviews guests on topics as diverse as self defense, drones, trade show and so much more. This has given us the opportunity to reach an even great audience and to interact with current and potential members on the air. We were also thrilled to announce a new platform on our website for our members to meet each other virtually and to interact online. The Engage Platform is fast becoming a way to share best practices, find solutions from other members and to just meet others with the same concerns or challenges. We recently launched the Engage App as well to reach even more of our members. Since ten percent of our members are in Canada, we launched our first Canadian Image Team at Truck World in Toronto in March. We’ve also held two Canadian “Salute to Women Behind the Wheel” events in Canada in 2018. After years of searching for a way to introduce young girls to careers in trucking, we finally came out with a Clare, the truck driver doll. Created by HABAUSA.com and sold through the manufacturer as well as Amazon.com and in TA and Petro Travel Centers, the doll was an immediate hit. She even has her own “Where’s Clare” Facebook page and Twitter Feed. Drivers are taking their Clare dolls all over the world and posting photos of her making deliveries, enjoying vacations and helping out in the truck. In March, we had the exciting opportunity to give away a Volvo VNL, thanks to Arrow Truck Sales. Tiffany Hanna, a driver for Prime, Inc. was handed the keys to the tractor after submitting the winning essay on why we need more women in trucking. We’re planning another truck giveaway in the future, so watch our website for information. Michelin joined WIT as the newest Gold Level Partner, which means they participate at a higher level, both financially and through the involvement of Adam Murphy, who now serves on the WIT board of directors. Michelin joins Arrow Truck Sales, Bendix, BMO Transportation Finance, Expediter Services, Freightliner, Great Dane, J. B. Hunt, and Walmart Transportation as Gold Level Partners.
To continue our quest to reach the next generation, we created a supply chain activity book called, “Scouting for Cookies.” The book follows a young girl as she learns how the grain from the field is transported to the bakery on a truck, then to the packaging, warehouse and distribution sites via trucks. Finally, the scout is the final mile delivery. Our goal is for children to have a personal connection to the trucks they see on the road and perhaps, think about their own milk and cookies that could possibly be on the truck. In September, we also started the 150 Challenge with Expediter Services. This was our goal to create 150 women owned businesses by helping female drivers purchase her first truck or expand her fleet. By the end of the year, we were halfway to our goal, but plan to expand this opportunity throughout 2019. In November, WIT’s Ellen Voie was named the National Association of Small Trucking Company’s “Person of the Year.” She was recognized for her, “vision, energy, and forward thinking,” by NASTC President, David Owen at their annual conference. WIT’s own Accelerate! Conference and Expo was held in Dallas, Texas in November and a record breaking audience was on hand to learn, network, and enjoy the opportunity to have fun at an event comprised mostly of women! Over 830 people registered for this 4th annual event, and we’re anticipating more than 1,000 at next year’s conference. You can be a part of this forward thinking group of 4,000 men and women who support the organization’s mission to encourage the employment of women in the trucking industry, promote their accomplishments, and minimize obstacles faced by women working in the industry. Find out more at www.womenintrucking.org
