EMPOWERING WOMEN
The road to success is paved with opportunities and obstacles. What you achieve and what you overcome often depends on the choices you make and the paths you take. One nonprofit organi - zation has set out to empower women to take the road often less traveled—a career in the trucking industry. Since 2007, the Women in Trucking Association (WIT) has worked to fulfill its mission “to encourage the employment of women in the trucking indus - try, promote their accomplish- ments, and minimize obstacles faced by women working in the industry.” Founded by Ellen Voie, who handed over the wheel to current President and CEO Jennifer Hedrick in Janu- ary 2023, WIT has spent the past 17 years striving to fill a gender gap in an industry heavily dom - inated by men.
“When Ellen founded WIT in 2007, she felt there was a need for a trade association that championed women in the transportation industry,” Hedrick explains. “When we talk about transportation and trucking, we don’t just mean drivers. We are talking about anyone pursuing a career in the industry, running the gamut from the driver to the C-suite.” Now 8,000 members strong, WIT supports a broad range of trucking professionals, from owner-operators to senior vice presidents to warehouse man- agers to service technicians. “We could name 50 different roles, and they are all repre- sented within WIT,” Hedrick continues. “Many of them aren’t even specific to transporta- tion, like human resources and accounting. In fact, a lot of people start out their early careers in these roles and then find themselves really having a passion for transportation.”
That passion is shared by Sarah Goodwin, senior vice president, business insurance at Marsh McLennan Agency, who has been a member of WIT since 2020.
Whether it’s behind a desk or behind the wheel,
“I am proud to be one of the Women in Trucking,” Good - win says. “We continue to see more women in the field—this includes drivers, mechanics, vendors, and executives—and it’s encouraging to see the advancement of women in both trucking and insurance. Whether it’s behind a desk or behind the wheel, women con- tinue to make significant con - tributions that pave the road for others.” continue to make significant contributions that pave the road for others.
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