6 minute read
Female Truck Drivers: Independent, Fierce Controlling their Destiny
There’s a story behind every woman sitting in the driver’s seat of a truck. Whether it be how their background brought them to the transportation industry or the purpose they feel they serve as a driver, their journeys are inspirational and a much-needed motivation boost for the next generation. Take a look at the stories from these female drivers that show how dedication and determination are essential when reaching for your dreams.
Liz Imel Reinventing Your Career
After learning how to drive tractors at the age of five, Liz Imel grew up to become an over-the-road professional driver for Maverick Transportation in Little Rock, Ark. Growing up on a farm and working with big trucks as a teenager encouraged her to stick with her first love.
Imel spent seven years in a farm repair shop and then worked for a hardware manufacturer for over a decade. When the company closed due to foreign trade, she refocused her life on professional truck driving. With her daughters fully grown, she saw an opportunity to take her severance from her last company and go back to school to earn her CDL. As a driver for Maverick, Imel spent the first seven years driving a refrigerated truck for the company. Today, she hauls boats and still enjoys her line of work. She loves seeing the country and getting a good workout in when unloading. She is proud to be in her career, and is more optimistic these days about the public’s view on self-motivated women that want to join the industry and start a great career. “One good thing that came out of this pandemic is that the general public has a newfound respect for professional truck drivers,” Imel says. “I challenge every driver to maintain and keep that respect by being true professionals out there— while driving and parked!”
Jazmin Vasquez Going Electric
Based in California, Jazmin Vasquez is a professional driver for NFI Industries and entered the profession following in the footsteps of her father and brother – both of whom are truck drivers. She began hauling freight over-the-road in 2019 and enjoys the chance to see new parts of the country. Vasquez is one of few female drivers willing to operate an electric heavy-duty truck. She drives a Kalmar Ottawa electric terminal tractor that provides less noise and fumes than diesel trucks. Vasquez is proud to be a driver that focuses on lessening harm to the environment. Her contribution to healthier air quality is linked back to creating a livable climate for her young relatives growing up, and future generations. She is looking forward to the next innovations for electric trucks and is ready for faster chargers that will be lighter and easier for women to move.
Vasquez is a proponent for more women joining the industry and encourages them to stay away from thinking it’s not a possibility for females to thrive as drivers.
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Carina BeeBe Seeing the World
Carina BeeBe, a professional driver for Wilson Logistics, is an example of a female driver dedicated to her dream of driving and seeing the world. BeeBe started her career in 1999 as a professional driver in Europe operating a curtain van in Holland, Belgium, and Germany. A couple of years later, she moved on to refrigerated trailers in Scotland and the United Kingdom. Imagine driving on the left side of the road delivering flowers and plants across Italy, Austria, France, and many other European countries. It was a different experience than the one she would have in the United States.
Before coming to the U.S., she moved to Canada in 2011 to live out her dream of seeing a new part of the world and driving a conventional-style Peterbilt. She spent her time hauling lumber and oversized loads before she found herself in Montana. She still crossed the border often, continuing to drive oversized flatbeds to Canada and Alaska. She also found herself working a dedicated route for Walmart, and soon after started her own transportation company delivering RV’s across North America.
In 2018, BeeBe took note of her desire to get back behind the wheel driving over-the-road in big trucks. She started her career with Wilson Logistics and has since become a CDL instructor. She is also still driving as one of Wilson’s crossborder drivers between the U.S. and Canada, except now she has her canine companion by her side on every ride.
Melissa Bencivengo Go For It!
Melissa Bencivengo is a professional driver with Carbon Express and fell in love with trucks at the early age of six. She had an uncle who drove trucks, and he always let her take a look at it when he stopped by her family’s home. When she grew up and was able to consider for herself a career as a driver, she was often met with opposition and was told operating heavy machines was not a job for a woman. Despite the discouragement, she held true to her desires and her enthusiasm for trucking allowed her to start her career as a driver in 1999.
Bencivengo started off driving dump trucks, and found herself operating well rigs and pile drivers as well. Eventually, she earned her CDL Class A license and joined Carbon Express in 2019. Even with the many changes that came with life, including becoming a mother of six and a certified nurse’s aide, nothing stopped her from driving trucks. She is dedicated to loving her family and staying on the road. Bencivengo never let negativity or pessimism get to her when it came to driving trucks. She is one of few women in the industry driving liquid bulk trucks and says the best way to operate her vehicle is to control the tanker and not let fear get in the way. Though she may be in a male-dominated field, she refuses to be discouraged. She feels lucky to have male co-workers that show her respect and support, and has seen firsthand that it is possible for women to thrive in their careers as truck drivers. All it takes is a little grit and perseverance.
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