Nominations sought by WIT for 2024 Influential Woman in Trucking award

Updated Aug 13, 2024
Influential women award collage
Women In Trucking

The Women In Trucking Association and Daimler Truck North America are seeking nominations for the 2024 Influential Woman in Trucking award.  

The award was created in 2010 to honor women in the transportation industry who make or influence key decisions in a corporate, manufacturing, supplier, owner-operator, driver, sales, or dealership setting. Nominees must also have a proven record of responsibility, mentorship, and serve as a role model to other women in the industry. 

“Celebrating the successes of women in the transportation profession is a key part of the mission of Women In Trucking,” said Jennifer Hedrick, president and CEO of WIT. “It’s an honor each year to share the stories and successes through this award.”

Nominations will be accepted through Sept. 11 at https://witawards.secure-platform.com/site   

“The Influential Woman in Trucking award highlights the incredible contributions of women in our industry and aligns with our commitment to creating a more inclusive and diverse workforce,” said Angela Lentz, Chief People Officer at DTNA. “We have seen the representation of women in the truck industry grow at all levels, from the driver’s seat to the C-suite, and we believe that by celebrating the accomplishments of women in trucking, we can continue to drive positive change and innovation in our industry.”  

Past recipients of the Influential Woman in Trucking award include:  

  • 2023 - Shelley Simpson, president, J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. 
  • 2022 - Trina Norman, Southern California feeder operations manager, UPS 
  • 2021 - Lily Ley, vice president and chief information officer, PACCAR 
  • 2020 - Kristy Knichel, president, Knichel Logistics, and Jodie Teuton, co-founder, Kenworth of Louisiana 
  • 2019 - Ruth Lopez, director, transportation management, Ryder System, Inc. 
  • 2018 - Angela Eliacostas, founder and CEO, AGT Global Logistics 
  • 2017 - Daphne Jefferson, principal and executive coach, Jefferson Consulting Group, LLC (former Deputy Administrator, FMCSA) 
  • 2016 - Ramona Hood, president and CEO, FedEx Custom Critical 
  • 2015 - Kari Rihm, president, Rihm Kenworth 
  • 2014 - Marcia Taylor, CEO, Bennett International Group 
  • 2013 - Rebecca Brewster, president & COO, American Transportation Research Institute 
  • 2012 - Joyce Brenny, president, Brenny Transportation, Inc./Brenny Specialized, Inc. 
  • 2011 - Rochelle Bartholomew, CEO, CalArk International 

The winner will be announced at the WIT Accelerate! Conference & Expo held in Dallas, Texas, Nov. 10-13. Each finalist will be asked to serve as a panelist for the coffee chat discussion on Nov. 12. The winner will receive a two-hour virtual coaching session with keynote speaker Ankha Marza before the Accelerate! Conference & Expo.