Abigail Boone

Boone started working at Kivi Bros in June 2019, moving to Duluth from Oregon without ever having been to the area. Kivi Bros caught her attention because of the opportunities the company offered, like heavy haul.

“I love it here,” Boone said. “The moment I stepped foot in Duluth I was like, ‘I’m home. I’m done. I’m not going anywhere.’”

Her position at Kivi Bros also marked a transition from enclosed trailer to flatbed trucking. With an enclosed trailer, drivers will typically drive right up to a loading dock, have a

Despite the learning and physical curve, the team at Kivi Bros was more than willing to train her in.

“I came in very vulnerable,” Boone said. “I had no idea what I was doing, and they just came along beside me like, ‘Hey, we see you’re determined to do this. Do you mind help?’”

The number of women truck drivers is increasing, but still small. Women accounted for 6.7% of truck drivers in 2019 as opposed to 5.2% in 2009, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. A fraction of that percentage are dedicated flatbed and heavy haul truckers like Boone.

“We have to use our brain a lot more to utilize the tools we

Continued on page 27