How Women are Reshaping Transportation by Brian Everett, Editorial Director

Women Who Are Reshaping Transportation

Brian Everett, ABC Group Editorial Director and Publisher Redefining the Road magazine

Transportation powers the global economy and, in fact, represents approximately 9 percent of the gross domestic product in the United States alone. Commercial freight transportation equates to millions of jobs and trillions of dollars of commerce throughout the world. And the good news is that more women than ever are choosing a career in this industry – whether as management professionals in a business setting or as professional drivers on the road.

Each and every day, women are doing incredible things in the world of transportation. These women manage teams of people (or even lead companies) to drive business success. They provide creative, innovative ideas. They solve problems. And they help to safely deliver hundreds of thousands of shipments each and every day.

This edition of Redefining the Road recognizes 50-plus impressive individuals as Top Women to Watch in Transportation – individuals who have successfully accomplished amazing things in their careers and and exemplify the mission of Women In Trucking (WIT). This edition highlights people like Tammy Gerdes, who has driven tremendous success at one of the most improved operation service centers in the Old Dominion Freight Line network. And Lily Shen, who has recently tripled business as President and Chief Operating Officer of Transfix and has garnered recognition for the company as one of Forbes’ Next Billion Dollar Startups. Read their stories and those of many others in the cover story starting on page 8.

This edition also celebrates the addition of two remarkable women to the WIT staff: Industry veteran Debbie Sparks who has been named Vice President to manage special initiatives such as the Image Team and establishing the Driver Ambassador program, and Kellylynn McLaughlin who has been working as WIT’s Driver Ambassador to highlight opportunities for women in the industry.

Cheers to all of the inspirational women of our industry who are featured in this edition – and to the countless others who are making a difference in our lives, in our industry and in our world.

We’re not just transporting valuable cargo. We’re helping to safeguard everyone else’s.

With innovations like the Detroit Assurance® suite of safety systems, we’re not just making the roads safer for truck drivers, we’re making them safer for everyone. Learn more about all of our safety innovations at Freightliner.com/Safety.

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