Hey there, Thought for the Weekend Readers! My name is Pam Pickral, and I’m the Senior Carrier Sales Rep here at Matchmaker Logistics. I’ve hijacked Bob’s weekly email and I’m hopping into the driver’s seat to share my experience at a recent industry conference.
Last month, truck drivers, industry leaders, and support staff from all over the country gathered at the 2015 Women in Trucking conference in downtown Dallas, Texas. I was happy to be a part of it. I’ve always believed that in this industry, you’ve gotta stand tall – it’s still very much a man’s world. And that’s exactly why Women in Trucking was established.
The organization was formed in March 2007 as a way of removing obstacles and recognizing women in the industry. Did you know only 14% of managerial positions in trucking are held by women? Well, I’m one of the ladies cheering for change, and encouraging more of us to enter this field.
I got home from Dallas and the next thing you know, I was flipping the calendar to October, meaning it’s National Breast Cancer Awareness month, a cause we’ve written about before. Here’s another statistic for you- 12% of American women will develop a form of invasive breast cancer during their lifetimes. For this reason, women should receive a yearly mammogram, even though the test can be scary….
My friend, Superhero Tanya Cook
Did you know that roughly half of cancer-free women who are screened yearly for breast cancer will experience a false positive? That’s right – one in every two women will be confronted with a breast cancer scare. Take, for instance, my new pal, Tanya Cook. During a routine checkup, doctors discovered a lump and insisted Tanya have it removed. Thankfully, upon removal, they discovered that the mass was benign.
Tanya is a woman in trucking who’s been around since long before organizations like WiT were formed. Her passion for the industry was sparked by her step-father; Tanya used to go on the road with him for a week at a time during her school breaks. Now that she’s a mother, Tanya is inspiring her daughter and many others:
For more than 30 years, Tanya has been a part of the trucking industry. From administrative work, to getting her own CDL, to working as dispatcher and supervisor, she’s a Renaissance woman in our industry and elsewhere. (For a few years, Tanya even pursued her dream of being a restaurant owner. Her American-themed restaurant was open 7 days a week with a catering arm that served 250 people three meals per day! Tanya has also works on her boyfriend’s farm, sometimes filling in as a tractor driver!)
A health issue sent Tanya back to the corporate world, where she began working for Hormel Foods. For the past two years, Tanya has held a special title – the first female manager at Hormel Foods. She says the men she supervises tested her limits at first, but Tanya held strong; she earned their respect and now they’re a great team, working together to ship 2500+ loads per week!
Meeting Tanya and learning her story was so inspiring; she is truly a superhero and a role model for women, proving time and again that women can do anything, and that hard work, perseverance and a positive attitude will help anyone beat the odds.
Think pink and be strong this weekend,
~Pam (and Bob too!)
