Women have many roles in society.
Our personal and professional roles signify so much in our lives.
We give our all to what we do every day. We go All-In because we love it!
From teachers to soldiers. From social media influencers to doctors. From singers to mechanics.
We can be whatever we want to be. We can do whatever we want to do. And the best part of all, our awesomeness helps us to thrive.
This time, I want to share the story of two amazing women that decided to follow their hearts and jumped in the trucking industry.
For me, it is exciting to have a real and sensible conversation with women about their presence in the trucking industry. These 2 ladies, like many other women, are supporting our country providing transportation to different supply chains during the COVID19 pandemic.
Let me introduce you to Angelina and Jacinda.
Angelina Twardawa and Angieās Transportation, LLC
Meet Angelina Twardawa. She has been in the trucking industry for almost all her life. She likes "how fast-paced and cutthroat it is".
āMy dad would occasionally bring me with him on a load or 2 during summer breaks and I always thought it was so cool and felt like I was going on a road trip with him. After he started his trucking company, he went from being a driver to a businessman, so I would work for him part-time in high school, on weekends, during summer vacation, helping wherever need be. I would be doing clerical work one day and helping his safety director the next day. No job was too small, how my dad always put it. That really helped lay the foundation and knowledge for me today. It gave me the best of both worlds, understanding the life of a truck driver and understanding the business aspect of itā.
After a couple of years, her dad wanted āto go back to his one true passion: truckingā. At that moment, Angelina and her brother decided to start their āown thingā. āWe would take my fatherās principles and apply them with our own twist. If it wasnāt broke, we didnāt fix it, but we did learn from his mistakes. We started with one truck and the rest is historyā.
With her father as her inspiration and her brother by her side, she started her own trucking company in November of 2012 and have owned it for 8 years and counting.
Being on the trucking side of the supply chain has exposed her to "how stereotypical and negative it can be sometimes, but we try to break that mold". And she certainly does! Her vision of her company goes beyond her, impacting the industry with jobs for drivers, and transportation services for the customers.
Her company handles dry and general commodities, as well as temperature-controlled cargo and perishables like produce, which are really needed these days.
Located in St. Louis, MO, her customers know her business from "referrals and relationships" that she has "built with people over the years". She is also networking on social media platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram. āIt is great being able to connect with people who share the same views as you in the industryā.
Angelina loves working with her family āespecially my brother @rafaeltwaā, she also enjoys ādealing with freight, customers, and DOT safety rules and regulationsā. She dislikes ādealing with repairs and maintenanceā.
The most challenging thing she is handling right now is āstaying up to date on current affairs in the trucking and logistics industry! Things are changing every day so much; it is hard to keep up. Also, keeping up with all the new technology that comes out and how to incorporate it into our daily operations, is challenging. Insurance renewals and insurance claims are also no fun, but a part of doing businessā.
For her, the future is ālooking positiveā. Her company is growing; she plans on expanding her reach with 5 new trucks ācoming soonā and she said, āone being pink for one of my top woman drivers! We wouldnāt be a woman-owned trucking company without at least one pink truck in the fleet!ā
Jacinda Jesus Duran and her role as "Car Hauler" with Ply Car
Allow me to introduce you to Jacinda Jesus Duran. She grew up watching and learning about trucks from both of her parents and grandparents; they were truck-drivers. In 2014, at her job in FedEx, she got the heavy license and, "it's being great ever since", she said.
While I was talking to Jacinda, she was waiting for her trailer to get checked to hit the road. Her dog, Miles, was doing some cardio, enjoying the great weather outside. Miles is Jacinda's road companion. There is awesome chemistry between them; I can tell they both love to ride together.
She is an Elite Car Hauler; some of her loads are valued in millions of US dollars. In her trailer, she has accommodated Lamborghini, Austin Martin, Ferrari, Porsche, among many others!! That is the dream of any person who loves cars!! This time, her trailer is loaded with 6 luxury cars.
Her job had taken her to ride all-over United States. Even though the business is slow now due to the COVID, she keeps covering routes and making car deliveries.
With almost 2 years as a luxury car hauler, she has also experienced the stereotypical side of it. Recently, a guy told her that "her truck was too big for her". Here's when she recognizes she doesn't have to prove herself to anybody.
She keeps going and going!
For her, being a 'do-er', having a positive attitude, and discipline have helped her being a responsible truck-driver. "I take pride in every car I deliver, no matter if it's a family car, a convertible, or a collectors' item".
Her previous experiences with cargo include groceries, regular commodities, and hazmat loads. A challenging experience for her in the past was "hauling a load of oxygen cylinders because there are specific routes and DOT regulations you have to follow to handle the cargo properly while in transit". Now, she has a lot of responsibility in her hands. She loads up to 6 vehicles in her trailer, secures, and delivers them to their destinations. I can tell she really enjoys what she does!
Jacinda is a 3rd generation driver, music lover, mother, luxury car hauler, and 'Instagram-er'; she knows what she wants, and she goes for it. She told me "I love all my past experiences because each-and-every one of them allowed me to be who I am today".
Trucking: A Multi-Billion US Dollar Industry
In 2018, the United States' freight trucking industry generated $796.7 billion, according to Mazareanu, via Statista. In that year, a total of 18.6 billion tons of freight were moved in the United States, 64% of that freight was transported by truck (E. Mazareanu, Jan 2020).
Women like Jacinda and Angelina are proudly doing their part in this multi-billion dollar industry while continuously challenging the status quo, and pushing stereotypes away.
A Blast of Genuine Inspiration
Jacinda told me: "I love all my past experiences because each-and-every one of them allowed me to be who I am today". Her words came with a special echo; I bet it resonates in your end too.
That is true! Being grateful for your past -good and not so good experiences- changes the perception you have about them, allowing you to move forward stronger.
Angelina said: "Stay Positive and Keep Trucking". And it is as straight and simple as that.
Their positive energy and endless motivation can serve as an inspiration to anyone, regardless of their industry, sex, or age.
There are so many things to do. We can make a difference by doing what we do best.
I believe attitudes are powerful; choose to bring the right one when showing up.
Taking Angelina's line, mine reads "Stay Positive and Keep Blogging, and Getting Ready for My Next Role in the Logistics Industry".
What would yours say?
I will be sharing more awesome facts about other links of the supply chain in further publications!!
Don't miss them!!
Remember to follow this blog on Instagram @MyLogisticsLab & follow our content #LogisticsAreEverywhere on Instagram and on Linkedin.
Special thanks to Jacinda and Angelina. For sharing their stories with me. ā¤
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Have a topic to suggest, questions, or comments? Please feel free to contact me. Send me an email with more details MyLogisticsLab@gmail.com or reach me via social media (Facebook / Instagram @ItsGloriaIsamar | LinkedIn @GloriaIsamarRivera).
About the author: My name is Gloria Isamar Rivera. I have more than 17 years of combined experience in business administration, marketing, customer service, supply chain, logistics, and 3PLs. I consider myself a young professional, a supply chain leader, and an out-of-the-box strategist. I enjoy the simple things in life and value every process as a learning experience. I am looking onward to sharing something interesting for you very soon! Thank you so much for reading! ;-)
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