How many elephants would it take to equal the 80,000-pound weight of a fully loaded tractor-trailer? 

That was the impromptu math question that fascinated a group of elementary school Girl Scouts I took to a Touch A Truck event, hosted by my local Girl Scout council and J&M Tank Lines in Birmingham, Alabama.

I’m a longtime Girl Scout leader, and I love it when I can connect my passion for inspiring girls with my love of the trucking industry. 

The elephant question arose during a Q&A session with two women from J&M, one of them a driver. 

They talked about how trucks are involved in the Girl Scout cookie supply chain. As a tanker company, J&M hauls ingredients such as flour for the cookies and plastic pellets to make trays the cookies are packaged in. 

When the girls were asked if they could think of anything in their lives that didn't come from a truck, one answered, "My hair."

Ah, but what about the shampoo? I asked. That, of course, comes by truck!

J&M Tank Lines Women Share Trucking Career Inspiration

J&M sent three women to speak with the girls, and I followed up later to learn a little more about them.

Carla Shores, driver planning manager, has been in transportation for over 30 years, holding roles from driver to safety and operations. 

“When I started out, you hardly saw women in trucking,” she said. “It makes me proud to have been part of an industry that has become more welcoming to women. Trucks are for girls, too!”

Rachel Vinson, communications and image manager, who started in trucking as a recruiter six years ago, now oversees J&M’s marketing and communications. 

“Trucking has countless moving parts, and I love learning about each one and how they keep everything running,” she said.

Elizabeth Taylor, billing lead, a trucking “newbie” at just over three years in the industry, explained her role in coordinating deliveries and ensuring truckers get paid.

“I handle when, how much we should deliver and where, and making sure that everybody understands – both with the people that are shipping the flour, for example, and the people that are receiving the flour, that they get it, that we document that it’s been delivered, making sure all the truck drivers get paid correctly, so that they can feed their families and their little girls,” she told the Girl Scouts.

Later, she told me, “It has been fascinating to learn the ins and outs and see women in every level! I hope all girls see that if you have the drive and are ready to learn, there is no industry they cannot be a part of. Trucks are for girls too!”

And it was Elizabeth who let the girls in on a little secret — the hand signal to get truck drivers to honk their horn.

The girls had a chance to sound the air horn themselves when they got to climb up into the J&M cab in the parking lot of the Girl Scout Dreamlab. The look of pure joy on one of my Brownies' faces as she reached for the air horn made my day.

I’m proud to see the industry working to inspire the next generation of women in trucking. Because trucks are for girls, too!