The Women In Trucking Association is making plans for its third annual Salute to the Women Behind the Wheel, to be held in Louisville, Ky., on March 24, 2012, at the Mid-America Trucking Show.


This year, 204 professional female drivers attended the events, where National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah Hersman addressed the audience and thanked them for their professionalism and passion for safety. The chairman experienced a taste of life on the road by traveling to the show with five different drivers who took her from Washington, DC to Louisville.

"I gained a lot more respect for these professional drivers behind the wheel and I want them to know that I will keep an eye out for them whenever I'm out on the interstate," Hersman said.

More than 100 of the women were honored with certificates to redeem for plaques engraved with their names and number of safe driving miles from the association. Sixty-eight women had 1 million miles, 26 had more than 2 million, and 11 had driven over 3 million miles. For the first time, two women were recognized for 4 million miles of safe driving, Heather Hogeland, a driver for UPS Freight, and Alice Adams, who drives for Walmart's private fleet.

"Our goal in hosting the Salute to Women Behind the Wheel is to recognize these women for their years of service to this industry," said Ellen Voie, WIT's President/CEO. "More importantly, these drivers are role models for those who will follow in their footsteps as more women become aware of the opportunities waiting for them in the trucking industry.

Next year's celebration is expected to draw even more female professional drivers from North America. There is no cost to attend or to participate, as all expenses are covered by the event sponsors, such as 2011 Gold Level sponsors; Walmart, Freightliner and Frito-lay NA.

More info: www.salute2women.com