A Celebration of Women™

is elated to Celebrate the Life of this amazing Woman that not only took on the challenge of a career in a male dominated field, she Took Action with bettering the lives of ALL Women in said industry.  She proceeded beyond the call of duty and created an association that offers all her Members a haven from which to safely grow, learn and excel in this field.

That field is: TRUCKING

Please enjoy with us this amazing story, as we Celebrate the Life of yet another awesome WOMEN of ACTION™.

 
 

WOMEN of ACTION™ 

 
 

 

Ellen Voie 

Her Mantra is:

“Girls can do anything!”

 

IN HER OWN WORDS:

“I was raised with the reassurance that girls could do anything. This was during the seventies, when women were struggling to obtain a level playing field in education and the workforce. Instead of home economics, I decided to take shop class with the boys. Cooking and cleaning was something I could learn at home, but changing spark plugs and woodworking was a lot more fun and useful in my opinion.

My ability to weld and my understanding of drafting led me to a job at a steel fabricating plant, where I designed material handling equipment. When offered apposition in the traffic department, I was happy to learn anew skill. I earned a diploma in Traffic and Transportation Management, and my career in the trucking industry was launched. There were very few women in shipping departments, especially those who managed steel products.

“I knew that girls could do anything!”

After getting married and starting a family I continued using this knowledge and became a free-lance transportation consultant. I provided the expertise in licensing and permitting carriers and in keeping their trucks and drivers in compliance. For most of my children’s childhood I was able to work from home and accommodate their schedules through my consulting.

In addition to raising a family and working as a consultant, I pursued my degree in communication and obtained a Bachelor’s and then a Master’s degree at the University of Wisconsin in Stevens Point.

My graduate research focused on the diverse identities of women married to professional drivers. This led to the opportunity to submit articles to trucking related publications, and ultimately led to columns in various magazines.

In 2001 I published my first book, “Marriage in the Long Run,” which was a collection of articles for drivers and their families. I became a resource for companies who wanted to better understand the needs of their drivers and families. I accepted the position of Manager of Recruiting and Retention Programs at Schneider National, one of the largest truckload carriers in the nation.

Part of my focus was to reach out to non-traditional groups to encourage them to consider careers in the trucking industry. One of those target groups was women. It began to be clear to me that women did not realize that there were great career opportunities in the trucking industry, or that the industry wanted and supported women.

In March of 2007, I launched the Women In Trucking Association (www.womenintrucking.org) and put together a stellar board of directors who could advise me in bringing this organization to a level of credibility and visibility. In nearly four years, this nonprofit association has grown to include nearly 1,600 individual and corporate members (men and women) in four countries.

When Walmart and Frito-Lay recognized the value in supporting our mission, we reached a new level of influence in the trucking industry.

Today, we have been able to provide resources and networking opportunities to our members. Our “Salute to Women Behind the Wheel” has become an annual event.

We are addressing issues that affect our members, and have presented an “Anti-Harassment Best Practices Manual” prepared by J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. for our carrier members to use for driver training. Recently, we have partnered with the US Department of Transportation to address issues that might hinder women from entering or succeeding in the industry.

I have always believed that “girls can do anything” and so I decided to earn my commercial driver’s license. I attended Tri-C Driver Training academy in Cleveland, Ohio in 2009.

I had already obtained my private pilot’s license and last summer I earned my motorcycle endorsement! All this after I had turned fifty years old!

I should also add that I started skydiving at the age of 51.

As a result of my attending truck driving school, I shared my experience in my book, Crushing Cones.

This book is for anyone considering a career as a driver and helps the reader understand the requirements to obtain a CDL.

I truly believe that girls can do anything, and my advice to any young woman is to first believe in yourself. Have confidence in your ability and your training. More importantly, have fun. Be willing to laugh at yourself.

As Women In Trucking continues to grow and as the industry begins to accommodate the needs of women who drive, manage, repair and supply the driver population, our influence will grow. We seek to empower, encourage, and educate our members.

When Women In Trucking was started, I claimed that I would get our logo tattooed on my shoulder when we reached 1,000 members. I was reminded of this last year, so I followed through and got tattooed live at the Great American Trucking Show 2010. It was fun and not at all painful.

Education

Voie earned her diploma in Traffic and Transportation Management in 1980 from LaSalle Extension University. In 2005, Voie earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential from the American Society of Association Executives, the leading authority in association management and a professional society for the association industry. In December 2008, she attended Tri-C Truck Driver Academy in Cleveland, OH to earn her Class A Commercial Drivers License (CDL).

Voie earned her Master’s Degree in Communication from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, where she completed her Thesis research on the complex identities of women married to professional drivers. In 2015, she completed the Strategic Leadership program at the Smeal College of Business at Penn State. In 2018, Voie completed the Finance for Strategic Decision Making program at the Smeal College of Business at Penn State. Voie also completed the Women In Trucking Professional Development Certification.

Our Mission is Simple:

‘Women In Trucking was established to encourage the employment of women in the trucking industry,
promote their accomplishments and minimize obstacles faced by women working in the trucking industry.’

 
 
 

A Celebration of Women™

sends our blessings and cheers the work that this woman devotes her life to uplifting Gender Equity.

‘ … girls can do anything!’   ~ Absolutely.

 

Brava Ellen!

 
Original May 2012/Up-date Nov 2021