Sherri Garner Brumbaugh and Jen Behnke know they are where they need to be. Each woman runs and owns their own respective trucking company.
Brumbaugh took over as president of her Findlay, Ohio-based family’s business, Garner Trucking, in 2008 after her father died and was named president by her mother. Then four years later, she took full ownership as well as the mantle of CEO.
Behnke, is co-founder and president of UFL Services in Lebanon, Georgia, a company she and her husband, Kyle launched in 2021, after they started their first trucking business in 2015.
The entrepreneurs recognize their professional achievements may help other women to consider trucking as a viable career and potentially a startup business option, despite its stigma as being a male-dominated industry.
As a business owner and member of the c-suite today, Brumbaugh represents that women can succeed in trucking. She recognizes after more than three decades in the industry much has changed.
“I was definitely the only one wearing lipstick and carrying a purse,” Brumbaugh recalled. “But I knew my business and walked in with confidence.”
Behnke is optimistic about where the industry is heading, recognizing how far it already has come.
“There’s a lot of opportunity for women in trucking,” she said. “There’s better technology and better training, and if you work hard and pay attention, there’s no limit.”
The evolving business environment
According to Women In Trucking’s 2023 Index, 32% of c-suite roles in trucking are now held by women. Additionally, 37% percent of management or supervisory roles belong to women, and between 20% and 49% of boards have some women incumbents.
“We’re seeing growth every year at all levels,” Jennifer Hedrick, WIT president and CEO, said in an interview with Trucking Dive. “I was especially excited to see the growth at the c-level this year.”
Hedrick said at the driver level, there was a small drop in the number of women behind the wheel, but that’s offset by gains in technicians.
“There’s a shortage of techs right now and we’re seeing a doubling of the number of women taking these roles,” she said.
Hedrick credits the overall progress to concerted efforts in communication. “Some of it is messaging, getting women to understand what’s available to them in terms of careers,” she explained.
There is also more progress with mentorship programs and leadership development for women, according to Hedrick, as well as a push to expose even young girls to the field.
“We have a trailer that we use to educate young girls about careers in trucking,” Hedrick said. “We go to Girl Scout events, school and career fairs. It’s a big chance to communicate.”
A journey to company ownership
Brumbaugh never expected a life-long career in trucking.
She is among the Women In Trucking’s 2023 “Top Women-Owned Businesses in Transportation” honorees, a program which recognizes the professional accomplishments of women in the transportation sector. Brumbaugh brings years of experience and perspective to the table, and knows where the industry has improved—and can stand to improve—when it comes to women’s roles.
“My path is similar to many other women in the industry, in that I am second generation,” Brumbaugh said. “My parents started the company in 1960, and I grew up washing trucks and mowing lawns for them.” ;
After receiving an undergraduate degree in music education and a master’s in education, Brumbaugh worked five years as an educator. But after returning to her hometown in Ohio where her family ran their trucking business, there weren’t many teaching options.
“In the meantime, I started working part-time in the accounting department at the trucking company,” Brumbaugh said. “I enjoyed working with my dad and finding ways to contribute to the company’s growth.”
She welcomed the flexibility the work afforded her once she married and had children. Brumbaugh even found ways to apply her education to the job.
“We do a lot of training here so I was able to use my teaching skills that way,” Brumbaugh said. “I liked having a voice in the business and rose to leadership.”
Behnke said despite her personal accomplishments, the number of women in the trucking industry can still improve.
Behnke, also a 2023 Women in Trucking honoree, said patronizing treatment from males in the industry can also be disheartening.
“We’ve still got drivers who will use terms like ‘sweetheart,’ or ‘baby,’” she said. “It’s kind of shocking when that happens.”
