The Women In Trucking Association has announced three incredible finalists for its 2023 Driver of the Year Award sponsored by Walmart. This award honors female professional drivers who truly exemplify a commitment to safety and use their influence to positively shape public perception around truck driving as a profession. For these women – making roads safer is just part of what they do.
Source: WIT
The 2023 Driver of the Year Finalists Include:
Mary (Candy) Bass has been behind the wheel of big rigs for a remarkable 50 years – logging 6 million accident-free miles. Based in Burnsville, Minnesota, Ms. Bass is an esteemed company driver at Transport Designs Inc.
2016 saw Bass earn recognition as the recipient of TA Petro’s prestigious Citizen Driver award. This distinguished honor is awarded to drivers who have extraordinary qualities in terms of safety, citizenship and leadership within their local communities – traits that she has exemplified her entire career. As a tribute, Nashville-based truck stop The Candy Bass Travel Center was named after her and last year Redefining the Road magazine listed her amongst its Top Women to Watch in Transportation for 2023.
At 78, Bass is a shining example of ambition and dedication. A lifetime member of Women in Trucking (WIT) as well as the Owner/Operator Independent Drivers Association, she still finds time to support charities such as St. Christopher Foundation, Special Olympics, Trucker Buddy, Hats for Heroes, and more while encouraging and mentoring other women to follow their dreams within the trucking industry. Leaving no stone unturned at her age, she’s still hauling long distance across America.
Ally Cooper has been an advocate for drivers in the logistics industry ever since joining the military after graduating high school. She’s led convoys through Iraq and Afghanistan, then operated her own LLC as a driver before moving to multiple professional roles with Midwest Logistics and Penske Logistics. In addition to developing her driving skills, she also takes on additional duties such as ride-along trainer and certified Worklete Champion – all while inspiring fellow drivers at every turn.
Cooper is a passionate champion of working mothers everywhere, recently achieving great success in the realm of workplace policies. Their tireless efforts to improve new mother safety and work-life balance have been esteemed by peers & supervisors alike for its unique blend of enthusiasm and dedication. “I absolutely love trucking and can’t imagine doing anything else in life,” she said. “I hope to show women that you don’t have to do the normal 9-to-5 job—you can do anything you set your mind to and be proud of it.”
Ann McFarland is an accomplished driving professional with exemplary knowledge of the transportation industry. Her track record speaks for itself, having achieved awards from both Holman Transportation and Apex: Hard Work & Dedication Award (Holman), Excellent Performance Award (Holman) and Safe Driver Awards twice at Apex. This year she will receive her most prestigious accolade yet – Leonard’s Express Million Mile Award which recognizes drivers who have had a safe drive over one million miles in their career. Truly dedicated to safety and customer service, McFarlane exudes pride in her profession through an unwavering commitment to excellence.
McFarland is devoted to paving the way for female drivers and, with her deep-rooted passion for success in the industry, she strives to guide experienced and novice learners alike. Her mission? To get new women behind the wheel fully prepared to launch their thriving careers.
McFarland is an inspirational example of the work/life balance. Despite family illness and other hardships, she has managed to gracefully juggle her duties as a wife, mother, grandmother — not to mention sole provider for her household in Fruitland, Idaho where she lives with her husband, Richard– all while ensuring professional reliability and responsibility.
The judging panel includes Erin Bergman, senior manager, talent acquisition, Walmart; Tim Ridley, talk radio show host; and Ellen Voie, president and CEO, WIT.
WIT is honoring hardworking female drivers this Friday, March 31 at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville with their Salute to Women Behind the Wheel event. At this event, the winner will be announced for special recognition of dedication and service within the industry.
Source: truckers news
