Reflections from the Driving Women Forward panel at Vision 2025.
The Driving Women Forward breakfast at Motive’s Vision 2025 conference in Austin, Texas celebrated something special: elevating the voices of four women who are using their unique strengths to shape, shift, and propel the trucking, transportation, logistics, construction, and utilities industries.
Setting the stage
When we launched the Driving Women Forward session at the Vision 24 conference last year, the response was outstanding. The room was packed, the energy was electric, and the feedback was clear: We need more of this. So in 2025, we came back even stronger, knowing that meaningful progress happens when even a single conversation sparks action.
Our goal? To inspire attendees to see that women already have what it takes to lead — they just need to take that next step with confidence.
The road to representation
According to the Women In Trucking Association’s 2024-25 WIT Index, women comprise approximately 9.5% of all professional truck drivers holding commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs), reflecting a decline from 12.1% the previous year.
Despite women being recognized for safe driving, multitasking, and organizational skills, women remain underrepresented across critical segments of the industry due to safety, childcare affordability concerns and misperceptions about trucking careers.
In regard to leadership roles, there has been growth. The 2024-25 WIT Index reports that women represent 28% of C-suite executives, 34.5% of company leaders with supervisory responsibilities, and 29.5% of board members across participating companies.
We invited four incredible women to offer a glimpse into what progress really looks like.
Meet the panelists
Ingrid Brown
Professional Driver, Operations Manager at BlackJack Express, and Board Member at Women in Trucking Association & FMCSA
Ingrid began her trucking journey in 1979 and has driven in 49 states, including Alaska. She grew up around heavy equipment and road construction.
I had my own authority for 42 years, and when I started, there were less than 1% women drivers. There were only six of us I knew on the East Coast running turnarounds to the West Coast. We used to leave each other notes and birthday gifts at truck stops. That’s how we built community. Today, seeing more women’s faces, I feel like we’ve hit the lottery.
How Ingrid leads: Ingrid grew up with many supportive mentors and family members that encouraged confidence at a young age. Her leadership extended to being on the board of the FMCSA and Women in Trucking Association, where she currently mentors and advocates for inclusion. She reminded the room: “This industry is open to anybody, from high school grads to single moms to retirees seeking second careers.”
What keeps Ingrid energized: “I’ve done everything from hauling livestock to owning chicken farms. My motivation has always been people. Every load helps someone. I don’t have to truck — I love to truck.”
Stacey Gibson
AVP, PEO Program Manager at Chubb
With more than 20 years in operations, risk, safety, and compliance, Stacey emphasized the power of human connection:
You never know who you’re going to meet or how you’re going to impact each other. Every conversation matters.
How Stacey leads: The personal connection Stacey found in trucking has led her to enjoy work more than ever. “Getting to work with the people I do every day? I love it. I understand their needs, and solving their challenges motivates me,” she stated.
Stacey also spoke about the importance of paying mentorship forward. Drawing from her own experiences, she makes a conscious effort to support both women and men in the industry, especially those early in their careers.
For younger women rising through the ranks, she offers encouragement and guidance, sharing lessons from her own journey to help them navigate theirs. Her approach isn’t prescriptive, but reflective. She shares what’s worked, what hasn’t, and offers perspective so others can make informed choices with greater confidence.
What keeps Stacey energized: “The people I work with inspire me every day. I’m a fixer and helper, and I love solving challenges for my clients.”
Sandra Adat
General Manager of Fleet, Aecon Group
Sandra has spent over 15 years rising in the utilities and construction industries to manage one of Canada’s largest fleets. Starting in engineering and data, she never expected to lead fleet operations. A pivotal mentor told her: “You are the most resourceful person I know. You’ll build the right team and succeed.” Her passion for inclusion is personal.
My 6-year-old daughter motivates me. She asks, ‘Mommy, is that your excavator? Is that your backhoe?’ I want her to know she can do whatever she dreams.
How Sandra leads: As a key leader at Aecon, Sandra emphasizes the need to change workplace culture and equipment standards to better support women:
“Today, women in Canada can enter trades more freely and have access to safety gear designed for them,” she says. “But cultural hesitations still exist. We need to keep having these conversations.”
She adds, “Accessibility is important — things weren’t made for women in construction, but there are now programs for women in trades and construction equipment built for women.“
What keeps Sandra energized: “My dedicated team and my daughter’s curiosity about my work push me to lead and open doors for the next generation.”
Kameel Gaines
CEO of Rig on Wheels™ Broker and Recruitment Services; Host of The Rig on Wheels Show
Kameel’s journey began in her living room and grew into a national recruitment agency. Her mission? To help small and mid-sized fleets find their voice and attract top talent.
We have diversity, we have inclusion, but we do not have enough equity today.
How Kameel leads: Kameel passionately mentors the next generation of women entrepreneurs through one-on-one coaching: “Real inclusion isn’t about optics, it’s about ownership,” she says
Kameel focuses on empowering small and mid-sized carriers: “Helping them define their voice and brand so they can attract the right drivers gives me energy,” she adds. “Representation even extends to clothing: ‘I won’t wear a boxy unisex shirt. Women deserve gear that fits.’”
What keeps Kameel energized: “At first, my motivation was helping drivers get jobs. Today, it’s helping small fleets discover their voice to attract great drivers.”
Mentorship: The lifeblood of leadership
Each panelist shared how mentors helped shape their careers. For Kameel, it was Larry Johnson of Sterling Solutions, who gave her a platform.
“He saw something in me before I even saw it in myself,” Kameel notes. “I owe so much of my journey to him.”
Stacey credited not only workplace champions but also her grandfather: “He gave me wisdom and showed me how to lead by example. He taught me to treat everyone with respect. He guided me through so many business decisions.”
Sandra spoke of a retiring manager who encouraged her to step into leadership despite not having traditional fleet experience: “He showed me that being resourceful is more important than knowing how to turn a wrench.” And Ingrid reflected: “My mentors were the drivers who pulled over to help me fix a light or shared knowledge when there were so few women in the industry.”
Progress and the road ahead
There has been undeniable progress. Panelists stressed that real equity — access to decision-making power — remains the next frontier.
Stacey highlighted the dramatic increase in global connectivity, noting, “Today, I can call a carrier in Ireland and collaborate. That’s a huge shift.”
Sandra pointed to advancements in Canada, where companies are increasingly supporting women through female trade programs and by designing PPE specifically tailored to women’s needs.
Ingrid shared her work with Peterbilt on truck design, explaining, “I’m 5’2 and Peterbilt worked with me to customize interiors with my new truck.”
Ingrid emphasized how transformative the Motive AI Omnicam has been, offering a full 360-degree view that makes her feel safer on the road, and even more so when she’s sleeping in her truck at night. “The Omnicams from Motive give me peace of mind as a woman and safety I never had early in my career.”
Kameel reinforced the critical importance of women’s voices at decision-making tables, stating, “Men can’t know what it’s like to wear a boxy unisex uniform or why women need better-fitting seats in trucks. We have to be at the table to speak up.”
Beyond the panel: The power of community
The breakfast served as a catalyst for connection and empowerment. Attendees left with actionable ideas, new relationships, and a sense of shared purpose. Ingrid summed it up best:
We need each other — drivers, brokers, carriers, companies. None of us succeed without working together.
