Lisle, IL — Navistar, Inc. has presented its Nettie Fowler Champion of Change Award to Ellen Voie, the founder of the Women in Trucking Association (WIT), for her ongoing efforts to expand opportunities for women throughout the professional driving industry. The award, named after the wife of International brand founder Cyrus McCormick, recognizes leaders who actively mentor and support equality within the trucking workforce.

Voie established WIT in 2007 and has since grown the organization to a membership base exceeding 8,000 individuals. Her leadership has been defined by a push for data-driven transparency, most notably through the creation of the WIT Index. This tool tracks the percentage of women working in essential roles across the industry, providing fleets with a benchmark to evaluate their recruitment and retention strategies for the modern CDL-A driver.

The impact of Voie’s work has reached the federal level, with appointments to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Advisory Committee and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Entry-Level Driver Advisory Committee. Her advocacy has also earned recognition from the White House, where she was previously named a Transportation Innovator Champion of Change. Nicole Wiggins, Navistar’s chief diversity officer, noted that Voie’s career remains defined by a consistent, non-complacent approach to improving the professional landscape for women entering the field.

What This Means for Drivers

The push for a more diverse workforce is fundamentally changing how trucking companies are hiring to address chronic labor shortages. As more women enter the industry, carriers are increasingly looking at equipment ergonomics, safety, and facility standards to accommodate a broader range of talent. For a current owner-operator or an OTR truck driver, this shift represents a move toward more standardized hiring practices and potentially better-equipped terminals across the country. Drivers should expect continued focus on inclusion as fleets compete to attract new talent in a tight market.

Industry Reaction

The partnership between Navistar and WIT underscores a broader industry realization that the old models of recruitment are no longer sufficient to maintain fleet capacity. By honoring leaders like Voie, manufacturers and large carriers are signaling that they view equity as a strategic business advantage rather than just a policy goal. This sentiment is echoed by industry stakeholders who recognize that removing barriers to entry is essential for the long-term health of the freight sector.

Key Points

• Ellen Voie founded the Women in Trucking Association in 2007.
• The WIT Index serves as the industry standard for tracking female representation in logistics and driving roles.
• Voie has served on both FMCSA and Department of Transportation advisory committees.
• Navistar, Inc. created the Nettie Fowler award to highlight advocates for equality in transport.

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