Arlington, Virginia — The Women In Trucking Association has revealed the four finalists for its 2025 Influential Woman in Trucking Award, highlighting top executives whose operational strategies directly impact CDL-A drivers, fleet safety, and carrier recruitment. Sponsored by TrueBlue’s Centerline Drivers and established in 2010, the annual honor recognizes female leaders who drive measurable improvements in commercial transportation through innovation, advocacy, and management.

This year’s group of finalists spans critical sectors of the freight economy, including compliance technology, human resources, asset management, and transport research. The nominees comprise Cindy Ellers, chief customer officer at Fleetworthy; Dee Dee Cox, vice president of human resources at Old Dominion Freight Line; Katerina Jones, chief marketing officer at Fleet Advantage; and Leah Shaver, president and CEO of The National Transportation Institute. Each leader influences internal corporate policies that dictate how trucking companies hiring personnel handle talent development, regulatory compliance, and daily operational safety.

Ellers joined Fleetworthy in 2021, directing customer strategy, safety solutions, and toll management systems while creating internal diversity panels aimed at advancing women within transportation. Cox brings thirty years of HR experience to Old Dominion Freight Line, where she expanded training pipelines such as management trainee tracks and supervisor development initiatives that bolstered driver and staff retention nationwide. Meanwhile, Jones helped build Fleet Advantage into a billion-dollar brand while serving as a safety liaison, demonstrating advanced collision mitigation technology to commercial fleets. Shaver leads The National Transportation Institute, providing critical data regarding driver compensation, operational costs, and freight market trends that impact every owner-operator and OTR truck driver on the highway.

What This Means for Drivers

For the average OTR truck driver and independent owner-operator, executive decisions made at corporate headquarters dictate daily working conditions, compliance burdens, and pay scales. Programs developed by HR leaders like Cox directly influence how quickly drivers advance through training pipelines and how carriers handle onboarding procedures. Furthermore, safety integrations championed by executives like Jones introduce advanced telematics and collision avoidance gear directly into day-to-day fleet operations, which helps protect operators navigating heavy interstate traffic. Staying informed on these leadership changes gives professional drivers insight into which trucking companies hiring today are genuinely investing in retention, safety tech, and equitable compensation structures.

Industry Reaction

Industry advocates emphasize that executive leadership focused on recruitment and safety compliance remains vital as motor carriers navigate persistent capacity shifts and regulatory hurdles enforced by FMCSA regulations. Recognizing leaders who build comprehensive career tracks and modernize compliance software helps address the long-standing demographic challenges facing commercial freight. As fleets compete for qualified talent, the operational strategies implemented by these award finalists set a benchmark for how modern transportation providers support their driving workforces on the road.

Key Points

• The Women In Trucking Association announced four finalists for the 2025 Influential Woman in Trucking Award, sponsored by TrueBlue’s Centerline Drivers.
• Nominees include Cindy Ellers of Fleetworthy, Dee Dee Cox of Old Dominion Freight Line, Katerina Jones of Fleet Advantage, and Leah Shaver of The National Transportation Institute.
• The finalists influence core areas impacting drivers, including fleet safety compliance, human resources development, recruitment pipelines, and compensation data.
• The award program, established in 2010, honors female executives who make measurable impacts on transport operations and community leadership.

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