ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The Women in Trucking Association (WIT) has named Alyssa Briggs, a 24-year-old trailer mechanic at XPO, Inc., as its Member of the Month for January 2025. With four years of experience under her belt, Briggs is actively reshaping the shop floor culture in a sector that has historically lacked female representation.
Briggs entered the industry through a non-traditional route, graduating from a vocational program where she studied CNC machining, welding, and diesel repair. Despite being the only woman in her diesel mechanics class, she found her footing through steady perseverance and support from her peers. Her transition into the workforce was delayed by self-doubt, but after encouragement from her husband, she applied to XPO, where she found a supportive environment that already employed other women in technical roles.
The professional peak of her career arrived in November 2024 during XPO’s MasterTech competition in Orlando, Florida. Briggs outperformed a field of veteran technicians across 27 distinct assessment stations, including complex electrical diagnostics, brake systems, and preventative maintenance protocols. By winning the event, she became the first woman to ever take the top spot in the company’s history, setting a new standard for technical excellence.
What This Means for Drivers
Reliable equipment is the backbone of every CDL-A driver, and having skilled technicians like Briggs in the shop translates to less downtime and safer hauls. When shops prioritize talent over outdated stereotypes, the quality of maintenance on trailers and tractors improves across the board. For the average OTR truck driver, this shift toward inclusive, merit-based hiring helps ensure that the person turning the wrench is highly qualified and capable of handling modern, sophisticated vehicle systems.
Industry Reaction
The recognition from WIT highlights a broader evolution within the trucking industry, as carriers increasingly look to broaden their talent pools to address the ongoing shortage of qualified maintenance staff. By showcasing successful technicians like Briggs, the industry is moving away from old-school gatekeeping and toward a model that values diagnostic capability and technical precision above all else. This change is essential for trucking companies hiring in a competitive market where equipment uptime is critical to profitability.
Key Points
- Alyssa Briggs is a 24-year-old trailer mechanic with nearly four years of professional experience.
- She was the first woman to win the XPO MasterTech competition, which tests technical skills across 27 stations.
- Her journey included training in CNC machining and welding before she pivoted to diesel mechanics.
- The recognition by the Women in Trucking Association aims to encourage more women to pursue technical roles in the heavy-duty vehicle sector.
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