The trucking industry weaves the fabric of our economy together tightly. The United States is heavily reliant on truck drivers. Did you know most grocery stores would completely run out of food in just three days if long-haul truckers stopped driving? Trucks move more than 70% of all transported goods across the United States. With numbers this big it’s not surprising that the trucking industry was estimated to be worth more than 732.3 billion dollars in 2021.
Although our day-to-day needs are heavily reliant on the trucking industry, it’s very easy to overlook what goes on behind the scenes. If we take a closer look at the specific companies and hard-working citizens who keep this invaluable industry alive, we see many different types of workers from all walks of life. One force hard to ignore within the trucking industry is the power of female workers. Did you know that among long-haul truckers, women only account for roughly 6.7%? When comparing the percentage of women in the automotive industry, the number increases to 23.6%.
Regardless of why women may or may not pursue the trucking or automotive industries as their career path, it’s evident that women are an integral, essential, and valuable component of these industries. Their thoughts, opinions, and unique perspectives are what prepare businesses for the future and equip them to handle the changing world we live in. There has never been a better time to celebrate the impact women have in the trucking and automotive industries than during the 5th Annual NADA Women Driving Auto Retail Video Contest.
The National Automotive Dealers Association (NADA) hosts this competition as a means to celebrate and highlight women in the automotive and trucking industries and celebrate the strong impact they have. This year, Kenworth Sales Company chose to nominate Sara Shaw, the Service Manager at KWS’s corporate headquarters in Salt Lake City, UT.
Sara Shaw began her career with Kenworth Sales Company in Price, UT about 15 years ago as a warranty clerk. With hard work and dedication, she quickly excelled at her position and learned the ins and outs of the trucking industry, despite not knowing very much about it when she began. Sara never expected she would fall in love with this industry, the work, and the people she would make strong connections with.
After her time in Price, UT she began selling truck parts at the Rock Springs, WY location for Kenworth Sales Company. Shortly after that, she assisted with the opening of a new location in Vernal, UT. Within 5 years she began looking to the future and set her sights on the Service Manager position in Salt Lake City, UT. Although Sara says she felt like she wasn’t the traditional, cookie-cutter applicant who is normally chosen for a Service Manager position, she knew her experience and skillset were perfect for the role. Despite what reservations she might have had before applying, Sara was given the opportunity and became the first female Service Manager in the company’s history.
As a Service Manager, Sara manages and leads a team of experienced technicians. Her team is responsible for fixing and servicing trucks to help drivers get back on the road. Considering how essential the trucking industry is, Sara’s expertise and role are exceptionally valuable to keep businesses running and moving freight. When looking at women within the trucking and automotive industries, Sara’s hard work and expertise aren’t uncommon. Many women within these industries are making the trucking industry their career and being rockstars at it!
The 5th Annual NADA Women Driving Auto Retail Video Contest is evidence of the hard-working women who are leading these industries forward and keeping the fabric of our country sewn tightly together. Kenworth Sales Company congratulates Sara Shaw and the contributions she has made not only to the trucking industry and to the company but in her commitment to teaching diversity and breaking down barriers wherever she goes.
