In honor of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, Trucking Moves America Forward (TMAF) recognizes the growing number of women who are supporting the trucking industry and working to keep America moving forward.
In addition to serving as president of Ohio-based Garner Transportation Group — a company founded by her parents, Fern and Jean Garner, in 1960 — Sherri Garner Brumbaugh is the current chair of the board of the American Trucking Associations (ATA). She is the second member of her family to be elected ATA chair. Her father led the federation from 2002-2003.
When Brumbaugh was elected as chair by ATA’s board of directors during the association’s Management Conference & Exhibition, she spoke at the conference through a video message, sharing the story of her involvement in the trucking industry.
Trucking became a part of Brumbaugh’s life at a young age, when she rode along with her father. During her pre-teen and teenage years, she helped with the family business; ultimately returning to her roots as part of a trucking family as an adult.
Brumbaugh said one of the many issues that’s important to her is supporting the trucking industry’s efforts to combat human trafficking. She works closely with Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT), and trains every new employee at Garner Trucking with the TAT training resources to identify human trafficking. America’s truck drivers, described as “our eyes and ears on the road,” are uniquely positioned to identify and report suspected cases of human trafficking. Employees at Garner Trucking are empowered to recognize the signs of human trafficking during their first orientation session.
Throughout her almost 35 years of experience in the trucking industry, Brumbaugh has served in a variety of leadership positions, including the board of directors of the Ohio Trucking Association, the Indiana Motor Truck Association and Truckload Carriers Association.
She also served as the acting Secretary of the Advisory Committee on Human Trafficking for the U.S. Department of Transportation; the committee provided recommendations to former Secretary Chao to address human trafficking issues as they relate to all U.S. transportation sectors.
Brumbaugh said she hopes to be a role model for other women, bringing more women into trucking as both drivers and executives. Garner Trucking has received numerous recognitions in recent years, including being awarded as a Top Trucking Company for women to work for in transportation.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
