In honor of Women’s History Month in March, Trucking Moves America Forward (TMAF) recognized several women who are forging new roads in the trucking industry.
Erica Denney, director of sales for Denney Transport, is one of those women.
Even though her family owned a trucking company, working in the industry was not something Denney planned for.
In fact, the former college volleyball player says she never really looked beyond collegiate athletics while at Penn State, other than thinking she might “go into the beef industry.”
“But I did love my transportation class the most, so maybe that was a hint (of things) to come,” she said.
After college, Denney took a job in insurance. After about a year, her father called and asked her to help out with the family business, Denney Transport.
“I never looked back, and have been at Denney for six years,” she said, adding that her job involves selling niche services for the company’s truckload and less-than-truckload (LTL) services.
When asked what she loves most about trucking, Denney is quick respond: “The people, and what we are all trying to do.”
The trucking industry plays a pivotal role in the supply chain, delivering the necessities of everyday life as well as the luxuries.
“When I go to the grocery store, I think, ‘We brought that.’ Your favorite dessert at Starbucks? We brought that. Your designer bag, the medicine you need. If we stopped, the country would stop.”
Denney encourages young people to enter the industry. She served as a coach for the American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) Trucking U, where she spoke to college students studying business or transportation. In addition, she was part of the LEAD ATA Class of 2019, where she shared business practices with peers.
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Denny said she quickly discovered a need for more education about the trucking industry and how critical it is to the supply chain.
“Trucking is here to stay. We are flexible, and we work on the fly,” she said.
Denney also expressed concern about the industry’s worker shortage, noting that the average age of drivers is now close to retirement age.
Her advice to young people who are interested in a career in trucking?
“Trucking can open so many doors, and you can feel good about what you do. It’s such a large industry, but it has a close-knit, family feel. We back each other,” she said. “What other industry does this? It’s so cool to think that at the end of the day, we aim to accomplish the same thing.”
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.
