PLOVER, Wis. – United Parcel Service feeder driver Raquel Sanchez is Women In Trucking Association’s November 2022 Member of the Month.
Sanchez was offered the opportunity to drive a truck when she joined the Army National Guard in 2011, according to a news release. She was inspired by her father, Jim Sanchez, who was a driver for UPS for more than 38 years. She left the military after eight years and continued doing various jobs but never felt completely satisfied in her work.
Following the passion she found for driving trucks, Sanchez began her career at UPS in August 2019 as a part-time employee and loaded packages on to delivery trucks. Progressing quickly, she became a delivery driver, eventually driving a semi-truck for UPS in February 2022.
Most recently, Sanchez and her father made history by being the first father and daughter long-haul team on the West Coast.
“As someone who is just starting their career, I feel blessed to have my dad by my side as a mentor,” Sanchez said. “In 1997, my dad was on the first experimental UPS sleeper team when I was just 7 years old. Who would have thought I would be his partner all these years later?”
Since long-haul driving is a mostly sedentary job, Sanchez believes in the importance of staying healthy and focuses on nutritious foods to stay energized behind the wheel. Additionally, when she is not driving, she makes it a priority to spend time in the gym.
“Staying healthy allows me to keep moving packages from one destination to the next and I know I am doing my part to move the world forward by delivering what matters,” she said
Sanchez says she feels a sense of accomplishment driving a truck and encourages other women to pursue a career in this industry.
“More than 70% of goods and services are delivered by trucks and being able to deliver loads on time gives you a sense of self-importance and value and I feel proud of the work I do after completing my last stop of the day,” she said.
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