ARLINGTON, Va. — J.B. Hunt Transport’s Deb Beecher has been named the December Member of the Month by the Women in Trucking Association (WIT).
According to a news release, Beecher is an area risk manager who recently celebrated 40 years with the company.
“Raised by a 3-million-mile safe driver, Beecher was familiar with the trucking industry and had an appreciation for drivers and the work they do across the nation,” the news release stated. “She remembers passing by J.B. Hunt on her way to church every Sunday. Shortly after graduating high school, her best friend’s father, who was a vice president of transport at the time, encouraged her to apply. The decision was easy, as the passion for the industry was already there.”
Beecher said she didn’t start at J.B. Hunt thinking she would make a career out of it.
“My intention was to go into nursing, but I ended up on a different path,” she said. “Since the start, I have really enjoyed working at J.B. Hunt. I look back now, and know transportation is where I was meant to be. I have held various roles at this company but have always come back to the operational side and working with the heart of our company, the drivers.”
WIT officials say that Beecher “understands the importance of safety within her company and values deeply the opportunity to provide safety resources to its drivers.”
“Many drivers have connected with me to say thank you, and I love that about my role,” Beecher said. “Whenever our drives utilize new safety resources, it’s like a lightbulb turns on for them and it’s not just a good feeling — it’s a great feeling.”
Beecher recalled one of her her fondest memories at the company came when an essential driver load sheet was lost.
Johnelle Hunt, the company’s matriarch and co-founder, helped her find it. Beecher said she enjoyed the time she got to spend with Hunt.
“She has always had a heart for the drivers of J.B. Hunt and would do whatever it took to make sure their time at the company was successful,” Beecher said of Hunt, who is now retired.
Beecher has garnered other honors during her career.
In 2018, she received the Rodney Horton award, which is given in recognition and appreciation of commitment to J.B. Hunt and compassion for others.
The award is in honor of Horton, who was a long-time employee at J.B. Hunt. In this same year, Beecher and her team received the Pillar award for Q1 for Truckload Support category.
“I encourage women within our industry to show up to work, do your job well, and you will be recognized for your work,” Beecher said. “Believe in yourself and never think you aren’t capable.”
Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and raised in East Texas, John Worthen returned to his home state to attend college in 1998 and decided to make his life in The Natural State. Worthen is a 20-year veteran of the journalism industry and has covered just about every topic there is. He has a passion for writing and telling stories. He has worked as a beat reporter and bureau chief for a statewide newspaper and as managing editor of a regional newspaper in Arkansas. Additionally, Worthen has been a prolific freelance journalist for two decades, and has been published in several travel magazines and on travel websites.
