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.
After a career in policy and public affairs, which included jobs working for the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry and the National Federation of Independent Business, Renee Amar joined the Louisiana Motor Transport Association (LMTA) in November 2020, serving as the organization’s executive director.
“The trucking industry is important to our economy. (Everyone) is impacted by the trucking industry,” said Amar, who describes herself as a “huge advocate” for the business community.
“I’m passionate about the impact (the trucking industry has) on the economy and telling that story,” she continued. “I don’t think people truly realize how much trucking impacts their lives.”
Amar takes great pride in her job and the essential role that truck drivers play during crises, when making deliveries becomes especially difficult. During severe weather, such as the hurricanes that frequently impact Louisiana, she said it’s time to “put your problem-solving cap on” and figure out how to make deliveries when “roads don’t look like how they normally do, and you don’t have access to certain things.”
When the nation was hit by crippling winter storms in February, Louisiana was dealt an ice storm that caused power outages, treacherous travel conditions and other crises. Amar’s role was coordinating water deliveries to Louisiana communities, a job she said she found rewarding.
“I was a part of connecting some really great people with potable water — getting them in touch with members that will drop whatever they are doing to go pick up what is needed and have it delivered,” she said. “It’s incredibly moving to me. We’re not just integral as part of the process — this is a set of people that are unlike any other.”
Amar encourages other women to join the trucking industry.
“You’ll meet some of the best people you’ve ever met before,” she said, adding that the women in trucking are “some of the most tenacious, persistent, smart and sophisticated women that I’ve ever met.”
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.
