Susie De Ridder Named 2020 Female Driver of the Year 

The inaugural award recognizes outstanding female professional drivers who lead the industry in safety standards while actively enhancing the public image of the trucking industry. Susie De Ridder, company driver for Armour Transportation Systems in New Brunswick, Canada is the winner of the first annual Female Driver of the Year award. View the announcement

“Walmart is honored to partner with Women In Trucking to recognize an outstanding female driver making a positive impact in the transportation industry,” said Bryan Most, vice president of transportation for Walmart and WIT board member. “During times like these we really see how important truck drivers are and we congratulate Susie and each of the finalists of the Female Driver of the Year award for their examples of safety and service to our industry.”

“Susie De Ridder has been a visible advocate for women in the trucking industry and we are so proud to honor her with the first-ever ‘Female Driver of the Year award.’  Her safety standards and community involvement enhance a positive public image of the trucking industry,” said Ellen Voie, president and CEO of WIT.  

The 2020 Female Driver of the Year finalists are:

Carmen Anderson, a company driver at America’s Service Line, LLC, has 2.5 million safe-driving miles. In August 2019, she was named the Wisconsin Motor Carriers Association (WMCA) Driver of the Month. She also won the WMCA 2019 Driver of the Year. She was appointed to the WIT Image Team in 2019, is a lifetime member of WIT, and is a member of Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA). She also serves on the organizing committee for the South Dakota Special Olympics. In 2017, she was selected for the Wisconsin Road Team. In 2015, Anderson won the South Dakota Truck Driving championship and went on to compete in nationals in St Louis. She is trained to recognize and prevent human trafficking through her involvement with Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) and has appeared on TV news to speak on the topic.

Susie De Ridder, a company driver at Armour, has been driving for 40 years and has approximately 4 million accident-free miles. A former board member for Women in Trucking Federation of Canada, she was named to WIT’s Image Team in 2018.  Since then, she has appeared in trucking magazines in USA and Canada, providing great exposure for the career opportunities open to women in the trucking industry. De Ridder attends trucking industry events, participates in media interviews, serves as a speaker and panelist at industry events and conducts ride-alongs for lawmakers. As a mentor, she regularly attends Girl Gala Events at high schools and community colleges.  She participates in the Convoy for Hope Atlantic yearly, raising funds for cancer research and awareness. In 2019, she won first place for best-dressed driver, best-decorated truck and raising the most funds in the Convoy’s 10-year history. In honor of her fundraising efforts, she proudly led the Convoy of 35 trucks, the first time ever for a female driver. De Ridder is on the cover of this month’s MyPort Magazine in honor of International Women’s Month. 

Sarah Fiske has been a company driver with FedEx Freight for 14 years and has more than 1.17 million accident-free miles. She is dedicated to community involvement and has impacted many throughout her 20-year career. She feels her biggest impact is her involvement with Trucker Buddy. She has had the privilege of being a “buddy” to her hometown school for the past 16 years. Fiske has also participated in Trees for Troops, delivering more than 240,000 Christmas trees to military families over the past 15 years.  For the past two years, Fiske has been traveling the country as a FedEx Freight Road Team Captain, promoting highway safety. She attends industry events, including Drive for Freedom Truck Rodeos benefiting the Wounded Warrior Project and Share the Road events in Montana. Around the holidays, she enjoys playing the part of Mrs. Clause, while her husband is Santa. For seven years they have been spreading cheer at schools, nursing homes and throughout the community. They even participate in the US Marines Toys for Tots program and the Dream Big Foundation to bring toys to their local children.  

The judging panel included Lori Furnell, director of talent acquisition, Walmart Supply Chain; Jeana Hysell, senior safety consultant, J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.; Tim Ridley, talk radio host; Ellen Voie, WIT president and CEO.

Watch the video below for the virtual winner announcement hosted by Drive My Way.

  

 

Questions? Contact Lana Nichols at 920-737-9490 or [email protected].