‘I love trucking’
The news came as somewhat of a shock, but the good kind.
Nikki Weaver, a driver with 20 years of experience, was selected as the winner of the 2021 Women in Trucking Driver of the Year award.
“To be honest I was shocked and really couldn’t be more honored,” Weaver said. “To even be considered and then actually win the award is incredible. It’s a very prestigious award, and the people involved with this have done a great job promoting the industry.”
It was revealed, Weaver, a company driver for FedEx Freight, was the winner through a virtual announcement on April 27.
Weaver has served as an America’s Road Team Captain, is a two-time winner of the Bravo Zulu Award, and has been a finalist for the Luella Bates Award at FedEx Freight. An advocate for Truckers Against Trafficking, Weaver speaks to law enforcement agencies and colleges on the topic and is involved in outreach programs in her community.
“I love trucking, and I love driving a truck,” Weaver said. “I don’t know that anyone really gets into driving to win an award. I certainly didn’t. To be recognized in this way – it’s hard to put words to how awesome it is.”
Doing her part to promote the industry will remain high on Weaver’s list of career objectives.
“When I got into trucking, I honestly didn’t know that women drove,” Weaver said. “When I found out that was something I could do – that was the best thing. I was fortunate to find this industry on my own, but our industry is a little hidden. If there’s someone else out there, I’d like them to know there’s so many jobs in our industry. I think the information needs to be out there for people.”
Thanks were in order for several individuals, Weaver added.
“I would definitely like to thank Women in Trucking for this prestigious honor,” she said. “Of course I’d like to thank my family, my friends, and I’m also very appreciative of my company.”
Weaver was among a group of finalists, which also included Carmen Anderson, a company driver at Green Bay, Wis.-based America’s Service Line LLC, and Ingrid Brown, independent owner-operator of Rolling B LLC, Zionville, N.C.
The second annual award, sponsored by Walmart, was established to promote the achievements of female professional drivers who lead the industry in safety standards while actively enhancing the public image of the trucking industry, according to the WIT website.
“With the events of the past year professional drivers all across the county demonstrated how essential our industry is in helping our communities have access to necessities such as food, medicine and cleaning supplies,” said Ryan McDaniel, a vice president for Walmart Transportation and WIT board member. “We congratulate Nikki and each of the finalists for their examples of safety and service.”
“We are proud to honor Nikki Weaver with the Driver of the Year award,” said Ellen Voie, president and CEO of WIT. “She demonstrates a positive public image of the trucking industry through her safety standards and community involvement.”
The 2021 judging panel included:
- Tricia Tullis, general transportation manager for Walmart Transportation
- Jeana Hysell, senior safety consultant for J. J. Keller & Associates Inc.
- Tim Ridley, talk radio host
- Ellen Voie, WIT president and CEO. LL