OOIDA life member earns trucking group’s Driver of the Year award

When it came to selecting a winner for its annual Driver of the Year award, the Women in Trucking Association decided that this year, one wasn’t enough – and picked three.

WIT announced Carmen Anderson, Jodi Edwards and Deb LaBree as the winners of its 2024 Driver of the Year and presented their awards during its “Salute to Women Behind the Wheel” event on Friday, March 22 at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky.

Anderson is a life member of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association. A company driver for Green Bay, Wis.-based America’s Service Line LLC, she has logged over 2.5 million safe-driving miles in her career.

Also the winner of the 2015 South Dakota Truck Driving championship, Anderson is actively involved with Truckers Against Trafficking and serves on the organizing committee for the South Dakota Special Olympics.

Edwards, a driver with J.B. Hunt Transport for more than 25 years, has recorded over 2 million collision-free miles behind the wheel. She has spent over 20 of those years as a driver trainer for the company. She currently drives for J.B. Hunt’s intermodal division.

An independent owner-operator of Castle Transport LLC, LaBree began her trucking career in 2006 and has been a team driver with her husband ever since. She also has been a guest on SiriusXM’s Dave Nemo Show and Women In Trucking Show, sharing experiences from her career.

All three Driver of the Year honorees serve as members of the WIT Image Team – speaking with media and other industry professionals during trade shows and public events.

“They represent the WIT mission and participate in ride-along events for legislators, regulators and industry leaders to provide a deeper understanding of the obstacles they face on the road,” Jennifer Hedrick, WIT president and CEO, said in a statement.

According to the group, the annual award – now in its fifth year – was created to recognize “outstanding female professional drivers who lead the industry in safety standards while actively enhancing the public image of the trucking industry.”

Anderson is the second OOIDA member to earn the honor; life member Mary “Candy” Bass also received the award. LL