OOIDA life member named finalist for trucking award

March 1, 2023

Ryan Witkowski

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A life member of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is among the finalists being considered for one trucking honor.

On Feb. 28, the Women in Trucking Association announced three finalists for the group’s 2023 Driver of the Year award. OOIDA life member Mary “Candy” Bass, along with drivers Ally Cooper and Ann McFarland, are being considered for the accolade.

Bass, a company driver for Burnsville, Minn.-based Transport Designs Inc., has raked up 6 million crash-free miles over her 50-year career. The 78 year-old Bass continues to drive long haul across the country.

In 2016, Bass was awarded the TA Petro Citizen Driver award. A TA truck stop in Nashville, Tenn., is dedicated in honor of her. Earlier this year, she was named a Top Woman to Watch in Transportation by Women in Trucking.

A lifetime member of both Women in Trucking and OOIDA, Bass is involved with a number of charities, including St. Christopher Foundation, Hats for Heroes, Special Olympics, Trucker Buddy, and charities for troops.

Other finalists

McFarland is a driver with Farmington, N.Y.-based refrigerated carrier Leonard’s Express. A recipient of numerous awards for excellence and safety, McFarland will be honored with Leonard’s Express Million Mile Award later this year. The award is given to drivers with more than 1 million safe miles with the company.

In addition to driving, McFarland is also a mentor and trainer for men and women entering the industry.

Cooper, a driver for Penske Logistics, is a second-generation trucker and the daughter of an owner-operator. A veteran of the U.S. military, she served as a lead convoy driver in Iraq and Afghanistan in the mid-2000s.

Following her time in the military, Cooper ran her own LLC as an owner-operator for six years before transitioning to driver roles with Midwest Logistics and Penske Logistics. Cooper says she encourages other women to give a career in trucking a chance.

“I absolutely love trucking and can’t imagine doing anything else in life,” Cooper said in a statement. “I hope to show women that you don’t have to do the normal 9-to-5 job—you can do anything you set your mind to and be proud of it.”

According to the group, the annual award “recognizes outstanding female professional drivers who lead the industry in safety standards while actively enhancing the public image of the trucking industry.” This will be the fourth year the award has been presented.  

The winner will be selected by a panel of judges. The judges include:

  • Erin Bergman, senior manager of talent acquisition for Walmart.
  • Tim Ridley, talk radio show host.
  • Ellen Voie, president and CEO of Women in Trucking.

The 2023 WIT Driver of the Year is expected to be announced March 31 during the group’s “Salute to Women Behind the Wheel” event at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky. LL