March has been designated as Women’s History Month. Although women are worth celebrating every day, March is set aside to specifically honor and acknowledge the accomplishments and contributions women have made to their homes, communities, nation, and society as a whole.
This special acknowledgement of women started as a one-day celebration that progressed to one week and then eventually to an entire month. Its origin goes back to March 8, 1911, when Austria, Switzerland, Germany, and Denmark declared it International Women’s Day. The United States began celebrating this occasion when the United Nations sponsored it in 1975. In 1977, a task force in California created a Women’s History Week. This idea spread across the country encouraging Jimmy Carter in 1980 to pronounce March 8th the official start to National Women’s History Week. And then in 1983, Congress affirmed the month of March as Women’s History Month.
Every year, this celebrated occasion adopts a theme and how fitting is this year’s theme–“Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope.” In direct response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the National Women’s History Alliance site reads:
“It’s both a tribute to the ceaseless work of caregivers and frontline workers during this ongoing pandemic and also a recognition of the thousands of ways that women of all cultures have provided both healing and hope throughout history. This year, in particular, we are reminded of the importance of healers and caregivers who are helping to promote and sustain hope for the future.”1
There is no doubt women have played a significant role in history. When women set specific goals in any endeavor, they work hard to reach those incentives. Working in the transportation business for the past 15 1/2 years, I have witnessed this to be true. I have seen women make significant strides and contributions to this industry that is predominantly male.
The TIA also found it fitting this Women’s History Month to recognize women’s impactive role in this industry. In their March 2022 issue of 3PL Perspectives they focused an article on increasing opportunities for women, another on highlighting leading women in the 3PL industry, and one on the formation of the TIA’s Women in Logistics Committee whose mission is to create a community of 3PL professionals encouraging the recruitment and development of women in logistics.
It is exciting to see women playing an active role in the success of this industry. HG Logistics LLC, a transportation broker located in Cincinnati, Ohio, has our very own woman contributor to the world of trucking–Diana Trusty. Diana Trusty started in this business 50 years ago and in her own words, here is Diana’s history making story:
I started a month after high school graduation 50 years ago. There were no computers used and all billing and freight bills were done on a typewriter. Initially, I was a manifest clerk who got the bills ready for the road drivers. Trucking was regulated then, which meant everyone had the same rates and thus, the term “logistics” had not been heard of yet.
I worked in OSD and also did rating which was done by hand from tariff books for different regions in the United States. Eventually, computers were utilized, and all rating was then done electronically. That is when I went into sales in 1986. At that time, there were less than 10 women in sales in the Cincinnati area. I admit I was a little skeptical at first, but my terminal manager at the time encouraged me that I could do sales. I am glad I took the chance. Eventually, deregulation went into effect. That is when the pricing wars began. Soon after, there were more brokers being used and logistics companies started. I was at this company for almost 20 years.
Through a customer recommendation, I found another job in the trucking industry where there too I worked for 20 years only to depart because they wanted me to relocate. At this point, I was not sure what the future held for me, but I was fortunate to get hired by HG Logistics LLC. I have learned a lot since coming here. Logistics was new to me, and it was an adjustment from working with an asset-based carrier with their own drivers.
This industry has been good to me over the years. I have enjoyed the challenge of getting new business. I also, over 20 years, have built good relationships with customers and consider them friends.
Even though things and operations in transportation have changed over the course of time, the way you communicate with your customers in an honest and professional way is the same and goes a long way in building those business relationships.
Diana Trusty has been a great asset to our HG Logistics’ sales team, and she has always been one of our top sales producers. She is a hard worker, pays meticulous attention to details, a great negotiator, and is one who is trusted and respected by all–customers, carriers, and co-workers.
HG Logistics is excited to celebrate Diana Trusty this Women’s History Month.
Congratulations on 50 Years of Service!
1 Wurzburger, Andrea. "Women's History Month: How it Started, Why We Celebrate in March and More Questions Answered." People, 1, Mar.2022, https://people.com/human-interest/womens-history-month-facts-explainer.