For many women, stepping into the trucking industry can feel daunting. It’s a space where strength, skill, and determination are key—and where tradition has often dictated that men take the wheel. But barriers are made to be broken.
One woman recently defied expectations and earned her DZ license, proving that passion and perseverance make all the difference. She trained at Modern Training, a school where support and encouragement are the foundation of success. Their instructors go beyond technical lessons, offering guidance, pep talks, and motivation on test day.
“Stan was, to put it mildly, awesome! The other instructors, Kevin and Moe, were super nice and encouraging as well. They made a huge effort to get me ready for test day .”
Like many women entering a male-dominated field, she faced doubts—especially about mastering manual transmission. But her instructor, Stan, gave her game-changing advice:
“He told me my primary goal should be to get the license first—manual skills can come later. That advice was invaluable, as there was so much other information I needed to cement in my head before test day.”
Even after earning her license, she couldn’t shake the worry—would a company give her a chance if her manual skills weren’t perfect? That’s when Shelley Walker, CEO Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada , reminded her of something powerful:
“Just go for it! Don’t worry about whether you’re good enough. We are often our own worst critics.”
Those words stuck. Women belong in every industry, including trucking, and sometimes all it takes is a leap of faith.
Now that she’s passed, she’s aiming high, with a vision of joining a cement company and building a fulfilling career in a hands-on industry. She’s already taking steps to set herself apart, reaching out to Concrete Ontario to enroll in their Concrete Delivery Specialist program—proof of her commitment to excelling in the field.
Yet, like many women breaking into trucking, she acknowledges the challenges ahead:
“I still have some insecurities, but hopefully in time my confidence will grow, and I will fit right in with the rest of them.”
Her story is a powerful reminder that women belong in every industry—including those traditionally reserved for men. Whether behind the wheel of a cement truck or navigating new career paths, women are proving every day that they are capable, resilient, and unstoppable.
If you’ve ever thought about earning your DZ license, know that the road is yours to take. With the right support, determination, and a touch of courage, you can drive toward your own success story.
Ready to start your journey? Modern Training might be the perfect place to begin!
About Geri Cox: For over 50 years, Geri Cox has been a driving force in the transportation industry. As the founder of Polaris Transportation Group in 1994, Geri’s vision and leadership have been instrumental in shaping the company’s trajectory and success. Her commitment to excellence continues as she actively contributes to the Polaris Executive Leadership Team, identifying opportunities to enhance strategic initiatives for the company’s overall growth.
Geri fosters an environment for women to advance and grow within Polaris and beyond. Her dedication and contributions serve as an inspiration to all, particularly women looking to make their mark in this traditionally male-dominated field. Her leadership and mentorship have paved the way for many women at Polaris and within the transportation industry.
Award Purpose: The Geri Cox Allyship Excellence Award honors male allies who have demonstrated a commitment to advancing the inclusion of women in trucking through intentional, positive, and conscious actions within their sphere of influence. This award recognizes those whose actions have significantly contributed to the betterment of Canada’s trucking industry.
Award Criteria:
Commitment to Inclusion: Demonstrates a consistent, dedication to promoting the inclusion of women in the trucking industry.
Intentional Actions: Engages in positive and conscious actions to support women’s advancement within the industry.
Industry Impact: Contributes significantly to the growth and improvement of Canada’s trucking industry through these inclusive practices.
How to apply –Deadline to Apply Aug 23rd, 2024
In 500 words or more tell us why you’re nominating this individual
Send 2 letters of support with your nomination
Include a photo of your nominee
Include nominee’s contact information
Send email to inquiries@wtfc.ca
Please include the best way to contact you should we have any questions
Award will be presented at our Bridging the Barriers Conference
Why This Award Matters: Geri Cox has made an impact by breaking barriers and fostering inclusivity within a traditionally male-dominated field. This award celebrates male allies who embody these values, ensuring that the trucking industry continues to evolve into a more inclusive and equitable space for all.
By recognizing and honoring these individuals, we aim to inspire more positive changes and support the ongoing efforts to make the trucking industry a place where everyone can thrive.
Why Polaris is Sponsoring the Geri Cox Allyship Excellence Award
Polaris is proud to sponsor the Geri Cox Allyship Excellence Award as a testament to our commitment to advancing gender equality and inclusion within the trucking industry. Named in honoring of our founder, Geri Cox, this award celebrates male allies who have made significant strides in supporting and uplifting women in this traditionally male-dominated field.
Our Commitment to Gender Equality: At Polaris, we believe in giving women a chance to excel in trucking. By sponsoring this award, we aim to highlight and reward the efforts of those who actively work towards creating an inclusive environment where women can thrive. We recognize that diversity brings strength and innovation, and we are dedicated to fostering a culture that values and promotes equal opportunities for all.
Celebrating Positive Change: The Geri Cox Allyship Excellence Award honors individuals who have demonstrated their commitment to supporting women’s inclusion in trucking. These allies play a crucial role in driving positive change, breaking down barriers, and ensuring that women have the same opportunities to succeed as their male counterparts.
Building a Better Future: By celebrating the achievements of male allies, we hope to inspire more individuals to take intentional, positive actions that support gender equality. Our sponsorship of this award reflects our ongoing dedication to making the trucking industry a more welcoming and equitable space for everyone.
Through this award, Polaris continues to champion the values that Geri Cox instilled in our company from the very beginning. We are committed to building a future where the contributions of women in trucking are recognized, valued, and celebrated
Class 1 Transport Drivers -Day Night Part Time Midland Transport Limited has become a leader in the transportation industry by providing superior quality service to our customers. Our services include LTL, T/L, Courier Services, and Third-Party Logistics/ Brokerage which provide the convenience of one-stop shipping. Midland Transport is currently seeking for all shifts, Part Time Class 1 Transport Drivers based out of our Moncton Refrigerated Distribution Center.
For more information or to apply please visit the link below:
Dana Allard was our 2nd full scholarship winner, who completed her training at Commercial Heavy Equipment Training (CHET) in Mississauga. We look forward to watching you progress into your new career as a Professional driver.
As the shortage of truck drivers in Ontario continues to be a major challenge for the concrete industry, finding and keeping qualified drivers has never been more crucial. In response, there has been a recent shift in the traditionally male-dominated industry as various groups are working to strengthen the trucking industry’s diversity practices and increase gender parity. Recognizing that women only represent about 3% of the trucking workforce in Canada has prompted government and corporate funding, additional educational and training resources and the emergence of new associations that encourage the employment of women in trucking, promote their accomplishments, and minimize obstacles faced by women working in the industry. The ready-mixed concrete industry in Ontario has over 3,500 trucks on the road. The truck operators or Concrete Delivery Professionals (CDPs), are responsible for safely and efficiently delivering quality concrete to countless projects throughout the province and are an essential part of the team. Concrete Ontario represents over 90 ready-mixed concrete companies in Ontario and hosts a variety of events, such as our annual Truck Rodeo, which showcases and celebrates the skills of our member’s CDPs. This past summer, at our 2019 Truck Rodeo, we were excited to have three female contestants out of our twenty-four participants, and are proud to announce our first female winner, Colleen Lizotte. Colleen took some time to share how her search for a second career brought her to the trucking industry and allowed her to find her “happy place”, behind the wheel of a Miller-EC King Concrete truck (part of Colas – Miller). Daughter to a dad that had driven both long haul and short haul in the concrete industry, Colleen grew up familiar with the trucking industry. As a mom to a soon-to-be 13 year old daughter, her commitment to herself and her family drove her to finding a rewarding career, which allows her to be a key contributor to the safest, most resilient buildings and infrastructure across the province – those built with concrete. Throughout her five years as a CDP she has enjoyed delivering concrete to various jobsites and helping develop her greater Collingwood community. Her success can be attributed to her contagious positive energy, confidence in her skills, as well as knowing she is contributing to sustainable and resilient communities through her work.
So what is it that makes this a daily happy place for Mom ?
Colleen, what do you enjoy most about your career as a Concrete Delivery Professional CDP)?
I love the variety of challenges. Every day is a different experience. There are not many places you can work where you get something new and interesting every day. I love being part of a team. I feel very supported by my team members, and by the crews I coordinate with on-site when delivering. This is my second career. I was working a minimum wage job and had a wake-up call in my personal life that said to me, there is better out there for me than this. I decided to look into trucking and a trusted friend helped me learn how to get the proper license, and I went out and started applying. It has been positive change ever since.
What do you find the most challenging, day to-day, as a CDP?
Most challenging. Hmmm. It has to be managing the self-pressure to be safe and to perform extra well. It’s not just my job to deliver, it’s my job to deliver safely. It’s your truck – you know it and you don’t want to sit at home if you damage your truck, and you definitely do not want to be responsible for an accident or injury. There can be pressure when you arrive on site, so you need to constantly tell yourself “Focus, Go Slow”, and then have the confidence to drive that way, no matter what is going on around you. I hold myself to a really high standard on that.
Growing up you were exposed to both long haul and short haul. Why choose short haul for your profession?
For me – the choice to drive in concrete just made sense. I’m a mom to a great 13-year old daughter. Driving concrete means, I’m home every night. This industry gave me the perfect mom solution. Make a great wage doing an interesting job during the day and “Be Mom” every evening. It’s such a win-win. I wish more women were aware.
What advice would you give to new women considering entering the industry?
Wow – that’s a great question. Let me think. There are a few things: The first one is that it’s normal to be nervous to start. These trucks are heavy. They don’t turn the greatest, but you develop the skills, an art to deal with that. At first, the hills around the Blue Mountains were pretty scary. You get quickly used to constantly thinking about how to be safe on the road. Making good gear choices becomes second nature. Side note: Be kind to trucks out there. They are watching out for you. Give them room and watch out for them. You have to have confidence in yourself. Your team will support you in learning and growing and you need to trust yourself and accept “I know what I’m doing” and go out and do it. When you start out – I think the best thing is honesty. I’d go on job sites and tell the crews “I’ve only been doing this for so long – work with me here”. And they did. And they’ll help you along the way. Now 5 years later, delivering to those same crews, we joke around about it being my “1st day”. Some women think they couldn’t do this career physically or that they couldn’t learn about concrete. I’m here to tell you – it’s really not that physically demanding. And other drivers and employees here taught me about concrete, slumping, etc. Trust that your team will teach you what you need to learn. They’ll be invested in your success. Lastly, and most importantly, have fun and enjoy it. This industry is made up of great people who love to build and create great things. That is something amazing to feel good about at work.
And the Concrete Rodeo – What was that like? And what’s up next?
It really was a great day. You’re surrounded by others passionate about professional concrete delivery. There were also two other women drivers, which was great to see. Some of the drivers I knew were teasing me at the start of the day “You’re going to win this year” and I couldn’t resist responding “I’m going to try and prove you right!”. Driving the course, I nicked the edge of one of the barrels and I thought “there goes my first place”, but I guess others had more nicks. It was really special to win. It was an honor to get a letter in the mail from our company CEO congratulating me. But the best honor was that day, and is every day, how proud my daughter is of her mom and what I do for my chosen career.
First Female winner at Ontario Concrete Rodeo!
We are all very proud of Colleen , and all the women working as CDPs across Ontario. They are part of the solution to the many challenges and opportunities within our industry, and we appreciate the support of anyone who is positive and supportive of women in the transportation industry. Join us as we come together, problem solve, share ideas and help promote our industry to future generations as a viable career option. To learn more about building a career as a Concrete Delivery Professional (CDP), visit: www.rmcao.org/careers/
Consider the advantages of an exciting new career: Home Every Night. Ready-mix concrete has a shelf-life of approximately 2 hours, meaning it must be delivered locally. For the most part CDPs can expect to be home every night, allowing for a great work-life balance! Great Pay & Benefits. Full-time day shift schedules, health insurance plans, paid vacations, safety bonuses, and retirement plans are some of the benefits offered in the industry. As higher levels of seniority are achieved, the greater the rewards available are. Pride in Project Completion. CDPs help to build cities and communities. You can feel a sense of accomplishment as projects are completed. Being a part of a project from beginning to end is a memorable experience – be one of the few who are proud to say, “I helped build that.” More than A Driver. As a CDP, you are a critical part of a concrete operations team. In addition to being a driver, a CDP quickly evolves into a product expert. Concrete is a unique and versatile product, working with a variety of mixes daily gives CDPs a vast amount of technical expertise. Onsite experience is invaluable for a company and CDPs are at the forefront of ensuring product quality.
It is important to promote the success and accomplishments of our team and our industry’s continual growth. We look forward to you joining the Ontario Concrete Industry!
