WOMEN DRIVING CHANGE The voice of women involved in the Canadian trucking industry. FALL 2025 | ISSUE #8 Canada Post Mail Publications Agreement Number: 40609661 Read and share! Pass your copy to a colleague! Proud contributors: The women the towing game changing PAGE 27Women Driving Change Magazine // 5 FALL 2025 | ISSUE #8 ON THE COVER Pulling more than vehicles: The women changing the towing game EMPOWERED, WITH SHELLEY WALKER, WOMEN’S TRUCKING FEDERATION OF CANADA Fueling change through mentorship and unity SOLUTIONS, BY MIKE MILLIAN, PRIVATE MOTOR TRUCK COUNCIL OF CANADA A nationwide call for change QUALITY, BY PHIL FLETCHER, TRUCK TRAINING SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION OF ONTARIO Providing the trucking industry with the highest quality driver training programs for entry-level individuals FEATURES Shifting gears in Saskatchewan: From training to triumph Driving sustainability: Polaris women take the wheel Trucking in trouble: Industry demands action Pulling more than vehicles: The women changing the towing game Grit and green trucks: TBDC is empowering women in waste with GFL Powering progress: Driving change for women From big rigs to big hugs: One instructor’s road to changing lives, one license at a time ON THE ROAD WITH… Rachel Benson, Rosenau Transport/GLS BENEATH THE HOOD WITH… Saedene Simmons, Municipal Group of Companies at Royal Environmental Inc. BEHIND THE SCENES WITH… Charlette O’Neill, Armour Transportation Systems INDEX TO ADVERTISERS 08 12 15 18 21 24 30 27 36 32 34 40 42 38 IN THIS ISSUE 21 27 3438 30 Cover photo by Tay Surette Photography (https://www.taysurettephotography.com).6 // www.womendrivingchangemagazine.ca PUBLISHED BY: Matrix Group Publishing Inc. Return all undeliverable addresses to: 309 Youville Street Winnipeg, Manitoba R2H 2S9 Toll-Free Phone: (866) 999-1299 Toll-Free Fax: (866) 244-2544 sales@matrixgroupinc.net / www.matrixgroupinc.net Canada Post Mail Publications Agreement Number: 40609661 President & CEO Jack Andress Operations Manager Shoshana Weinberg | sweinberg@matrixgroupinc.net Senior Publisher Jessica Potter | jpotter@matrixgroupinc.net Publishers Julie Welsh, Christine Scarisbrick Editor-in-Chief Shannon Savory | ssavory@matrixgroupinc.net Editors/Social Media Managers Jenna Collignon, Paul Adair, Kaitlin Vitt Finance/Administration Lloyd Weinberg, Nathan Redekop accounting@matrixgroupinc.net Director of Circulation & Distribution Lloyd Weinberg | distribution@matrixgroupinc.net Sales Manager Jeff Cash | jcash@matrixgroupinc.net Matrix Group Publishing Inc. Account Executives Colleen Bell, Jackie Casburn, Chandler Cousins, Rich Cowan, Rob Gibson, Jim Hamilton, Frank Kenyeres, Sandra Kirby, Andrew Lee, Brian MacIntyre, Chad Morris, Lynn Murphy, Wilma Gray-Rose, Monique Simons Advertising Design James Robinson Layout & Design Cody Chomiak ©2025 Matrix Group Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Matrix Group Publishing Inc. Printed in Canada. Email sales@matrixgroupinc.net to request a Media Kit. On May 10, 2025 Women Driving Change was featured on TruckNewsTalk! Podcast host Stan Campbell shared a conversation with editor Shannon Savory about the magazine's history, goals, and favourite stories. Visit the link or scan the code to give it a listen! https://www.trucknewstalk.com If you have a story idea, reach out to editor@matrixgroupinc.net. We’re looking for women to feature in future issues – drivers, mechanics, dispatchers, managers! Our team of story tellers are amazing at making even the shyest of interview subject comfortable in telling their story. We’d love to tell yours! Last, but not least, if you have a general story idea you think we need to cover, please reach out. We’d love to hear your suggestions and work together on bringing it to life. Conversations with people who make a difference in the trucking industry. www.womendrivingchangemagazine.ca www.facebook.com/women-driving-change-magazine https://x.com/WomenDrivingMag Look for this symbol throughout the digital magazine to click directly to online resources. YOUR PHOTOS PUBLISHED! Women Driving Change wants to showcase the Canadian trucking industry and the hard-working women who are driving, dispatching, repairing, manufacturing, managing, selling, marketing, and running the shop! Your photos could be included in an upcoming issue of Women Driving Change and who knows – it might even end up on the cover! Email editor@matrixgroupinc.net with a sentence or two describing the shot, where it was taken, who we’re seeing, and the person / company that needs photo credit. This is a GREAT way to appreciate your staff and showcase your company in a magazine that is mailed Canada-wide. Women help make the wheels roll round. Let’s give them the recognition they deserve! PROUD CONTRIBUTORS: The Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada The Private Motor Truck Council of Canada The Truck Training Schools Association of Ontario WDC FEATURED ON PODCAST! Stan Campbell » LISTEN NOW AT WWW.TRUCKNEWSTALK.COM We specialize in featuring successful women in trucking.8 // www.womendrivingchangemagazine.ca and a thriving career. For veterans, it’s a chance to shape the future with inten- tion and purpose. And for all of us, it cre- ates space to pass on not just technical expertise, but the resilience, creativity, and courage that this job demands daily. This spirit of collaboration echoes across the broader vision WTFC is advancing in our work nationally. We know that Canada’s trucking sector drives our economy, but it’s held back by fragmented licensing regimes, incon- sistent training standards, and over- looked safety gaps. Our National Trucking Credential calls for urgent reform, from consistent infrastructure and real-time safety monitoring to stronger protec- tions for vulnerable workers and better access to childcare and rest-area/park- ing amenities. Yet, even the most comprehensive blueprint is just paper without people. That’s why conferences like Bridging the Barriers matter. They activate change. They amplify voices. And, most impor- tantly, they remind each of us that we’re not alone in this journey. To our members: thank you. Your support – whether online, behind the wheel, in policy meetings, or mentoring the next generation – is what keeps our mission alive. You prove every day that f you weren’t at the Bridging the Barriers Western Confer- ence earlier this year, you missed a powerful reminder of what’s possible when determination meets collaboration. Held in Alberta in May, this gathering brought together passionate profession- als, advocates, industry experts, and government leaders – all united by a commitment to equity, inclusion, safety, and growth in Canadian trucking. On behalf of the Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada (WTFC), I’d like to extend sincere gratitude to the incred- ible attendees and sponsors who made this event a reality. Your belief in our mission and in one another is the fuel driving the changes we need most. From open conversations to shared solutions, the spirit of this conference reminded us that community is more than a word – it’s our strategy. While we face no shortage of chal- lenges, including economic uncertain- ty, infrastructure gaps, and systemic inequalities, the conference reaffirmed something vital: tackling these issues demands more than policy alone. It requires large does of empathy, trust, mentorship, and compassion. Empowering with a new program This year, we were proud to spotlight the soft launch of WTFC’s new mentor- ship program, designed to empower women entering or advancing in the trucking industry. With guidance from seasoned professionals and peer sup- port across Canada, we aim to create a network where knowledge flows freely, confidence builds steadily, and barriers begin to break down one conversation at a time. Mentorship isn’t an add-on, it’s an anchor. For newcomers, it can mean the difference between a short-lived attempt Shelley Walker EMPOWERED WOMEN’S TRUCKING FEDERATION OF CANADA: BOARD OF DIRECTORS Thank you to the phenomenal team who actively works to support the WTFC! CEO Shelley Walker Founder/CEO EXECUTIVE OFFICERS Samantha Clarke NATT Safety Services Johanne Couture Contrans Tank Group DIRECTORS Caroline Carter (NS) King Freight Lines Limited Deborah Fraser (ON) GFL Environmental Inc. Deborah Gee (AB) KAG Canada Hannah MacDonald-Dannecker (FL) Better Together Group Isabelle Fournier (PQ) Contrans Tank Group Jacqueline McNabb-Neher (AB) TF Energy Solutions Laura Muir (ON) Polaris Transportation Group Sherry Mossman (SK) Northern Resource Trucking Shauna-Rae Swanson (BC) GFL Environmental Inc. I Fueling change through mentorship and unity With guidance from seasoned professionals and peer support across Canada, we aim to create a network where knowledge flows freely, confidence builds steadily, and barriers begin to break down one conversation at a time.Women Driving Change Magazine // 9 ONLINE: www.wtfc.ca FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/WTFC2015 X: www.x.com/WTFC7 INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/wtfc2015 LINKEDIN: www.linkedin.com/company/women-s- trucking-federation-of-canada DIGITAL CONNECTIONS The 8th Annual September 15-16, 2025 Bridging the Barriers Conference Media Sponsor: Lead Pedal Media Location: Hilton Garden Inn Toronto Airport West 1870 Matheson Blvd. Mississauga, ON L4W 0B3 Full Day Conference: Tuesday, September 16, 2025 8:30 am to 5:00 pm WTFC aims to provide a platform and open environment for women across the transportation industry to come together, problem solve, share ideas, and help to promote our industry to future generations as a viable career option. Join as an individual, or companies can participate as corporate members. There are fantastic benefits, such as discounts at companies including Mark’s, Perkopolis, and Diezel Diva. Networking and Early Registration: Monday, September 15, 2025 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm Registration and Continental Breakfast: Tuesday, September 16, 2025 7:30 am to 8:30 am Save the Date! Featuring Keynote Speaker Jody Urquhart! driving change is not a metaphor, it’s a movement. To our partners and sponsors: your investment in WTFC is an investment in a safer, more inclusive trucking industry. Thank you for seeing the bigger picture and standing with us as we create it. And to those who attended the West- ern Conference: you didn’t just join a conversation – you helped build a foundation. One that we’ll continue to strengthen together. I’d love to further this conversation with you at our Bridging the Barrier’s Eastern Conference, September 15-16, 2025. I hope to see you there! Join WTFC Today! Learn more at www.wtfc.caNext >