Women’s History Month: Anne Goodnough and Brenda Stewart

Women bring valuable perspectives, ideas and skills to the transportation and logistics industry, and the women at CPC Logistics are no different. CPC prides itself in having the best truck drivers on the road, which undoubtedly include our strong and dedicated female team members. In honor of Women’s History Month in March, we’re spotlighting two of our industry-recognized drivers who have built their careers on a commitment to safety and a passion for delivering success to our customers: Anne Goodnough and Brenda Stewart.

Anne Goodnough

Based in South Carolina, Anne Goodnough has been a truck driver for more than 30 years, seven of which have been with CPC assigned to Fabri-Kal Corporation.

No stranger to hard work, Anne used to complete 12-hour shifts at a cotton mill in South Carolina before she got behind the wheel. Her love for driving and experience driving dump trucks with her brother inspired her to pursue a career in trucking.

Now a seasoned driver with 3 million safe miles, Anne has gathered many great stories from her time on the road. Some of her favorites include watching fresh salmon come in on the docks of Vancouver, Canada, or seeing the Statue of Liberty during a run to New York City.

Anne’s dedication to customer service, safety, adherence to company standards, regulatory compliance and community service helped her become a National Private Truck Council National Driver All-Star in 2018. In fact, she is the first woman driver from CPC to receive this honor.

“I’ve never stopped learning,” Anne said. “Every day is an opportunity to improve. There’s always something I can be doing better.”

Her favorite part of her job is traveling and making friends all over the country. She also enjoys the challenge of navigating new areas, especially big cities most drivers find daunting. Over the course of her career, she has witnessed and adapted to many advances in trucking equipment, technology and culture.

“Today’s trucks are much nicer and reliable than they once were,” she said. “Getting used to all the computers has made our jobs a different ball game.”

Anne exemplifies the strides women are making in trucking.

“It’s great to see more women entering the industry,” Anne said. “Women helping and training other women encourages others to enter into the field.”

Brenda Stewart

Before she was a truck driver, Brenda Stewart was a farmer and a factory worker in Eastern Iowa. Her husband, Don, first

began trucking in the early 1980s. After a few years she entered the field to drive with him as a team. 32 years later, Brenda and Don are still on the move.

Brenda thought her new career presented an exciting challenge with lots to learn. Trucking gave her an opportunity to explore the country and meet people from different places, which she had not been able to do growing up.

“Don and I have driven up into Canada and all the way down to Mexico,” Brenda said. “We’ve been to every state but three.”

Brenda and Don have been assigned to John Deere for 18 years. She enjoys the relationships she has built with the people she meets during deliveries and takes pride in her 32 years of accident-free driving. Brenda recently earned the 2 Million Mile Award for this accomplishment.

“Since I started driving at the age of 27, I have learned so much,” she said. “I’m confident enough now that I can back up anywhere, drive in any weather conditions and even fix small mechanical problems.”

As a female driver in a male-dominated industry, she recalls feeling the need to prove herself under certain circumstances like backing up her truck in crowded areas. She is proud of the progress the industry has made to be more welcoming to female drivers.

“Truckers are from all walks of life,” she said. “The trucking industry takes in everyone. If you can get the job done, you’re in.”

CPC is lucky to have highly skilled women drivers like Anne and Brenda breaking barriers and shaping the future of trucking. Thank you both for your service, and happy Women’s History Month.