Freightliner Trucks and the Women In Trucking Association (WIT) recently presented the ninth annual Influential Woman in Trucking award to Ruth Lopez, director of transportation management for Ryder System, Inc.
The winner was announced at the WIT Accelerate! Conference & Expo in Dallas, Texas, during the panel discussion “How Remarkable Women Unleash Their Leadership Potential.” The panel was facilitated by Angela Eliacostas, president and founder of AGT Global Logistics and 2018 WIT Influential Woman in Trucking. The award was presented by Kary Schaefer, general manager of product marketing and strategy at Daimler Trucks North America.
The Influential Woman in Trucking award recognizes women in the trucking industry who make or influence key decisions, have a proven record of responsibility and mentor and serve as a role model to other women. The award was developed in 2010 as a way to honor female leaders in trucking and to attract and advance women within the industry.
Finalists for the 2019 Influential Woman in Trucking award also included: Niki Bolton, senior truck auditor and executive projects officer of American Truck & Rail Audits, Inc.; Kristy Knichel, CEO of Knichel Logistics; Kellylynn McLaughlin, OTR training engineer and professional driver for Schneider National Inc.; Jodie Teuton, chairwoman of ATD/vice president of Kenworth of Louisiana; and Lidia Yan, CEO and co-founder of Next Trucking.
Lopez’s career with Ryder System, Inc. spans 20 years. She currently serves as director of transportation management, leading teams in the U.S. and in Mexico. The teams are comprised of transportation planners executing lowest-cost/time-compliant shipments in accordance with the expectations of 56 external clients. Lopez, along with her team, creates specific execution plans with comprehensive strategies for Ryder’s key customer segments and new client implementations.
Lopez has served as a co-chair for Ryder’s Women’s Leadership Forum, whose mission is to support the attraction, retention and development of women. She also was named a Supply Chain Excellence Award recipient for work recognized within the Supply Chain Solutions (SCS) division, which has over 8,000 employees. Lopez also received a Ryder Outstanding Award Recognition (ROAR) award. It is given each quarter to an employee or team who consistently goes above and beyond in their duties and truly exemplifies the Ryder guiding principles. “The greatest recognition is when people say I have changed their lives,” she said.
