Joan Nabukeera

I attribute my success to several key factors that have shaped my journey in this male-dominated industry. First and foremost, adaptability and having a self-service-oriented mindset have been crucial. I've always known that as a woman in transportation, I have to give it way more than my male counterparts, but I've worked so hard that it makes me feel good when I talk to other women about it. Confidence has been absolutely critical, even though I wasn't always this confident. Now I'm very, very confident that I know what I want, I know how to get it, and I know how to strive to eventually be in the C-suite, which is always my focus. I'm extremely involved in the day-to-day operations of my fleet, so I always know what's going on. I don't manage from a distance. If I tell a customer we're going to deliver, we will deliver, because I'm going to be involved from step A all the way to Z. My integrity is everything in this industry. In transportation, if you say a project will be safe or a system will be reliable, lives depend on it being true. I also use my social work degree every single day, which gives me strong people management skills. I always tell my drivers, 'hold on, let me put my social work hat on,' because I'm a therapist to them in many ways. Being strong-minded has been essential, especially in a male-dominated industry. I always tell younger women that even when you have doubts, it's better to walk outside and go to your car and cry about it in your car than crying in the office, because they see that as a weakness. My focus is always on being a better version of myself and continuously improving.

The best career advice I ever received came from my mentor, Jessica Winters, at my second job in transportation. After working with her for three years and being promoted from dispatcher to dispatch manager under her leadership, she told me something that completely changed my trajectory. She said straight up that there was no room to grow at that company and that I had so much potential that I needed to find something where I could truly use it somewhere else, where I had the ability to grow. When she first told me, I was a little taken aback because I didn't expect that from a manager. She was essentially encouraging me to leave even though she didn't want to lose me. She told me I had so much more potential and that there was so much more I could be doing in this industry. It was bittersweet because we both cried during my last week there. She said, 'I really don't want you to go, but I really want you to go,' because she knew it was the right thing for my career. That advice pushed me to be more intentional about finding opportunities where I could reach my full potential, and it paved the way for everything I've accomplished since.

My biggest advice to young women entering this industry is: don't wait for an invitation to the table that you already belong at. Just take your seat and make your voice heard. This was a big thing for me because I knew that going into transportation, when women are assertive, we're often seen as too assertive. People are always going to critique us the most in this space, especially in a male-dominated industry. You have to be very strong-minded, and even when you have doubts, it's better to walk outside and go to your car and cry about it in your car than crying in the office, because they see that as a weakness. I remember when my current boss started, about a month after I did, he was trying to figure out how he was going to build the transportation side of the business. I told him straight up that I was going to run it, and he kind of looked at me skeptically and said, 'you think so?' I replied, 'No, I know so.' And now I do run it. He always brings that story up because I was so confident from the beginning. You have to believe in your abilities and not second-guess your worth. Find strong mentors who can guide you and support your growth. I wasn't always this confident, but now I'm very, very confident that I know what I want, I know how to get it, and I know how to strive to eventually be in the C-suite. My focus is always on being a better version of myself.

One of the biggest challenges in my field right now is that it remains a very male-dominated industry, which requires women to be especially assertive and confident in their roles. When we're assertive, we're often seen as too assertive, and people are always going to critique us the most in this space. Navigating these dynamics can be difficult, but it also creates opportunities for women to stand out and lead in meaningful ways. There are growing opportunities at the C-suite level, which is always my focus and where I'm striving to be eventually. I attend Women in Trucking every year, and it's inspiring to see women who are already in CEO, director, and C-suite level positions. Being able to talk to them and see them walk the walk shows me the path forward. It's also an opportunity to connect with younger girls coming into transportation and mentor them through the same challenges we all face in this industry. The fact that we can all come together and talk about the same exact problems we're seeing in the industry shows both the persistent challenges and the collaborative opportunities for change.

The values most important to me are integrity, connection, and family. In transportation, if you say a project will be safe or a system will be reliable, lives depend on it being true. Your integrity is everything. I always want to make sure that when I work with my customers, I know I'm confident enough that we're going to do a good job. Sometimes they say, 'Oh, I feel like you guys are a little too confident,' and I tell them, 'I mean, I know my team will get it done.' I trust them, and I am involved in the day-to-day operations of my fleet, so I don't not know what's going on. I'm involved from step A all the way to Z. If I tell you we're going to deliver, we will deliver. Connection is also huge for me. I'm big on mentoring and making connections with younger girls entering the industry. I've had two women be interns under me within the last five years, and I work hard to guide them and support their growth. I attend Women in Trucking every year, which gives me the opportunity to connect with both younger women coming into transportation and women older than me who are in C-suite positions. Being in that space with all those women, talking about the same exact problems we're all seeing in the industry, is incredibly valuable. Family is also at the core of everything I do. Transportation is never a dull moment - every day's different, a new problem, a new solution. So it's nice to be able to close that laptop, disconnect from it, and just enjoy some family time. I also give back to the community by feeding women in domestic abuse shelters at least twice a year with my friends. We cook and serve food to them, and it's nice to put a smile on somebody's face.