During the month of March, Trucker Tools is celebrating Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day by introducing you to women leading the way in the transportation industry. We’re interviewing female company drivers, owner operators, entrepreneurs, brokers, 3PL owners, executives and directors to learn more about their careers in transportation, their challenges and where they turn for support and inspiration. We recently spoke with Tamara Brock, former trucker and now owner/founder of Brock Logistics. Brock spoke to us about what it’s been like to launch a new 3PL business after a successful career in trucking and what she thinks can be done to attract more women to the transportation industry.
The Motivation for Launching Brock Logistics
When Brock left trucking in May of last year, she knew that she wanted to continue working in the transportation industry. She took several freight brokerage courses because she loves the concept of moving freight and how the supply chain works. Brock currently is in the process of becoming an asset-based 3PL and is considering a move to Georgia, which she said will likely provide more networking and warehousing opportunities for her logistics business. When we asked Brock what prompted her career change from trucking to logistics after six successful years behind the wheel, she had this to say.
“The pandemic has given us all perspective on how we work in the industry and how we have to be more creative on the job,” Brock said. “I have a 78 year old mother that lives here in Mississippi. From the beginning, I wanted to be able to get into the trucking industry, pay off the truck and then the plan was to come back home to take care of my family. Last year I lost my niece, a sister and a brother. That’s three deaths, one of which was from COVID-19. I contracted COVID-19 along with my brother at the same time. He didn’t make it, but I did. What really motivated me to start the brokerage and build the 3PL was my eight nieces and nephews, who after the last year don’t have parents. I knew I needed to keep moving forward and try to prepare a place for these kids growing up because they’re all under 18 years of age. That’s why I get up so early in the morning and work so late. That’s my motivation.”
“The pandemic has given us all perspective on how we work in the industry and how we have to be more creative on the job,”
How Trucking Can Become More Female-Friendly
With her perspective as a former trucker and now 3PL owner, Brock says that the trucking industry still has work to do if it wants to be more female-friendly. She said that female truckers continue to have legitimate safety concerns about being on the road by themselves and that ensuring the safety of women drivers as much as possible would be the big change she’d like to see in trucking. Brock became involved with Real Women in Trucking several years ago because safety resources and support weren’t available to her at the time.
“I didn’t have anybody to talk to about different issues that I was experiencing, such as harassment and sexual assault, especially being new to trucking,” Brock shared. “Training can be challenging because a lot of female truckers have to be on trucks with men for a six week period, sleeping in the same space 24/7. Sometimes you have to deal with remarks about your looks that are offensive and you need to learn how to handle it and address it while maintaining a respectful, professional work environment. Real Women in Trucking gave me the tips I needed to keep myself safe on the road and to be an advocate for other drivers. Just to be able to pick up the phone and get that guidance – you need that as a woman in trucking.”
“I didn’t have anybody to talk to about different issues that I was experiencing, such as harassment and sexual assault, especially being new to trucking,” Brock shared. “Training can be challenging because a lot of female truckers have to be on trucks with men for a six week period, sleeping in the same space 24/7. Sometimes you have to deal with remarks about your looks that are offensive and you need to learn how to handle it and address it while maintaining a respectful, professional work environment. Real Women in Trucking gave me the tips I needed to keep myself safe on the road and to be an advocate for other drivers. Just to be able to pick up the phone and get that guidance – you need that as a woman in trucking.”
Inspiring Other Women
Last year, Brock started a new organization called Women-Owned Carriers and Brokers Association. According to Brock, the goal is to bring female-owned fleets and brokerages together to collaborate and bid on large government contracts. She hopes that the association will allow smaller women-owned businesses to join forces to meet the demands of large, high-volume shippers.
In her trucking career, Brock served as a mentor to other female truckers and founded/operated a driver recruitment business. As a trucker, she also built a 37,000-strong following on YouTube by sharing her trucking advice and wisdom. Last August, Brock was recognized for the strength, success and never-give-up attitude that she models for other women in transportation. Brock received Real Women in Trucking’s Trailblazer Award, which recognizes leadership and perseverance.
When we asked Brock about from where she draws inspiration, she told us that many of the women in Real Women in Trucking inspire her. She also said that sometimes positive thoughts strike her early in the morning, which had happened on the day we interviewed her, and she writes them down to share with others.
“Every morning, I post inspirational quotes on social media,” Brock said. “One of the things I wrote early this morning at 4:00 or 5:00 AM was this: ‘There are going to be painful moments in your life that will change your entire world in a matter of minutes. It’s ok to cry or even scream if you need to, but don’t let it destroy you. Use these moments to become a better person and to be stronger.’”
To learn more about Brock and her company Brock Logistics, visit https://msdivatrucker.com.
For more on Brock’s journey from OTR trucker to 3PL owner, read Celebrating Diversity: Tamara Brock, Freight Broker and Logistics Entrepreneur. Schedule a demo of Trucker Tools’ real-time freight tracking platform, digital freight matching and game-changing Book-It-Now®.
