Women In Trucking Association has named Shelly Feidt as its July Member of the Month.
Shelly is a veteran of nearly 10 years in the expedite trucking industry. She and her husband Mitch manage their fleet of seven trucks from home.
When Shelly was asked if she would encourage other women to pursue careers in trucking, the answer was an enthusiastic yes. โI would say go for it,โ she said. โItโs a whole new direction.โ
Shelly had several previous jobs. She was working in a greeting card factory when she met Mitch, who was already driving for FedEx. The two married in 2007 and Shelly joined Mitch on the road in 2008.
The Feidts have driven for FedEx Custom Critical their entire careers, and Shelly said thereโs a good reason why. โWe have so much support from Fedex and canโt say enough about them,โ she said.
Although Shelly is now off the road managing the business, she really enjoyed her time driving. โI love it,โ Shelly said. โYou get paid to see the country and you get to meet a lot of wonderful people.โ
Shelly said being a female driver in an industry typically dominated by male drivers had some challenges, especially early in her career. But her no-nonsense attitude carried her through.
โWhen I first started, I had a couple of issues, but I just kind of shoved through it,โ she said. โIโm out here to do my business.โ
One thing that has contributed to the Feidtsโ success, Shelly said, is their ability to prioritize and avoid frivolous expenses. โItโs all about priorities,โ she said. โIf youโre spending your money all the time on things like eating outside the truck and going to movies, etc., youโre not going to make it. When youโre out here on the road, you have to know whatโs important.โ
The best part of the trucking lifestyle, Shelly said, is the relationships and the sense of community. โItโs just a really great group of people,โ she said. โWeโre all out here together. I even had the president of FedEx Custom Critical in our truck for a ride-along!โ
Shelly and Mitch will be attending Expedite Expo July 20-21 in Lexington, KY. To learn more about expediting and to meet them, you can catch them in the FedEx Custom Critical booth #331.
