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Thursday, June 12, 2025

WTFC and Crossroads Award First Scholarship

The Womenโ€™s Trucking Federation of Canada (WTFC) and Crossroads Ottawa have handed out their first scholarship to a woman aspiring to become a professional truck driver.

The winner was Kristy Perrin of Drumbo, Ont. She was selected from among 27 applicants from across Canada.

โ€œWe can all relate to being young, with a dream that seems out of reach. Sheโ€™s never lost sight of her dream and now she has the ability to fulfill it through this scholarship program,โ€ said Shelley Uvanile-Hesch, CEO of the WTFC. โ€œThe decision wasnโ€™t easy for our board as all the applicants had put a lot of information into their essays.โ€

Perrin will be trained to obtain an A/Z licence as her award.

โ€œWe will be closely following Kristy on her journey to become a professional driver,โ€ said Uvanile-Hesch.

Perrin wrote in her essay that โ€œI was exposed to the truck driving industry young as my father would drive truck to supplement the farmโ€™s income. I would enjoy our scenic drives across Ontario. It was nice to spend one-on-one time with my father as I was one of four children. This is where I learned to appreciate the work of a truck driver and the skills it takes, such as patience, being a self-starter, and good work ethic.โ€

Perrin married a truck driver and has learned the business side of the industry. She has decided she wants to also become a professional driver, so she can see North America and enjoy independence and job security. She aspires to be a car hauler, like her husband. She says she has yet to meet a female car hauler.

โ€œI would like the opportunity to work in this industry and prove that I have the skills and endurance to be successful,โ€ Perrin wrote. โ€œI believe that women can do anything and can be extraordinary in this male-dominated profession.โ€