‘She’s a Valiant Leader with a Strong Passion for the Transportation Industry’: Meet Transition Trucking Finalist Gail Losee
Now more than ever, Gail Losee is proud to be a professional truck driver.
“These unprecedented times showed how vital drivers are to the economy and the replenishment of essential items,” she said.
Losee is one of four finalists for the 2020 Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence award. For the fifth consecutive year, Hiring Our Heroes, Kenworth Trucking, and FASTPORT are giving a new Kenworth T680 truck to one military veteran rookie driver to start his or her entrepreneurial journey as an owner-operator.
Public voting is now open. Anyone can cast a vote for their favorite driver once daily between now and Veterans Day.
Handling Thought-Provoking Predicaments
Losee grew up surrounded by the military and was eager to continue her family’s legacy in the Army and Army Reserves. She enlisted in 1989 and served as a logistics officer. She was responsible for guaranteeing the safety and security of two million pieces of equipment and almost 150 soldiers. During her military career, Losee deployed as part of Operation Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom.
The military instilled a sense of hard work, leadership, and motivation, pushing her to succeed no matter what the circumstances.
“These experiences both challenged me and made me stronger, both physically and mentally,” she said. “I knew that if I could bear these expectations, I could tackle any civilian world position.”
Losee enjoyed “the thought-provoking predicaments” that she encountered in the Army and knew she wanted to face similar challenges in her civilian career. In February, she obtained her commercial driver’s license from Premier Truck Driving School and started driving for Stevens Trucking in April.
Pushing Herself to Achieve Success Daily
Since starting as a solo driver, Losee has garnered more than 15,000 miles. She has an incident-free and accident-free safety record. She is currently working toward operating her own small business and becoming an independent contractor with Stevens.
Weldon Adams, vice president of operations at Stevens Transport, said Losee is “one of the most hardworking drivers we have on the road today.”
“She pushes herself to achieve success daily, and I can personally say she has done an outstanding job in achieving that goal,” he said. ”She is a valiant leader with a strong passion for the transportation industry and her performance since joining Stevens Transport proves that trucking is indeed in her blood.”
Archie Roberts, qualifying fleet director of Stevens Transport CD, added that Losee executes every load pick-up and delivery with pride.
“Gail is not only setting a new standard for the next generation of professional drivers, but especially for women in the industry,” Roberts said.
Volunteering to Honor Veterans
Although her time in the military is over, Losee seeks out opportunities to honor her fellow veterans whenever possible.
Losee visits veterans receiving hospice care at their homes and is a member of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association. The club’s mission is to observe and commemorate veterans all over the country in parades, funerals, and other social gatherings.
“I also make it a point to ‘welcome home’ any and all Vietnam veterans that I encounter both at home and during my over-the-road travels because these hard-working individuals never received their proper homecoming.” she said.
