The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Rochelle Montes as its August 2020 Member of the Month. She is the Chief Import Operations Officer for Terminal Transfer, a proud military wife, and mother of two boys. Montes grew up in southeastern Alaska on a commercial fishing boat. Her hometown of Yakutat, AK was only accessible to the outside world by boat or plane, so there were few opportunities. Her mother, wanting more for her daughter, relocated to Oregon, where a whole new world opened up for her. At the age of 17, while still attending high school, she began her first logistical job in distribution. In 2000, she started as an entry-level employee at Terminal Transfer, the company she ultimately would circle back to years later and find her lifetime career. Montes was recruited by Nike World Headquarters at the age of 21 and it was there she gained a lifetime of experience and appreciation for logistics. In 2006, Montes had her first child, who was born with medical complications, which forced her to leave her dream job to be home with him. Later, she helped her father get his trucking company established and before she knew it, she was running a full trucking operation out of her home in Spokane, WA. In 2011, she was contacted by Terminal Transfer to see if she could come back. She relocated her family back to Portland and quickly moved up the ladder. Montes is celebrating nine years back with the company and has been an Officer since 2017. “I am blessed to have found a company who embraces and celebrates women in the industry,” she said. She has had the privilege of taking part in speaking engagements at several annual conferences, where she has been able to help inspire other women, women of minority and women without a college education, that they can be successful in the trucking industry. “Be willing to get on a forklift, lump boxes, ride with drivers, and get all the certifications you can. Soak up every piece, even if you don’t think it would be of value, do it anyway. Get dirty, because that willingness to be a team player and show your integrity may just stand out amongst people who aren’t willing,” she said. Women bring such an added value and perspective to this industry. Organization, precision, nurturing, and undying strength are some of a few attributes Montes and many other women bring to the table. “It is our duty as women to help bring up the next generation of women leaders, coach them, prepare them, and most of all, change the stigma that this is a man’s industry,” she said. Women In Trucking, Inc. is a nonprofit association established to encourage the employment of women in the trucking industry, promote their accomplishments, and minimize obstacles faced by women working in the trucking industry. Membership is not limited to women, as 17% of its members are men who support the mission. Follow WIT on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn. For more details, visit www.womenintrucking.org or call 888-464-9482.
