Last Updated on March 30, 2026 1:59 pm
Ingrid Brown, a Boone native with nearly five decades behind the wheel, has been named the Women in Trucking Association's 2026 Driver of the Year — the highest individual honor the organization bestows on a professional female driver.
The announcement was made March 28 at the Salute to Women Behind the Wheel event at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky. The award is sponsored by Walmart.
Brown, owner-operator of Rollin' B LLC and operations manager and driver for Blackjack Express LLC, was one of four finalists for the award. She has built a 46-year career in trucking defined by determination, safety advocacy, and leadership, hauling heavy, oversize, and refrigerated freight.
A charter member of the Women in Trucking Association since its founding in 2007, Brown is currently serving her second term on the board of directors and as liaison to the Women in Trucking Foundation board of directors. She is also a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration safety collaborator and a three-time melanoma cancer survivor who has dedicated her career to mentoring fellow drivers and uplifting her community.
Her honors include the National Association of Small Trucking Companies Woman Driver of the Year Award, the TA Petro Citizen Driver Award, and Inaugural Inductee at the Mid-America Trucking Show Wall of Fame.
“We are proud to recognize Ingrid, whose tireless commitment to excellence, safety, and empowering women in this industry sets a standard that inspires us all,” said Jennifer Hedrick, CAE, WIT president and CEO.
Ryan McDaniel, Walmart Senior Vice President of Transportation, also praised Brown. “Ingrid Brown embodies what this recognition stands for — a seasoned professional whose leadership, safety advocacy and dedication to the industry have made a meaningful impact,” McDaniel said.
The Women in Trucking Association was founded in 2007 to encourage the employment of women in the trucking industry, promote their accomplishments, and minimize obstacles faced by women working in the field.
📋 Women in Trucking Association
