Driving Change
Girl Scouts Learn Trucking
While predicting the transportation industry’s future is no easy feat, there are plenty of opportunities to help shape it. For example, earlier this year, Girl Scouts from three different Illinois-based troops were given a rare and insightful look into the trucking industry, thanks to the efforts of Landstar employees in Rockford, Illinois, and Landstar business capacity owner (BCO) Dawn Arrington.
This special event — organized by Landstar’s Heather Johnson, director of Automotive Services; Tammy Ireland, manager of BCO Recruiting; and Kari Schelling, manager of Human Resources, all based in Rockford — aimed to introduce the girls to the vital role that trucking plays in our daily lives.
The girls, including Schelling’s and Johnson’s daughters and Ireland’s granddaughter, were eager participants in this educational experience.
Hands-On Education with BCO Dawn Arrington
BCO Dawn Arrington, a proud member of not-for-profit organization Women in Trucking (WIT) since 2020, is no stranger to engaging with the younger generation. Over the past three years, the owner-operator has been involved in various children’s benefits and truck safety demos in California and Chicago. This time, she was excited to share her passion for the industry with the Girl Scouts visiting Landstar’s Rockford service center.
“I knew this was an opportunity to teach the next generation about the importance and safety of trucking,” says Arrington. “I love interactive teaching and seeing the amazement in kids’ eyes when they learn something new.”
The event was designed to be both fun and informative. Arrington used a “No-Zone” trailer wrap showing the blind spots around a tractor-trailer. She demonstrated the size and stopping distance of a truck and trailer compared to the girls themselves, making the learning experience relatable and memorable.
The girls climbed into the truck’s cab, looked into the mirrors, and realized firsthand how limited a truck driver’s visibility can be.