Fumoto Celebrates Gender Diversity in Trucking at Accelerate! Conference & Expo
Fumoto, new corporate member of the influential non-profit Women in Trucking, attended the fourth annual Women in Trucking Accelerate! Conference and Expo.
Santa Rosa, CA - November 21, 2018
Last week, the Women in Trucking Association (WIT) held their annual Accelerate Conference and Expo in Frisco, Texas. Fumoto Engineering of America (Fumoto) sent Marketing Assistant Gina Lopez to the conference to network and gain professional conference experience.
The three-day conference and expo was held at the Hilton Dallas Frisco Hotel Convention Center. Over 70 exhibitors lined the Frisco Grand Ballroom. Dozens of sessions and workshops allowed attendees to get informed on industry issues, learn leadership skills and more.
In addition to educational opportunities, the event offered time for attendees to socialize. The first night of Accelerate included the “Where’s Clare?” Reception where guests dressed as Clare, the Women in Trucking doll. Dozens of women, and a few men, came dressed in blue jeans, red shirts, and white trucker hats. Some even wore wigs made of yellow yarn like the doll. “It was fun dressing up as Clare with my peers,” says Gina. “I like the idea behind the doll to raise awareness about women in the trucking industry.” After the contest, the dance floor was open. Of course, it would not be a dance in Texas without at least one line dance. “We had a lot of good line dancers on the dancefloor!” exclaims Gina.
One of the conference highlights was a panel discussion with the 2018 WIT Influential Woman in Trucking finalists. The three trailblazers discussed lessons they have learned in the trucking industry. Gina attended a few sessions, networked with potential clients, and met up with current Fumoto clients. “Besides meeting representatives from companies we work with and hope to work with, I was happy to meet actual truck drivers and learn a little bit about life on the road. Knowing that our industrial application valves are on some of the trucks these women drive, I appreciate having the insight of how our product can benefit them.” Gina’s understanding of the trucking industry was further enhanced when she stepped into the cab of a couple of big-rigs that were on display in the convention center parking lot. “That was my first time getting that perspective of a driver. The driver’s seat of a truck truly is the office with the best view.”
Fumoto is a proud corporate member of the Women in Trucking Association (WIT). Women in Trucking is a non-profit organization whose mission is to encourage the employment of women in the transportation and logistics industry, promote their accomplishments, and minimize obstacles faced by women working in the industry.
