Trudy’s passion started in the trucking business. The beginning of her career was tough and she had to work extra hard to prove herself to a lot of people in the male occupied and driven workforce. Trudy worked for a truck dealership in a small town in Missouri and learned the industry by working hands-on.

She obtained her commercial driving license and was on the road just like the “guys.” She did it all herself, driving, handling the equipment, lifting and everything in between. She encountered discrimination as 90 percent of all positions in trucking were occupied by men. Trudy pushed back and kept working even harder. She started to realize that she was capable of anything. Trudy learned to adapt to a position of power and responsibility and consequently developed excellent leadership skills that she later applied to start her own company.

Trudy has become well known for her work as a public speaker, philanthropy and entrepreneurial spirit over the years. She has dedicated countless hours to volunteering for different projects and organizations, and has played a pivotal role in leadership and fundraising initiatives.

“I’m at a place in life where I want to share the successes of women whom I admire. I’m so grateful for my opportunities along the way and want to pay it forward. I feel inspired to sponsor the Great American Women series because there are women who deserve to be recognized for what they’ve accomplished in life, sometimes out of necessity, sometimes out of ambition, sometimes out of creativity, that spirit of entrepreneurship.”