Amanda Schuier

Position: Chief Operating Officer
Company: Quality Transport Company in Freeport, Illinois

Years in the industry: 15 (however, Amanda’s grandfather owned a Mack truck dealership, so her memories of trucks go way back :) )

How did you decide on this career path? I fell into it. I was laid off from a job at a meeting and event planning agency in Kansas City. I was scouring monster.com for jobs and found a marketing job at a semi-truck dealership. Once I started (it was actually a job in their corporate office), I found myself drawn to “all the action” in the dealership (parts, service, trucks, etc.)

What is most misunderstood among women about trucking? I think jobs in transportation aren’t even on the radar for most women. My degree is in journalism and Spanish, and even growing up with trucks in my family, it wasn’t my intention to consider a career in transportation.

What is your mantra? Good question. Sometimes, in trucking, the best mantra is “one day at a time,” but lately I’ve felt it’s more like “one hour at a time.”

Where are there opportunities for improvement in the industry? Trucking, like any industry, should be continuous improvement focused. There are many areas we can improve upon. One major area to me is continuing to encourage fleet adoption of ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) technologies. Getting more fleets to adopt these technologies is a personal passion of mine. As an industry in general, continuing to be open to new technologies is also critical.

You’ve ascended to a C-suite position. What’s coming next on your horizon, in life or professionally? I just started mentoring a young woman who is currently a senior at the college I attended, so I’m hoping to convince her a career in transportation is smart for her. I also want to continue to drive the message to other females that women belong (and not only belong, but can thrive!) in transportation careers.
The industry has given me so much in such a short time. I feel it’s important for me to give back. Also, I will take my Board of Director position at the Technology & Maintenance Council (council of American Trucking Associations) in March of next year. I’m really passionate about that organization as well and am trying to encourage membership in that organization. Finally, I’m hoping we’re getting a little closer to “normal,” regarding COVID, however, I think we will see affects to the supply chain for quite some time.