Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/675322
40 | Overdrive | May 2016 I mage is as important as it's ever been in the trucking industry, and the 10 finalists for Overdrive's Most Beautiful do their part to enhance it. The award recognizes female drivers who stand out for profes- sionalism and a positive representation of a career choice typically dominated by men. The finalists were selected with the aid of online voting from more than 70 entrants. Check OverdriveOnline. com throughout May for more about the top 10. A panel of judges will select the top three, including the winner, who will be an- nounced online in June. The winner will receive a trip to The Great American Trucking Show, Aug. 25-27 in Dallas. There she will be crowned Overdrive's Most Beautiful and make special appearances, including a photograph session with a Pride & Polish truck. She also will be featured this fall in Overdrive. MOST BEAUTIFUL Where image meets the road Overdrive's THE TOP 10 (in alphabetical order) Shannon Blom Hometown: Wildwood, Georgia Occupation: Owner, Lash Enter- prises LLC Years trucking: About 18 Hauls: Reefer freight "This industry needs a kind, yet strong, positive, informative voice to represent all driv- ers as we all launch forward into the upcoming enforcement of passed legislative laws." After getting her start driving school buses and then moving expedited freight and large equipment such as cranes and bucket trucks, Blom established Lash Enterprises in 2004. Her husband, Larry, has been by her side since she stayed by his: After two dates together in 2003, he was in an accident and was on a ventilator for nine days. Laura Brooks Hometown: Princeton, West Virginia Occupation: Company driver, Cooke Trucking Years trucking: 1 Hauls: Reefer freight "This is not a glamorous job, and at the end of the day, the grease on your hands and the smell of diesel and sweat are what you are left with. Any woman can be beautiful, though, because it is their inner beauty that really shines through." Brooks, a former X-ray technician and social worker, and her hus- band, a former coal miner, earned their CDLs to start a new life to- gether. She now drives team with him and their two dogs. Brooks says the trucking life, filled with new sights and adventures, is like a dream come true for them. Amanda Christina Hometown: Decaturville, Tennessee Occupation: Company driver, Big M Years trucking: 10 months Hauls: General freight "It doesn't matter how beautiful you are on the outside. If you have a snotty attitude, you will be unattractive. I believe a friendly smile is your best beauty accessory." Christina is less than 5 feet tall and barely weighs 100 pounds, but she's a tough trucker who has overcome cancer and a debilitating back injury. She's a single mother who works hard to support her family while also maintaining a positive attitude. She says once people get over the shock of her tiny stature, they are impressed by her strength and work ethic. Liberty Fry Hometown: Leavenworth, Kansas Occupation: Company driver, Fleenor Brothers Years trucking: 4 Hauls: Explosives and general freight "Feeling beautiful is important to me. It helps me to be happy, and being happy in my surroundings, whether in our truck with my husband, or at home with friends and family, is the best kind of feeling beautiful." With a dry van or a tanker holding explosives, Fry and her husband, Steve, take their 2016 Kenworth W900L Icon Edition everywhere from New Hampshire to Mexico. Fry wanted to drive so that she could be with her husband and finally took the plunge once the younger of her two sons turned 18. Liberty and Steve have made health a priority this year and have lost 20 pounds each.