As leading institutions throughout the U.S. celebrate their heroes during Women’s History Month, trucking—an industry with over 8.5 million workers—has elevated two of its own from TA Dedicated.
The Women in Trucking Association (WIT), the leading voice of gender diversity in trucking, named Melissa Suedbeck, Vice President of Operations at TA Dedicated a recipient of WIT’s 2025 "Top Women to Watch in Trucking" award.
Suedbeck made history alongside TA Dedicated’s Vice President of Enterprise Services, Lisa Gonnerman, who WIT named as one of three finalists for their 2024 “Influential Women in Trucking” award.
WIT joins leading American institutions during Women’s History Month throughout March in highlighting women who have exhibited leadership and innovation in their fields while connecting women to new opportunities and advancement. Prominent national institutions commemorating and encouraging the study, observation and celebration of the vital role of women in American history include: The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
In an industry that has been male-dominated for decades, women trailblazing through innovation and connecting other women to opportunities is helping to move the needle. Today, women make up 12.1% of truckers thanks largely to the example and initiative of leaders like Suedbeck and Gonnerman and organizations like WIT and TA Dedicated, which WIT listed as a Top Company for Women to Work for in 2024.
Melissa Suedbeck has held leadership roles in operations at TA Dedicated for more than 14 years. As Executive Sponsor of the Training & Development Committee at TA Dedicated, she has a steering role in developing TA Dedicated’s team for career success and is a strong advocate of women in the trucking industry.
“Melissa is the heartbeat of our organization. She is a phenomenal leader that embodies our core values. She carries the trust of her team and peers, and we are very lucky to have her as part of the Senior Leadership Team,” says TA Dedicated President, Eric Anson.
According to WIT’s website, “Top Women to Watch in Transportation” recognizes the top performers in the industry who go the extra mile to support other women and help to improve gender diversity—in their own companies or industry-wide. Rob McNeil, Senior Vice President of Commercial & Supply Chain Solutions of TA Dedicated emphasizes diversity’s benefits to organizations, “Melissa has made a significant impact on our business in so many ways; her leadership and coaching stand out to me,” he says. “She’s thoughtful and intentional about how she engages with our team and challenges each individual to be their best.”
Inside and outside of TA Dedicated, Lisa Gonnerman is known for her leadership shaping safety practices and mentorship of future leaders—qualities that strongly mirror TA Dedicated’s mission of innovation and connection.
A seasoned professional with more than 32 years of experience in trucking, Gonnerman leads safety and operations within TA Dedicated and plays an instrumental role on the national stage. She served as the National Chair of the American Trucking Associations (ATA) Safety Management Council from 2019 to 2021 and is the current chair of the Minnesota Safety Council leadership team.
Ingrained throughout Gonnerman’s career-long advocacy of safety culture is her personal commitment to WIT’s goals of encouraging the employment of women in the transportation industry, promoting their accomplishments, and minimizing the obstacles they face. Her distinction as a finalist for WIT’s 2024 Influential Women in Trucking award, recognizes Gonnerman’s decades-long role in the making of women’s history in trucking.
Gonnerman and Suedbeck show the lasting effects of women who not only had the courage to excel in male-dominated fields, but who demonstrated the value of diverse viewpoints in inspiring innovations that help move fields and fellow women forward.
Meet more trailblazers of women’s history at https://www.womenshistorymonth.gov and learn more about the core values that make TA Dedicated a Top Place for Women to work at https://tadedicated.com/company/
Vice President of Enterprise Services Lisa Gonnerman named as finalist for “Influential Women in Trucking” award.
Melissa Suedbeck, Vice President of Operations at TA Dedicated a recipient of WIT’s 2025 "Top Women to Watch in Trucking" award.
ABOUT TA DEDICATED
TA Dedicated offers dedicated truckload transportation services through a portfolio of dry van, refrigerated, flatbed and tanker equipment. As one of the largest dedicated fleets in the U.S., TA Dedicated engineers optimize supply chains, enhance visibility and work to reduce CO2 through sustainability programs. They have terminals across the U.S. and are headquartered in Eagan, MN. TA Dedicated is a TFI International company. For more information on TA Dedicated, visit www.tadedicated.com.