Debra Hall has spent most of her life either around trucks or working in the trucking industry. The Sikeston, Missouri, resident will present her experiences at a “Women in Trucking” panel Oct. 11 in South Carolina.
Courtesy of TAG Truck Center
Sikeston, Missouri, resident Debra Hall has more than a decade of trucking experience under her belt at just 32 years old. On Wednesday, Oct. 11, she’ll present her experiences in the industry at a national conference.
Hall will participate in a “Women in Trucking” panel at the Daimler Truck North America Customer Experience Week in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
“I think it’ll be a good take for them to understand women’s presence in the industry. This is one of the oldest industries in the United States and it’s always been a man’s industry, but there are more women who are partaking in it who are a perfect fit,” Hall said. “I can tell them I see how there are confident women who want to be in the industry. They’re not just here because they have to be.”
She and other women in the industry will discuss how they got involved in trucking, some of the obstacles they’ve overcome and the positive ways women can assist the industry going forward.
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Hall will represent the TAG Truck Center in Jackson, where she has worked as a service manager for the last 11 months.
“They plucked me from one side of the industry to the other,” she said. “This is actually the first time I’ve been in the dealership side of the world. I’ve always been on the carrier side.”
She said experiences working with trucks makes her empathetic to customers’ needs. The conference’s goal, according to a news release, is to develop the industry’s customer-focused culture.
Hall’s fascination with trucking began at a young age.
“I was actually born and raised in trucks,” she said. Her father, Jim, started a trucking business in the 1960s “… (and) I spent pretty much my entire childhood clinging to his pant leg,” she added.
She played basketball when she attended Three Rivers College and considered becoming a coach. She switched gears, however, working for her family’s business and getting more experience in the trucking world.
“I’ve been involved in nearly every department of the trucking industry,” Hall said, “except I’ve never driven a truck before.”
She said this will be her first time attending a conference such as the Customer Experience Week, as well. She will speak in front of Daimler personnel and potentially some customer representatives.
Hall was nominated by her peers at TAG to present.
TAG Truck Center provides parts and services to a variety of truck makes and models across a four-county area.
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