The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Haleigh Fickett as its September 2022 Member of the Month. Fickett has been a transport driver for R.H. Foster Energy for a little more than four years.
Following in several family members’ footsteps, Fickett’s professional driving career started at a young age. She attended a local technical school and in an effort to gain a better understanding of the trucking industry, she entered the CDL program. Within a few weeks of joining the class and getting some time behind the wheel of a truck, she fell in love with it and knew she had found where she belonged.
Fickett has held a CDL for eight years but has only been actively driving for about five years due to difficulties getting hired at a young age with no experience. After obtaining her Class A CDL at the age of 17, she spent a few years working on local farms and other jobs, while constantly applying for different professional driver openings. At the age of 20, she took a position working for the Maine Department of Transportation, which allowed her to get some experience driving plow trucks and other equipment involved in road maintenance.
Fickett is always up for a new challenge and jumped at the opportunity the following summer to begin her career at R.H. Foster Energy, obtain her hazmat, and start learning how to haul fuel. Although this decision was a huge step for her, as she never planned to haul hazmat, she believes it has been the best career decision she could have ever made and considers it to be one of the most enjoyable jobs she could ask for.
“Hauling fuel is a unique branch of the trucking industry, but one I find very exciting,” said Fickett. “It takes a lot of focus and caution to work with hazardous materials, but it comes with incredible benefits, such as being able to deliver to different locations every day and practicing driving skills in various situations that arise with delivering to public spaces. Local jobs like mine are a great option for women, such as myself, who love the trucking industry, but enjoy the option to be home every night.”
This past May, Fickett had the privilege to compete in the Maine Truck Driving Championship, competing against some of the top tanker drivers in the state and ultimately taking first place in the tanker division. As a result, she qualified for the National Truck Driving Championship and was able to compete against the top tanker drivers from across the U.S.
“If I could give any advice to other women interested in the trucking industry, it would simply be to never underestimate yourself,” Fickett said. “I was nervous when I was getting started in my current position because it is a very physically demanding job, but I have proven time and time again that if I truly put my mind to it, anything is possible.”
