Editor’s note: Schneider is a proud member of the Women In Trucking Association — and we were one of the first corporate members. We regularly publish blog posts related to women in trucking. This post is republished with permission from womenintrucking.org.
Women In Trucking Association (WIT) has announced Melissa Allen as its April Member of the Month. Melissa is a professional driver for Schneider.
Melissa was raised in the infamous west end of Louisville, KY. She moved away as soon as she could and began to have a positive impact on the world around her. After spending several years in the Army Reserve, Melissa went into active duty and spent a short time overseas where she improved the way information was communicated about casualties.
Upon returning stateside, she continued her education and started her own web design company. Melissa built websites for companies all over the United States for seven years before she got her CDL. Why the drastic career change? She says, “The economy forced me to find a recession-proof career.”
Melissa has been serving her country as an over-the-road truck driver for the past four years. However, driving isn’t the only thing she does. She has recently invented a product to solve a problem in the trucking industry.
Melissa repeatedly became frustrated when the fuel nozzle kept falling out of the tanks during fueling. She asked around and realized other drivers had the same problem. So, she came up with a solution. Melissa invented a fueling brace that holds the nozzle secure in the tank during fueling. She has already made prototypes and began the patent process for a brace that fits the Freightliner Cascadia Evolution. More information about the fueling brace can be found at www.FuelingBrace.com.
Melissa urges women to not only live their lives to the fullest, but also make a positive impact on the world around us.
