“By attracting and retaining women in the industry, we are building the foundation for long-term success.”
Debora Babin Katz, Vice President, TrucBrush Corporation
Debora Katz’s career in the trucking industry started with a handshake and an idea. In 2013, she was introduced by a colleague to her current boss because he had an idea for a new product for the trucking industry. Debora was tapped to help make the idea a reality. She had the education, skills and strong ties to the commercial snow management industry. Her boss needed help removing snow and icy debris off the tops of the trucks and trailers prior to transit. What ultimately came out of that meeting each other was the “TrucBrush,” an innovative mobile broom attachment to clear snow and ice off the tops of fleets roofs. Debora began branding the business and building relations in the trucking industry, which she quickly realized she loved.
At TrucBrush, Debora wears a lot of hats as she juggles between business development and building relationships in two industries: transportation and snow management. “I’m a problem solver by nature, so I enjoy assisting companies in their programs to incorporate a mobile solution to clear the snow off the trucks and trailers prior to their transit on our highways,” she says. She assists professional snow service contractors on how to sell the product to current and new facilities. Debora also manages the company’s marketing and communications and has become the ‘face’ of TrucBrush — which she is proud of — when she travels the country to meetings, tradeshows and other industry events.
When asked what Debora loves about her job, she says, “I love that no two days are ever the same, but mostly I love the people that I get to interact with in the two industries which I serve in: transportation and professional snow and ice management. For the most part, the people in these two industries share similar traits that are so important to me: they are super hard working, dedicated to their industry and to serving others. They are smart yet also fun loving. I truly have met so many people who all seem to share those qualities that I highly regard.”
Debora believes that after the global pandemic, trucking’s important role in America become more visible to more people. When asked what she would tell someone who is considering joining the trucking industry, she says, “I would say ‘Why haven’t you done it sooner?’ Kidding aside, I would tell them that transportation is a great career path. I think the pandemic showed the world how important trucking truly is to our economy, and to our health and welfare in bringing people the PPE and, later, vaccines. No matter what happens in the world, there is always a need for trucks and transportation. Trucking is critical.”
She would also tell someone considering this industry that there is a lot of room for mobility and advancing one’s career within the industry. She says there is a sense of loyalty with many trucking companies and, it’s not unusual to meet people who have worked for the same organization for ten, 15, or 25 plus years. “I think that says something about those companies; how they treat their employees and the opportunities they provide for career development,” she adds.
Debora explains why it’s important for women to join the industry. “I believe the strength of any industry lies in that industry’s ability to pivot when challenges arise. To pivot successfully, you have to have a large pool of different and creative ideas on the table. The only way to have that large pool of creative ideas is to have diverse thinkers. I don’t want everyone in our company or on a board to be carbon copies of each other. Women and men think differently, because they have diverse experiences from a very young age. Those experiences are what drive our thought processes and our creativity. By attracting, training and retaining more women in the trucking industry, we are building the foundation for long-term success.”
