This blog post is one in a series that celebrates women in the logistics industry. Inspired by International Women’s Day (March 8, 2019) and Women’s History Month (March 2019), uShip is sharing inspiring stories of women in trucking, whether they’re behind the wheel, booking shipments on a laptop, or making decisions in the boardroom.
Heather Hoover is uShip’s longest-tenured employee
It’s a claim to fame around these parts, as Team uShip has grown to more than 200 employees. She’s been with the company for 14 years, since the earliest days in 2005 before iPhones, Amazon Prime, and “the cloud.” She has worn just about every hat in the building at some point, molding her into a well-rounded logistics professional.
These days, Heather is a key member of our leadership team, holding the position of Executive Vice President of Operations. In her position, she oversees departments including HR, People Operations, Customer Support, Less-than-Truckload and uShip Logistics operations, and account management.
Women Of Trucking
“If you told me when I graduated from the University of Texas that I’d spend the first 14 years of my career in logistics, I’d have thought you were crazy,” Heather says.
While still attending UT, Heather started her career at uShip as a PR and Customer Trust & Safety intern. Since those days, she’s advanced throughout the Customer Trust and Safety department, eventually becoming the Vice President of Customer Operations before moving into her current role.
Heather’s also a two-time finalist in the Austin Business Journal’s Profiles in Power & Women of Influence in Central Texas, an awards program that recognizes women in Central Texas who have forged their own path and developed their own leadership principles.
Heather describes her time at uShip as career-defining, as she’s had the chance to become an infallible expert in a field typically dominated by males. She credits these challenges with learning to navigate, learn, adjust and identify opportunities for growth. As well, she’s honed her mentorship skills, on both ends of the spectrum.
Career & Life
Now in her mid-30s with a son and another on the way, Heather is proud of her place within the industry. While she isn’t behind the wheel or sitting in a dispatch office, her career and knowledge demonstrate that the logistics industry is as vast and elaborate as the collective of people who make it the wheels turn.
Being on the technology side of things, however, is a part of the job Heather is excited to be a part of. Transitioning an old-school industry to one teeming with new growth and innovation is at the heart of uShip’s mission.
In fact, 40 percent of the uShip team is female, from developers and engineers to managers, executives and interns. uShip is dedicated to diversity. From our continued mission to even the playing field for hiring within the tech space, to hosting Women Who Code ‘Lightning Talks’ in our office, we consistently take steps to continue this mission.
With Heather and all the women who make up the uShip team, we’re thrilled to continue supporting women in logistics and for our opportunity to keep the wheels of our industry rolling.
Read about four other outstanding women of trucking here.
