Celebrating Mothers at QC

Mother, verb: to bring up a child with care and affection.?

Every day, mothers provide love, comfort, and security to children across the globe. They’re teachers, mediators, providers, and caretakers. They’re up at the crack of dawn to get their kids off to school. They’re up late at night to meal prep for the week. They’re working long hours to provide for their families. The list goes on and on.

To recognize and celebrate our hardworking moms, we sat down with a few QC teammates to ask about their experiences at home and on the job, including:

• Caitlin Galindo, Director of Operations, Mother of Four
• Krystale Hinson, Driver Retention and Equipment Manager, Mother of Three
• Tara Polk, Company Driver, Mother of Two
• Jenna Randolph, Director of Business Operations, Mother of Three

She Has Two Jobs: Mother and Professional

A mother’s job is one of love and sacrifice by selflessly putting their children before themselves. When asked which of their two jobs (full time employment or being a mother) was more difficult, the answer was nearly universal: being a mom. “It never stops!” reflected Krystale “Mom-ing is hard. Working is hard. Being a working mom is hard! You’re always juggling.” It’s a sentiment that Jenna shared, recalling “Being a mom– especially a mom on the road– is the hardest. Growing people professionally is easy for me; growing a mini-me is difficult, especially a teenager!”?

Caitlin agreed, sharing “At my job, things are pretty black and white, but there’s no SOP for being a mom. Everyone’s making it up. There’s no handbook for it. There’s no perfect answer, so you just do your best.”?

Tara brought a different perspective, and reflected “I would say being away is harder. I’m missing certain things because I’m out on the road. Family events, my kid’s activities, it’s hard to be away from them. When I’m home, we’ll go out. We’ll go to the movies, see Beyonce, go to the gym together, and spend quality time together that I miss while I’m away.”?

While at the job, Caitlin has found incredible support through building relationships with other mothers at QC. She recalled “Amber Harbold and I went through leadership training together, and we both realized we had kids the same age. We started messaging each other about things we noticed, tricks to success that we found, venting, everything. Later we went to the national TM meeting together and we both had our kids– along with all the struggles that brings– and we built this really special bond because we realized we were doing this together.”?

The relationships formed between mothers in the workplace are something that Krystale holds dearly. “You get inside your own head a lot. You don’t know when you’re going to get a break. It’s important to have someone affirm you in those moments. Not only to bounce ideas off of, but just to have someone in your corner to tell you: you can do this.”?

Maintaining Work-Life Balance

Every mother knows that balance is key when raising a family while working full time. Mothers endure early alarm clocks, hustle kids to school, complete a full workday, shuttle kids to after school activities, prepare meals, keep the house in order, and more within a single day. It’s a lot of responsibilities to juggle.??

Tara maintains a strict schedule to keep her house in order while she’s on the job. She shared “I’m on the road a lot, so I need to prepare for the whole week while I’m at home. I’m meal prepping for every meal to make sure my daughter is fed. I’m going to the gym so I have energy to do my job. I’m doing all the laundry. I’m taking her to doctor's appointments. I’m grocery shopping. I'm doing all the work for the week to make sure my family is taken care of.”

Scheduling is a common topic in a mom’s life, as Caitlin shared “I’m a scheduler. Four kids, a director, everything is scheduled a month in advance and I have to hold to that schedule. My oldest likes to do everything– especially things that aren’t scheduled. I’m half tempted to give her a diesel truck just to try to keep her contained.”?

Jenna stressed the importance of maintaining a schedule, especially with how often she needs to be away from home. “I travel a lot, so I have to shove everything into the times when I’m around. Doctors appointments, parent teacher meetings, my own appointments, it all gets put into that tight schedule.”?

Especially for mothers out on the road, Tara emphasized the importance of staying connected over long distances. “You have to be a mother for your kids, even while you’re away. Call them. Check in with them. Facetime them when you can. Make sure they’re doing their homework. Talk with their teachers and explain your job to them, then use that relationship to support your kids.”

It’s not easy to keep all of the plates spinning, and sometimes you have to get a little creative. “You just find a way to get it done” said Caitlin “You have to do it. You have to be out there late. You’re working at 4 am, midnight, you do what you need to do.”

Encouragement for Mothers in the Workforce

While trucking and logistics has been a male-dominated industry for a long time, QC women are working to disrupt that status quo. Caitlin reflected “QC is very women centric. Women need to find a quality company that will support mothers, give them the flexibility they need, and grow their career while being a mom. Logistics is hard enough without a personal life. The key is to find a company that will have your back in being a mom.”?

Tara couldn’t agree more, sharing “Women are doing everything that men can do now. You’re going to get looks, but mostly looks of encouragement! I can’t tell you how many times people have given me thumbs up or waved at me because I’m a female driver.” She continued “It really matters that I have a great terminal manager. They’re 100% supportive of me, and it really helps. You need to have that support in this industry.”

Flexibility and finding a company willing to adapt to your needs was a subject that Jenna was passionate about. “I’m fortunate that I work for a company that really understands that family comes first. I was at the airport about to leave on a trip when I learned that my daughter had broken her arm at a soccer game. I called my boss, who told me that my family always came first and I was able to be there for my daughter. QC enables me to be the best mom I can be.”

Jenna also stressed that women– and especially mothers– have a unique set of skills that the logistics industry needs. “Being a mom forces you to plan out your life, and that’s exactly what it takes to thrive in trucking. Trucking needs structure, planning, follow-through, and those motherly instincts. It’s why women are built to succeed in trucking.”

Elaborating on the overlap between being a professional and being a mother, Krystale shared “Sometimes you need to be a mother to your colleagues! They need help, someone to talk to, someone to listen, they need that support, too. Being a mom prepared me for that.” she continued “If logistics are your calling, the doors are open. I tell my kids: I don’t want them to be who I want them to be; I want them to be who they want to be.?

For all of the moms with young children, Krystale has some good news: it gets easier. “When my kids were younger, they needed me the most. Now that my kids are getting older, I’m able to put more into my career. They’re growing and becoming their own people, and I’m able to put more time into myself.”?

To all of the mothers, thank you for your hard work and sacrifices. Your commitment to raising the next generation is something we celebrate and cherish. Happy Mothers Day!