INNER WARRIOR - Tiffany Hanna

INNER WARRIOR

Legend Nominee: Tiffany Echoles Hanna

When recognizing leadership qualities in an individual one must possess attributes such as; experience, knowledge, and a willingness to assist others in their progression while displaying a work ethic of discipline and professionalism. Their accomplishments equal in effort, their patience is practiced, as their skills are constantly improving. Given the opportunity to learn more about your peers, each person’s background is uniquely their own and likely exhibit most, if not all the respective elements of a leader.

This Legend driver’s life story represents the power of positivity and essence of strength in numbers. As her testimony unfolds she offers us a glimpse into her heart, shedding the exterior that has grown thick with each battle she has overcome. Perseverance as a self-empowered female has been and continues to be her guide for the hope to restore faith in those who seek encouragement.

U.S. Navy veteran, Tiffany Echoles Hanna, originally from St. Louis, Missouri is her family’s second-generation lady trucker following her mother; a seasoned driver of thirty years. As an owner operator leased on to Prime, Inc. Tiffany is a part of the nation’s largest fleet of female drivers; the Highway Diamonds. Throughout our interview she explains the many hats her role as a driver trainer entails, her personal battles as a woman in a predominately male-oriented workforce, and how her decision to join the military led her on a road to self-discovery through adversity and tragedy. The news of her health added to the obstacles that repeatedly tested her spirit: cancer. Refusing to allow anything to break her spirit she relied on words spoken by her father time and time again.

“He would always tell me, ‘the sky is the limit, but that’s for small dreamers.’ So, growing up and even now, as an adult I feel like there is nothing I can’t accomplish. My dad poured words of confidence and optimism into me since childhood. And that’s what I lean on during my most troubling times. I still have days that only his words can help pull me through. Then, I think about what it is that keeps me going. I’m motivated by my dedication and I’m dedicated to my motivation. Just as my dad instilled in me positive thinking, I try to share that mindset with everyone I meet.”

This will be Tiffany’s sixth year in complete remission. As a cancer-survivor, her victory over the deadly disease is not just celebrated once or twice, but three times!

A DRIVER FOR THE DRIVERS

Elected to the driver advisory board at Prime, Inc. along with seventeen additional truck drivers, they speak on behalf of the 7,000 (plus) drivers with the company. Quarterly, the board of drivers meet with corporate representatives to present suggestions and issues that they feel are of concern. Tiffany states,

“Every head of department and CEO are involved during these board meetings; all titles are off. Everything is open for discussion and we’re able to speak freely. We convey what drivers are going through out here and express our needs or worries, and in return we receive acknowledgment and their feedback. It gives our drivers a voice and it’s working! They have been correcting a lot of the issues we have brought to their attention. I believe our meetings have definitely made a great impact and I’m proud to be a part of the first advisory board.”

Representing the women drivers of Prime, Inc. Tiffany speaks at various functions and passes out informative flyers to potential drivers, providing helpful information about the trucking industry. She has also performed the National Anthem at several company events. Her recognition of achievement is immeasurable. Through Salute to Military Veterans Behind the Wheel, she was presented with an award and received the full NASCAR experience at the Gateway Motorsports Park located in Madison, Illinois just outside of St. Louis. At Prime, Inc., she has been nominated for the Highway Diamond Veteran Award and the Distinguished Highway Diamond of the Year Award. Last year at the Highway Diamond Gala, Tiffany took home the award for Distinguished Worker presented by General Mills and gifted a Wheaties cereal box with her picture on the front. She is a finalist for the Women in Trucking Associations Annual Salute to Women Behind the Wheel. The winner of the WIT Truck Giveaway, sponsored by Arrow Truck Sales will be announced at MATS hosted in Louisville, KY March 24th. The lucky driver will take home a 2014 Volvo VNL670.

Prior to Tiffany’s career as a professional truck driver, her life’s work was devoted to her service in the Navy and her military family. She has carried that same focus and desire to fulfill her purpose into the civilian world. Her experience during the transition of finding her niche within the trucking industry as been a journey all too familiar. She says,

“Joining the military in the early 90’s, I was among men from older and new generations. There were several that were not comfortable with African Americans serving in the military, and I was a woman on top of that. I was constantly having to prove myself. I had every day obstacles that I lived with, more so than the typical male. But the way I was raised, I never back down to a challenge. During tough times, instead of being intimidated, I rose to the occasion. Over time, I gained respect and a new family. In the military, it’s about much more than us. We all pulled together. It was a fight to get there, but it made me stronger.

What I learned from my time in the service and how I value the process of discovery through trial is how I try to keep moving forward in this business. It’s a journey with similar stumbling blocks, but by surrounding each other with support we can get through anything together.”

For as long as she could remember, Tiffany had her heart set on training to become one of the first female soldiers of a Navy SEAL team. While attending a military high school, she enrolled in the ROTC leadership program her sophomore year. Remaining actively involved in track, cheerleading and band, she went on to graduate with honors. The week after graduation Tiffany left for basic training.

Her skills qualified her to pursue a career as a construction electrician. As a Navy Seabee assigned to a construction battalion, her field exercises included wiring of buildings (installation or repair), plumbing and servicing electrical equipment while in combat. As a construction electrician, she was taught to wire anything from the ground up. As a trade, that still wasn’t enough. In 1999, to further her career training, Tiffany enrolled in college, taking courses in Avionics. She graduated from Lakeland Career Academy as a licensed Aviation Mechanic.

The last seven years of her enlistment, she began driving trucks. Stating, “A driver was injured, and I volunteered. I jumped in the truck and I’ve been doing it ever since. I’ve driven everything from tankers to flatbed equipment. We pulled heavy haul, big machinery, like caterpillars to prepare buildings and so on. Since I was always around guys fixing stuff, I was really into working on motors. I learned the ins and outs of these vehicles.” After serving active duty in the Navy for 14 ½ years (17 in total), her road to recovery when she got out of the military was a time of healing; both physically and mentally.

SWEET VICTORY

The harrowing facts of war date back to the beginning of time. A soldier’s fate is unpredictable, as their bravery and sacrifice are often forgotten. Tiffany’s choice to leave the military was not her own. The life she once knew took a turn for the worse. She was struck in the head with an axe and her left arm was severed to the bone three-quarters of the way down. After several reconstructive surgeries, due to brain damage, her skull could not be completely closed at the top; similar to a baby’s soft spot. She was told her mobility in her arm may never return.

I tread softly as she shares these vulnerable memories of that period in her life. I try to ignore the unimaginable visions that flood my mind as she speaks, but the sweet victory in her voice reassures me that even on her death bed, she remained a fighter. She says, “The process of physical and mental healing are two different types of beasts. That following year, everything seemed destroyed. My future in the military, my body… but I knew that I had to get my mind right. I had to rise above the pain. I had to find my heart again and remember what I loved and focus on that. I thought of my children, my family and I began to build myself back up. It was a very emotional time for me. Again, I would repeat words of strength that my dad would say to me. That would always give an extra boost of energy when I needed it. I would tell myself over and over, this is not going to stop me! I refused to stay down.”

An inner warrior indeed. When diagnosed with abdominal cancer in 2010, Tiffany’s entire mindset was unshakeable, such life-altering news held no constraint to her way of thinking. “I beat ovarian cancer twice before that third time ‘round, on top of everything else life had thrown at me. I have fought off every hardship the same way. By finding something to be positive about and changing my way of thinking. And each time I make it through an even stronger person than before,” she said.

Including her time driving in the military, Tiffany has over 2 million life-time miles accident-free and no violations. When she first started her trucking career, because of her mom’s experience driving Tiffany had a head start on understanding the business. Having a female role model to study greatly impacted her own path. She adds, “I learned from her struggles and listened to the issues she and other drivers were dealing with. When my mom was driving, we as women drivers only represent 1% of the industry out here and that was only 30 years ago. Today we’re at 7%, our numbers are growing every day, but we have to keep pushing. That’s why I encourage all women to train, to give back, to pay it forward. What I hear mostly is, I don’t know if I can deal with all the different personalities. And I’ll say, well someone had to deal with you. Just think of the difference having a good driver trainer makes! Imagine, if you can share all the great knowledge that has helped make you successful with someone else and get to see their career blossom… that’s the true reward! Hundreds join the trucking industry by the week, we have to get that 7% up. As more females get into trucking we need to ensure that we can provide a female trainer without a wait, if that’s what they are more comfortable with.”

Her experience working in the military as the only woman of her battalion helped with her adjustment into another profession where the odds were very much alike. Any given opportunity to reach out to other women drivers, she does. Offering her contact information and an open invitation for support at all times.

Tiffany states that driving a truck is easy as long as you remember everything is totally opposite compared to driving a car. Go right and your trailer goes left. Her motto is: little moves, little corrections. Especially in business. “I try to practice what I preach. So, with little moves, I bought one truck at a time. With little corrections, I can learn as I go,” she explains. She purchased her first truck in 2007 adding another every two years, focusing on one at a time. Her fleet consists of five trucks operating under her business title, Big Wheels & Heels, LLC.

When taking a new student driver over the road, in Tiffany’s opinion the trainer fills the shoes of a motivator, a counselor, a financial planner, sometimes even a doctor. Stating, that helping lead someone’s career in the right direction is a great responsibility, but it’s just as important to teach them the beauty of independence so when their day comes to branch out on their own they can succeed.

As for her legacy, she wants to be the example of possibilities when a person never gives up. Even if you fail, you win because you tried. You can connect with Tiffany through her social media; she posts live videos of helpful tips on training, backing, laws and DOT regulations that affect truckers and other resourceful information for the trucking community. Search Tiffany Hanna or Big Wheels and Heels on Facebook and Instagram, also subscribe to her YouTube channel: Tiffany Hanna.