Carbon Express driver Melissa Bencivengo recently was named September 2021 Member of the Month by the Women In Trucking Association (WIT).
Bencivengo’s love for trucking began at 6 years old. She was introduced to trucking by her uncle, who drove a sleeper truck. When he would stop by the house to visit, he would take her out to his truck, which won her heart—and set her life path.
Bencivengo was so small, she had to stand up on the seat to pull the air horn. Growing up, she was consistently told trucking and heavy machines are not a job for women. Those comments only made her more determined to pursue her dream. Her enthusiasm is front and center when she talks about her trucking career.
Her career began in 1999 with driving dump trucks and operating big equipment, including well rigs and pile drivers. Ultimately, Bencivengo earned a CDL Class A license and joined Carbon Express in 2019.
Bencivengo is more than a truck driver. She holds many titles, including wife, mom to six children, certified nurse’s aide in New Jersey, and tree arborist. She is a driven, talented, and knowledgeable woman who loves her family and driving a truck.
“Control the tanker, don’t fear it,” said Bencivengo, one of the few women in the trucking industry driving liquid bulk tank trucks. “Driving a liquid tanker is like driving with a dance partner, only you have to be the dance lead and control the movement of the product in the tank.”
Bencivengo says she loves Carbon Express, which she calls her “forever work home.” The company is well suited for women drivers. They only have daycab trucks, so over-night drivers stay in hotels and not sleepers. Carbon Express does this to give their drivers respect and a better quality of rest, making them safer drivers. This summer, Bencivengo’s time on the road enabled her to take the family on a free vacation with rewards points earned from those overnight stays.
Bencivengo knows she is unique being a female in the male-dominated liquid bulk business, but that has never discouraged her. At Carbon Express, she is part of a team and respected by her male counterparts. She is quick to point out how the other drivers have gone out of their way to support, encourage, and provide her the information to make her successful. She knows she can ask questions about directions, equipment, and the best hotels to stay at.