Finalist Shanae Burshem can ‘haul grain with the best of the boys’

Updated May 29, 2014

SHANAE BURSHEM
Hometown: Bay City, Wisc.
Occupation: Company driver
Company: Eckblad Trucking Inc.

Burshem, ShanaeWhat makes you the most beautiful female trucker?
Honestly, that’s not up to me to decide. But what I can tell you is this: I may not have the biggest truck or the longest trailer, but I can haul grain with the best of the boys. I’m not afraid to get my manicured hands dirty inside a bin or get a good workout shoveling every last kernel out of that bin. It’s definitely not always easy, but the pride I feel after overcoming a challenging day is indescribable. And don’t forget about the people I’ve met along the way.

What do you enjoy about driving?
Before driving, I was a self-described “office nerd” who loved spreadsheets and being indoors, and the only people I really got to interact with were more of the “button-up, professional” type (and there’s nothing wrong with that). Through driving, however, my eyes have been opened up to more of the “working class,” and I now know this is where I belong. Learning how to run farm equipment, the ins-and-outs of growing crops, and the ups-and-downs of the grain markets. Through it all, I’ve finally emerged from my shell, developed self-confidence, and made some great friends along the way. We drivers seem to have an unspoken bond, and, whether or not we’ve even met in person, we’ve got each other’s backs. And as for us lady truckers? Well, we all rock at what we do, and we look good doing it. And that inner Rockstar (which we all have) is what makes all of us truly beautiful.