In celebration of Truck Driver Appreciation Week, taking place from September 15-21, the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) is featuring Anne-Marie Michel’s photo exhibition, “Sisters of the Road.” The display is being hailed as “a powerful tribute to the women who keep America moving.” Set to open on September 19, 2024, at USDOT headquarters, the event will include a series of discussions starting at 10:30 a.m. local time. This exhibition provides the public an opportunity to explore Michel’s captivating portraits and narratives of female truckers across America.
The roots of the “Sisters of the Road” exhibition trace back to a book published a few years ago, reviewed by Overdrive contributor Long Haul Paul Marhoefer. In his review, Marhoefer included an interview with Michel, sharing insights into the book’s creation. He praised “Sisters of the Road” for lacking the “obligatory tropes of perpetual trucker victimology that have seemed to permeate nearly every published tome on this profession since 1980.” He continued, “What surprises the reader in ‘Sisters of the Road’ is that it stands on its own as a powerful homage of haunting, iconographic beauty to the fierce resilience of America’s female truckers and the mythic spaces through which they travel.”
Earlier this year, Debbie Desiderato, an owner-operator featured in “Sisters of the Road,” led a cross-country convoy showcasing the exhibition. Starting in the San Francisco area and culminating at the Mid-American Trucking Show in March, the tour also included a photo event in Texas.
“We are thrilled to bring ‘Sisters of the Road’ to the U.S. Department of Transportation during Trucker Appreciation Week,” expressed Michel. “This is more than just an art exhibit; it’s a celebration of the incredible women who defy stereotypes and redefine what it means to be a trucker in America. Their stories deserve to be heard, and this is a perfect end to the Sisters of the Road USA tour—with the trucker women themselves in attendance and representing ‘Sisters of the Road’ at this event.”
The exhibition captures a diverse array of operators, from long-haul drivers to those managing logistics challenges, photographed in their element—on the road, in their trucks. Accompanied by their personal stories, these portraits reveal the often-overlooked human aspect of the trucking industry, according to a USDOT press release.
Attendees will have the chance to meet many of the women featured, who will be present at the event. For further details on “Sisters of the Road,” visit the official website.
Source: Overdrive
Image: Sisters of the Road – Walkabout Transport owner Debbie Desiderato
