For years, the scene repeated itself over and over. Clients waited for the company engineer. When Lucía López walked through the door, surprise was inevitable.

“Where is the engineer?” they asked.

She was the engineer.

That reaction, which was commonplace for a long time in a male-dominated industry, ended up becoming one of the many challenges that would mark a nearly three-decade career at Cummins . Today, Lucía López is the commercial director for the automotive engine business and is one of T21’s 100 Women in Transport and Logistics .

But the journey began long before that.

When he decided to study industrial engineering, the response at home was almost immediate. His father was a doctor and, as was the case in many families more than 30 years ago, engineering was still seen as a male profession.

“Why don’t you study medicine? That’s not a career for women,” she recalled being told. However, it was also her father who ultimately gave her the support and encouragement to pursue the path she truly wanted.

That decision would mark the rest of his life.

He joined Cummins as an intern and never imagined that, 27 years later , he would still be building his career within the same company. Moreover, he did so by working in virtually every business area of ​​the company: manufacturing, power generation, field testing, technical sales, off-highway applications, aftermarket , marketing and communications, eventually reaching the commercial management position for the automotive engine business.

His story is not made up of consecutive promotions, but of constant learning .

At the plant, he learned how engines worked, starting with their individual components . Later, he had the opportunity to participate in a power generation project in Zacatecas, where he spent a year and a half working with an all-male team.

There he learned maintenance, operation, service, and administration of a power plant that supplied electricity to the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) . Later came field tests, certifications as a diesel technician, and hundreds of kilometers traveled alongside operators to understand engine behavior under real-world conditions.

“I’ve always liked understanding how things work,” he emphasized.

That curiosity eventually led her to technical sales, a field where she discovered she could combine her engineering knowledge with another of her great strengths: working with people . It was then that she understood the business wasn’t just about selling an engine, but about finding the right solution for each application.

However, growing within the organization meant facing challenges that went far beyond learning a new business.

In her early years, it was common for clients to arrive expecting to meet the Cummins engineer and be surprised to see her. One such incident occurred during a negotiation in Brazil, when a Korean client refused to discuss the matter with her solely because she was a woman and requested that a man be sent instead. Far from discouraging her, experiences like this reinforced a conviction that has guided her throughout her career: each new challenge meant proving once again that knowledge, preparation, and leadership are not dependent on gender.

Over time he understood that every change of position meant starting over.

“It was about demonstrating, once again, that I knew what I was talking about,” he commented.

Even though she had been with the company for years, each new position meant rebuilding the trust of those who didn’t know her. While others arrived with the backing of their position, she felt she first had to prove her abilities. That experience, she acknowledged, strengthened her character and forced her to develop an emotional intelligence that she now considers essential for any leader.

During that journey, people also appeared who influenced his professional development .

She speaks with particular gratitude of those who believed in her when she was just starting out, those who pushed her to step outside her comfort zone, and those who encouraged her to take on increasingly greater responsibilities. Thanks to these mentors at Cummins , she went from leading operations in Mexico to managing businesses across Latin America, coordinating teams in countries with completely different cultures, markets, and ways of doing business.

One of his most memorable moments was when he accepted the position of head of the off-road business for Latin America. In a matter of months, he went from managing a two- to three-million-dollar operation to leading a 50-million-dollar business , with teams distributed across various countries.

“It was learn or die,” he summarized.

That experience not only taught her how to run a business; it also forced her to learn how to work with people who thought differently , lived in other contexts, and faced completely different realities.

The second major turning point came when it took over the aftermarket filtration business .

Leading through people

Although he knew engines inside and out , he admitted he knew very little about filters. To further complicate matters, the manager he was to work with passed away unexpectedly before he even started. He found a team reeling from grief and without a clear transition plan. More than just managing a business, he had to rebuild people’s trust, support them through a difficult time, and rebuild a cohesive team. Five years later, the department had not only gotten back on track but had also improved its performance.

All those experiences ended up shaping the way he understands leadership today.

He doesn’t believe in micromanagement . He prefers to set goals, remove obstacles, and allow people to find their own path to achieving them. He also makes an effort to understand the aspirations of his team members to help them develop the skills they will need in the future.

“If I had people who believed in me, I want to do the same for others,” he explained.

His other conviction has to do with information.

Before making a decision, she needs data . She likes to research, analyze, and understand the context. She’s convinced that the best decisions come from knowledge, not assumptions. This discipline is also part of her daily life. Her days usually begin around 6:30 in the morning, and when she travels, she often ends up answering emails past midnight. She can’t stand leaving messages unread and always tries to keep up with her work, without neglecting time for her family, her husband, her friends, and activities like exercising or going to the movies.

When asked how she would like to be remembered, she doesn’t talk about positions, sales, or results. She talks about people.

She would like to be remembered as someone happy, curious, capable of helping others grow, and loyal to those who have shared her journey. And if she had to summarize her story in a single word, she wouldn’t hesitate to answer: perseverance .

Perhaps that is the word that best explains his career.

Because behind every job change, every challenge, and every new business, there was the same decision: to learn, to prove myself again, and to move forward.

A philosophy that not only led her to manage one of Cummins’ most important businesses in Mexico, but also to become one of T21’s 100 Women in Transportation and Logistics , a recognition that distinguishes the leaders who, with their work and example, contribute to transforming an industry that for years was reserved almost exclusively for men.

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El cargo Lucía López: a career built on learning, proving, and starting over apareció primero en T21.

In 2025, Grupo T21 took on the challenge of presenting the first edition of this special feature , to identify the outstanding profiles of women who have a distinguished career or who have been key to the advancement of their companies.

Today, in 2026, we reaffirm our commitment to bringing this sector together to make it even more visible, contributing to a greater understanding of the importance of its work and its responsibilities. The feedback we have received encourages us to continue this special work.

The first edition of this special was key to bringing together a greater number of profiles that had to be evaluated by the committee in 2026, businesswomen and managers from the transport and logistics sector , both as service providers and as supply chain professionals , who had a greater presence on this occasion.

We appreciate the response from this industry in identifying those profiles that should stand out , which as always requires us to implement the methodology to find the most suitable profiles.

Access the 100 Women in Transport and Logistics 2026 special to learn about all the profiles by clicking here.

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El cargo 100 Women in Transport and Logistics 2026 apareció primero en T21.

The trucking industry in Mexico faces not only cost and competitive pressures, but also a factor that continues to affect the daily operations of many companies: road safety . For Transportes Calesa , this environment has become one of the main challenges to sustaining its operations and maintaining service continuity, according to Wendy Cano León, the company’s Administrative and Logistics Manager, who was also recognized as one of the 100 Women in Transportation and Logistics in 2025.

Vehicle thefts represent one of the most significant challenges for the company. Beyond the economic impact, they cause operational disruptions and require constant adjustments to continue serving their customers. “We are part of the statistics,” Cano remarked, referring to the incidents they have faced.

According to the National Association of Vehicle Tracking and Protection Companies (ANERPV) , the incidence of crime (in the first quarter of 2026) was concentrated in specific corridors, mainly in entities such as the State of Mexico, Puebla and Guanajuato , as well as on key routes such as Mexico 57 and Mexico 150D, where the probability of events remains high.

Furthermore, around 80% of highway robberies occur in heavy goods vehicles , reinforcing the need for more precise risk management in road transport.

From their experience, the lack of sufficient coverage on highways and the limited presence of surveillance in certain sections continue to be factors that keep the sector exposed, as they hinder the prevention of crimes and reduce the capacity to respond to incidents, leaving carriers in more vulnerable conditions during their journeys.

This context not only affects security , but also the way companies operate, forcing them to strengthen controls, adjust processes, and maintain constant supervision on every trip.

In this way, Cano León explained that Transportes Calesa has reinforced its operational processes to maintain the continuity of service in a complex environment, with greater attention to the monitoring of each trip and to safety conditions .

In that sense, the company maintains its focus on the transport of industrial materials and supplies. It works “with 30-cubic-meter gondolas or hoppers , full-size units, and tankers , for both general cargo and specific materials, including silica sand, which implies constant monitoring and precise control in each shipment,” he explained.

The company’s history dates back to 1980, when the family acquired their first truck. From there, they began a gradual growth within the trucking industry, until formalizing the company in 1990 under the name Transportes Calesa. Since then, it has remained a family business in which different generations participate directly in its operations.

That origin also defines its way of working. The company has chosen to differentiate itself through service, prioritizing close customer relationships and direct oversight of each operation. “We don’t compete on price, we compete on quality and responsibility,” Cano stated.

This approach translates into personalized service, where the owners themselves participate in the operation, monitor cargo conditions, and respond directly to any eventuality. In a market where conditions are not always equal for all participants, this model has become their main strength.

Furthermore, the company continues to advance in the sector, sustaining its operation based on experience, family work and a clear commitment to service as the core of its development.

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El cargo Calesa Transport: a commitment to customer service in a challenging environment apareció primero en T21.

However, there are still challenges to face. Currently in Mexico, women suffer a wage gap of between 22% and 28% for the same position compared to men , despite working longer hours. Furthermore, they lack the same level of motivation to obtain the same position.

One story that shows glimpses of the above is that of Clara Fragoso, an operator with Super Transporte Internacional (STI) , who is one of the women who has been operating a tractor-trailer for 20 years . The beginning of that journey, she said, was not difficult, “but terrifying. There were no opportunities for us. The belief system that women were only made to stay at home and when I come along and tell them I wanted to drive a tractor-trailer, it was like, ‘You’re crazy.'”

Even though it was one of the most difficult times in her life, she persevered. “When I arrived at the transport industry and saw the life in transport, their lifestyle was surprising, and as a woman, it was very difficult to adapt, and I didn’t see it as necessary. Even the conditions were terrible for them, and I thought: why do they allow this? Operating a trailer is no different than having a decent life, and I clung to that,” Fragoso recalled.

Clara also went through a difficult personal period: a breakup and, in the process, a job search. Later, she had the opportunity to operate a tractor-trailer, but she faced harassment, bullying, and a lack of opportunities .

“They asked me if I was afraid of operating a trailer, and I told them: I’m more afraid of going back to that moment with my son and saying, ‘I don’t have anything to feed you,’” she emphasized during the Women in the Industry panel at the 100 Women in Transportation and Logisticsevent , organized by T21.

Shantal Torres, procurement director of Leschaco Mexicana , with almost 30 years of experience, explained that throughout this time she has worked in different areas, although the one she is in now has faced challenges .

“We know that in this industry, some more than others, the male presence is stronger, and sometimes—not because I’m a woman, but also because of my age—I’ve encountered some barriers to success. But I feel very proud; today, at 25, it’s totally different. It’s a very challenging but fulfilling career, with transportation, railroads, shipping companies, freight forwarders—this industry isn’t boring,” she explained.

Erika Quezada, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at DHL Express , recalled two pieces of advice that have worked for her professionally. First, “have the necessary training and knowledge to feel confident ,” and second, “create credibility and transparency within the organizations we belong to.”

“I’ve had it happen to me that when you start talking about a customs or transportation issue, especially in a male setting, the comment, ‘Oh, look, he knows,’ then you gain their attention and seriousness, allowing you to develop. This builds confidence and credibility for yourself. We should never limit ourselves from accessing leadership roles,” she explained.

Likewise, he stressed the importance of having a support network of family members and also having time for professional and personal commitments.

Opening doors

Clara Fragoso stated that opening up a space for women in an industry like trucking was driven by the stories of other women who have experienced violence, abandonment, need, and, above all, raising their children.

“That has been a very important part for me, telling them that it’s possible and letting them know through my work that women can do it, and do it well, that we do it just like them. Women in transportation will open many doors for them as entrepreneurs with the response in our work; by doing it with actions, we have achieved great openness,” she emphasized.

In this regard, she stated that for the past five years, there has been a significant shift to integrate more female personnel into the sector, and that the Association of Women Cargo Vehicle Operators (AMO) has been established .

However, she explained that there are still challenges to overcome, such as providing a safe, harassment-free space, comprehensive training, dedicated spaces, and equitable salaries .

Erika Quezada commented that within DHL Express, there are groups focused on gender diversity and inclusion , and although there are few female operators, they seek opportunities to strengthen their participation. She also considered it necessary to promote sisterhood, “because together we are stronger.”

Meanwhile, Shantal Torres mentioned that Leschaco has promoted the inclusion of all people; she also reiterated that “we all have that feeling that we can do more, we can do better, and not just because of gender differences.”

Laura Hernández Hernández, Business Manager for BNSF Railway , said the U.S. railroad is headed by a woman for the first time, and has also created various support groups, including Pride, focused on the LGBT community .

He maintained that at some point, we’ll reach a stage where we only see talent, qualities, and a single drive: being human beings and, above all, professionals, “logistics and transportation people, and we integrate.”

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El cargo With leadership and vision, women are transforming logistics and transportation apareció primero en T21.

By Staff T21

The Editorial Board has long suggested creating a special edition on women . In addition to identifying women who have built their careers through hard work, constant development, and overcoming various sacrifices, our board members suggested not publishing this editorial on dates that weren’t commonplace, i.e., neither March nor May.

This is how the first special edition of 100 Women in Transport and Logistics will be held in June. Through a call for applications launched through our platforms, we received nearly 200 applications to be part of this special. Working with a group of advisors, we evaluated the profiles that fit the purpose of this editorial.

The 100 Women in Transportation and Logistics special highlights the capabilities and results of profiles in both administrative, operational, and planning roles at various levels within the organization, where their contributions are essential to the development of their organizations.

This list recognizes these profiles in their various facets, and you can review it by clicking here .

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El cargo 100 Women in Transport and Logistics apareció primero en T21.