Amy Hacker – White Buffalo Trucking

Listen to this article

Amy Hacker didn’t pursue a career in construction. The career pursued her.

Or at least that’s how she tells the story. Her father, Tom Rasmussen, worked in construction, as did his father, Rolly Rasmussen. Hacker’s other grandfather, George House, also took up construction.

“As a teenager I tried other occupations but was always a helping hand to my father’s side projects, and eventually his employee,” said Hacker.

In 2013, Hacker and her husband, Cale, founded their own company: White Buffalo Trucking. The Oneida trucking company hauls aggregate material such as sand, stone and clay.

They started the company with just one quad-axle dump truck, and today they have five, with five leased owned operators. Her team has worked on state Department of  Transportation jobs like the I-41 Project, as well as private projects like Oneida Uskah Village.

“Some of the biggest challenges with my job are earning a competitive wage and gaining trust with customers,” said Hacker, who serves as president of the company. “Only 10 years ago, trying to gain a foothold in the trucking industry and being taken seriously as a woman-owned company was difficult. Dump trucks and heavy highway construction has been a man’s world, but I’ve had the determination to go out and prove myself every day as a female-owned DBE company.

“I’m not just a face for the company but the heart of the company making it run and function as a successful business. White Buffalo Trucking is my child.”

Hacker said that getting to work alongside her team is one of the most rewarding parts of the job.

“I like the people. I was able to surround myself with men who don’t see me as weak or inferior, but have my back just like I have theirs. … I also get to meet other strong-minded females that encourage me to be the best I can be.”