Working with trucks and heavy equipment is often considered a male-dominated field, but Samantha Meinholtz is doing her part to change that.

Meinholz, a Madison College student, is currently the only female in the Diesel Program. She is also the first female mechanic in the Madison Peterbilt shop.

Growing up on a farm, Meinholz was no stranger to heavy work and getting her hands dirty. Her decision to enroll in the Diesel Technology program aligned naturally with her upbringing and interests. She expressed gratitude for the support of her family.

“At first, it was a shock to my family, but being that I grew up on a dairy farm, I’ve always been the different one,” she said. “It was something that I could always take home and help out with on the farm. It’s something that I have a fall back on. My family has been a great push to keep me going.”

Meinholz initially chose Madison College after attending a technical career day during high school.

“I came into the program not having any background in the industry at all. They really gave me the knowledge that I needed to take into the industry,” she said.

Meinholz also expressed thanks for school staff.

“The teachers have been so helpful given that I am a girl in the industry. They do not have favorites, nor are they mean or sexist. They have been a lot of fun to work with,” she said.

Being the only female in the Diesel Technology program has not led to any problems. Meinholz has had a positive experience with her peers.

“The guys are so sweet. We have a very tight-knit group. Everyone watches out for each other, and we do study groups together. We have a fun group to work with here,” she said.

Peterbilt, a local trucking company, attracted her interest back in high school, and Meinholz job shadowed there during her senior year, in April and May of 2010.

“I contacted Peterbilt because I knew they were in the force. I wanted to see if semi- [trucks] or heavy equipment was the direction I wanted to go in,” she said.

Meinholz ultimately decided to pursue her career in semi-trucks after her initial experience with Peterbilt.

“I enjoy working with my hands; fixing and maintaining trucks gives me great pride and satisfaction,” she said.

Even though Meinholz is still in school, Peterbilt hired her on as a permanent employee in May of 2011. While in college, Meinholz works part-time, around 26 hours per week.

“I went through the application process, and it took a lot of pushing on my part to get them to hire me. I had a lot of help from the technicians that I worked with when I shadowed. They were really impressed with my skills. They really pushed with the management to get me hired,” she said.

The hiring process took nine months. During that time, a locker room was built for Meinholz because she is the only female.

Meinholz currently works second shift in Diesel Technology for semis, and is the youngest by a long shot.

“There are around 20 with the technician title, and all of those guys are more advanced than me. They have all been in the industry for at least five years. Some guys have been working there for over 19 years. Everyone has been extremely welcoming and extremely nice,” she said.

Meinholz will graduate from Madison College in May, and continue with Peterbilt full-time. She was eager to offer advice for other women following in her footsteps.

“Be strong. It gets hard sometimes, but take a couple of minutes, and make sure to have time for yourself. You have to have a little you time to really keep yourself going,” she said.

She wants women to know that while it can be hard they need to stay strong. She feels it’s important for someone to make time for their self in order to keep going.

“The satisfaction of fixing equipment is the best,” Meinholz said. “When you pull up beside it or see it out on the road, and know that you fixed it, it’s the best feeling that you can have.”