10 - 300 Drivers, One Heart: The Personal Approach to Fleet Management with Melissa Anderson

On this episode of On the Front Line: The Safety, Learning & Operations Podcast, Dr. Gina Anderson speaks with Melissa Anderson, Fleet Safety Manager at Walmart Transportation, who has spent over three decades in an industry she truly loves. Growing up in a truck cab taught her that authentic leadership comes from understanding the people you serve.

Melissa reveals the gap between safety regulations and real-world trucking challenges. She explains how Walmart's Driver Ambassador Program creates direct lines of communication between stores and drivers. This cuts through corporate red tape to solve problems quickly. She opens up about her personal approach to managing 300 drivers. She also touches on leadership lessons from her Army father. Melissa believes the best managers lead with both heart and mind.

Tune in to discover how genuine care for people transforms workplace culture and creates safer roads for everyone.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How growing up in trucking and learning from an Army father shaped Melissa's authentic leadership approach
• Why current hours of service regulations fail drivers and what policymakers need to understand about real trucking life
• The story behind Walmart's Driver Ambassador Program and how it bridges communication between retail stores and transportation teams
• Why knowing your people personally - their families, birthdays, and life situations creates stronger safety culture
• How leading with heart and building genuine relationships transforms both drivers and organizations
• What it means to receive recognition for quiet leadership that creates lasting impact without seeking the spotlight

Connect with Melissa on LinkedIn HERE.

Want to learn more about Melissa's work? Check out Walmart's Driver Ambassador Program website HERE.

Check out the Luma Brighter Learning website HERE.

Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply HERE.

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