A life that found the road—and a business—midstream
Anna Laraine White, a northern Utah mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who helped her family enter the trucking business, passed away on March 26, 2026. Born July 18, 1934, in Loa, Utah, White married Bruce Vern White in 1952 and raised their family in Sunset after early years in Ogden. In 1983—well into midlife—she and her husband purchased an 18‑wheeler and “went into the trucking business,” a decision that would define the family’s next chapter. She later retired from federal service with the Treasury Department at the IRS in Ogden and at Hill Air Force Base.
Why her story resonates with today’s small carriers
White’s choice to start a trucking venture in 1983 came just a few years after the Motor Carrier Act of 1980 began reshaping U.S. freight. Deregulation opened doors for small entrants and independent owner‑operators by reducing barriers to entry and allowing market‑based pricing—changes that spurred a surge in new interstate carriers over the following decades. For families like the Whites, that environment created room to buy a tractor, find freight, and build a livelihood from the cab.
Federal highway analysts have long noted how this period fostered more responsive, flexible trucking networks and new routes and services—conditions that helped sustain thousands of small businesses and contractors. White’s late-in-career pivot fits that story: a household seizing new market access to become an owner‑operator team.
A woman at the wheel before it was common
White’s obituary doesn’t dwell on titles or lanes; instead, it quietly marks her entry into trucking alongside her husband at a time when relatively few women were visible in driving or business‑owner roles. Even today, women remain underrepresented behind the wheel: the latest Women In Trucking Index shows about 9.5% of professional drivers are women, with micro and small fleets (under 500 employees) averaging about 12.5% female CDL holders. White’s path—moving from a federal career to help steer a family rig—mirrors how many women have contributed to small-carrier success, often as co‑drivers, schedulers, bookkeepers, or business partners.
Service information for the trucking community
Family and friends will celebrate White’s life on Friday, April 17, 2026, at Myers Mortuary in Roy, Utah. A viewing is scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., followed by funeral services at 1:00 p.m. Interment will take place at Clinton City Cemetery. Those details, shared by her family, reflect a woman who asked loved ones to “remember all the good times” and keep caring for one another.
Takeaways for owner‑operators and fleet managers
- Timing matters, but resolve matters more. The Whites entered trucking during a volatile, post‑deregulation market—proof that opportunity exists in transition if you understand your cost structure and niche.
- Partnership is a force multiplier. Spousal teams and family involvement can stabilize cash flow and utilization, especially for single‑truck businesses.
- Diverse talent strengthens small fleets. Women continue to be a growth opportunity in professional driving. Building an inclusive culture and offering flexible pathways can help small carriers out‑recruit larger competitors.
- Second careers are viable in trucking. White’s shift from federal service to small‑business trucking underscores the industry’s accessibility to mid‑career entrants with discipline and customer focus.
For Utah’s trucking community, Laraine White’s story is familiar and inspiring: a family seeing room on the highway for one more hard‑working rig, setting their own course, and letting perseverance—not pedigree—define their business. In an era still grappling with workforce shortages and small‑carrier headwinds, her life is a reminder that the industry’s backbone is built one brave decision at a time.
Editor’s note: As of Friday, April 3, 2026, the service date listed above is scheduled for Friday, April 17, 2026, per family obituary information. Readers planning to attend should confirm details with the mortuary closer to the date.
Sources Consulted: Myers Mortuary/Legacy.com obituary for Laraine White; FHWA Freight Management and Operations analyses of deregulation; Women In Trucking Association WIT Index 2024–25.
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