Linda M. Unruh

Elected:           January 15, 2003
Inducted:        October 18, 2003
Born:                October 9, 1957 in Anaconda, Montana

One of 16 children, Linda Unruh was diagnosed with polio at age 5, after which she spent 11 years of hospitalization, undergoing 12 surgeries in the process.  Released at age 16, she continued to wear braces until age 20.  Though single today, Linda is raising 2 children from a former marriage, daughter Chanee and son Bobby.
After recovering from polio, Linda worked as a model for 10 years before starting her own trucking company.  She then turned her attention to towing and recovery and was the first woman in 18 years to receive a towing license in the State of New Mexico.  However, to do so she had to vigorously challenge the establishment for the right to own and operate her own trucking company and then later, a towing company.  This involved a legal process that took over 4 years and a great deal of effort, but Lind found this to be an easy task compared to her fight with polio.
As the 2001 Geico Woman of the Year in Towing, Linda has earned a long list of well-deserved achievements from GE Capital, NTA, American Towman, Road America which cited her company as it Auto and Truck Towing Company of the Year in 2001, Tow Times and others.
Today, she makes an occasional call, but prefers to dispatch because that keeps her in touch with customers and other company activities.  Her company employs 10 drivers, both men and women and she insists that they each complete a training program.  Linda’s trucks are all painted pink so people will remember her and everybody wears a uniform in order to project a professional company image.  Active in a variety of charitable organizations, she also sponsors local scholarships.  However, her primary interest is encouraging others to work to fulfill their dreams.  In Linda’s words, “if you want something bad enough you can get it.”