Towards the end of last year, Duval Asphalt proudly shared the news that Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) Supervisor Rebecca Plummer had been selected as one of only six recipients nationwide to receive the 2025 Women of Asphalt x Caterpillar Paving Operations Training Scholarship. After completing the immersive, hands-on training at Caterpillar’s facility in Clayton, North Carolina, Rebecca returned with a deeper understanding of paving operations and an even stronger drive to grow as a leader.
While Rebecca had previously assisted with paving operations in the field, the training gave her something she hadn’t experienced before: a true, start-to-finish understanding of the entire paving process. “Learning the whole paving process was incredibly valuable,” Rebecca said. “I’ve helped pave here and there, but this really made me understand the entire process and how the paver actually works. It’s a lot more than just a pretty mat.”
The training pulled back the curtain on everything happening behind the scenes — from truck exchange and material flow to screed function and mat placement. What might look simple from the outside, Rebecca quickly learned, is anything but. “From the truck dumping into the hopper to the mat being laid, there is so much happening in such a small space,” she explained.
One of the biggest “aha” moments for Rebecca came during the hands-on instruction with sonic sensors. Learning how and where to place them for optimal reaction time helped her better understand how precision and setup can make or break a paving operation. “We learned where to place them depending on what we are trying to achieve; whether we’re matching a joint or paving by grade to set up the next pull. That really clicked for me.”
This deeper technical understanding has directly strengthened Rebecca’s confidence as she works toward her long-term goal of becoming Duval Asphalt’s first female paving foreman. The training didn’t just teach her how the paver works, it gave her the perspective to see how each role on the crew contributes to the final product.
“It looks so simple, but honestly, it’s not,” she said. “Now I understand how everything works together.”
Rebecca is eager to bring this knowledge back to the field, where collaboration and continuous improvement are core values. “I’m excited to bring back everything I learned,” she shared. “If something isn’t going well while we’re paving, I hope I can jump in, explain what I’ve learned, and we can fix the problem together.”
Beyond the technical skills, the opportunity to train alongside other women in the industry through Women of Asphalt left a lasting impression. “I think it’s awesome,” Rebecca said. “I’m always excited to see another female in our line of work. It’s not for the weak, that’s for sure.”
The diversity of roles represented in the group, from roller operators and inspectors to quality control professionals, supervisors, sales staff, and owners, added an entirely new layer to the experience. “Everyone came from a different area of the paving world, so it was really interesting learning from each other’s perspectives,” she said.
Rebecca believes events like this are crucial for encouraging more women to pursue leadership roles in construction. “These opportunities give us drive and courage,” she said. “We gain the knowledge to be confident, and we see other women accomplishing their goals which helps build us up too.”
Her advice to other women considering applying for similar opportunities is simple and enthusiastic: “Do it! I’ve never experienced anything like this before. I learned so much from the course and from other women just like me. Now I understand more of what it will take to reach my goals and be successful.”
Duval Asphalt is proud to support Rebecca’s continued growth and grateful for organizations like Women of Asphalt and Caterpillar that invest in the future of our workforce and industry. We are excited to see Rebecca apply both the technical knowledge and leadership skills she’s gained through this training and share that knowledge with the team to support continuous development across our operations.
