Leading by Example

I came to Prime after a really bad relationship and saw this as a way to get away from that situation. I thought, who would find me out on the road since I’m never in one spot at once? But this was totally new to me, and I had a lot of self-doubt. At first, I was scared to be out here, but somewhere along the way I transitioned. I wasn’t scared, and I started wondering how many other women out here are feeling the same thing. I thought if I can help them overcome those doubts they have, we can make something special.

I try to make every moment with my students count. To me, the best moments out here are those ‘aha’ moments the ladies have on my truck. It’s watching them turn the key for the first time when they’ve never moved a truck before. You can feel their energy and their nerves. Seeing them back the truck up for the first time, and they look at you and realize you didn’t guide them, and they did it all by themselves. It’s learning how to celebrate those small victories that make them grow.

There’s so much we have to teach. It’s not just driving a truck; that part is really easy. It’s learning macros and building relationships with fleet managers. Those are the things that are important. I’ve noticed a shift in women drivers, and I love it. I see more women shaking off those fears and doubts. I have this saying, be the ripple that creates the wave. I believe it’s the women like Dee Sova and Tiffany Hanna who opened the door for us.

One of my best moments out here was when I went into a truck stop and saw a 4-year-old girl who spotted me coming in through the driver’s door. She asked if I drove a truck, and then yelled at her mom, “The girl’s driving a truck!” The mom said the little girl loves women truck drivers. Those moments are the ones you have to celebrate.

For me, I get to see my students succeed, and I had something to do with that. That’s powerful. I love watching my students transition from I think I can do this to, I can do this. That’s the moment every student has and you see the lightbulb go off, and they’ve got it.