Do you recall your childhood daydreams?

Did any of them become a reality?

I remember the days of riding with my family and catching the rare gleam of sunlight bouncing off a chrome bumper and announcing to all, “one day I will drive one of those ginormous trucks and have the CB handle “White Lightning”!”

Reality came quickly come rushing back into focus, as my mother said, “girls can’t drive big trucks!”

I didn’t realize it at the time but…

…that woman sparked a challenge in me. It was game on!

Double clutch fast forward about four decades and that challenge was reignited by yet another important “someone” in my life.

I was two days shy of starting paramedic school when my boyfriend asked (the second-best question he has ever asked) “Have you ever thought about driving a truck?”

His question came after a day of riding along with him, as he delivered asphalt oil, for a local trucking company.

I had never told him about my childhood daydreams. I think I surprised him a bit that day because within a few short hours, I was cancelling one school and enrolling in another!

Unlike many CDL training programs offered today, I attended a non-trucking company sponsored college for my CDL training.

The first day was so intimidating as I walked into class, the only female out of sixteen students. I knew I would have to study a bit harder to learn the engine components to pass the ever-beloved Pre-trip Inspections — but I was determined.

It all paid off in the end

I completed training with top honors.

A little side note to help boost my story of success with just a pinch of pride. I am the only CDL student to have their photo on the side of the school’s training trailers!

The first time I was back in that area and saw myself on a very large canvas rolling down the streets of town, it was the strangest encounter!

I had done a TV interview along with one of my instructors, for a local company that was sponsoring women in nontraditional programs for school and did a few photos for the college.

They said it was for their website and brochures. They didn’t say anything about a rolling billboard!

Finding that first job was fairly easy. I knew I was going to work for the same company my boyfriend was with and the goal would be hauling asphalt oil. I made sure I had my tanker endorsement and hazmat clearance by the time I had my official CDL Class A, in hand.

However, I had to first prove to the company that I could do the work that would be expected of me as a tanker hauler.

That’s when I became a yard dog

I never quite figured how hooking and strapping had anything to do with the slosh driving I would be handling. I believe I was just paying my dues. Showing I could handle whatever they put in front of me.

It seemed like forever but…

Within three short months I was loading stinky asphalt oil at 2:00 a.m., in -35 degree weather.

It took trying to start three trucks and opening four trailer valves before we made it to the docks – and – then we hit a snowstorm that dropped nine inches of snow, halfway through our first trip!

If that didn’t make me quit NOTHING would!

Thank goodness it only got better from there.

My first tanker!

My first tanker!

That first gig of hauling oil was about fourteen months long. I switched over to chemical hauling and I must say that was the only haul I ever hated doing.

Thankfully, my boyfriend and I decided we wanted to try our talents in the big game in trucking and go for…

Over the Road… teaming no less!

So, we set our sites on a new local company that specialized in heavy, long-haul trucking and got down to some serious planning.

We would be going from a 10-hour day with two trucks and a dog in each truck, to 24-hour days in one truck with one dog, for three weeks at a time.

Could we pull this off??

The answer to that question will be in the next installment coming soon!

Until then stay safe and keep the rubber side down,
– Liz