One Girl Trucking : MyBlogHer Profile

I'm a prisoner of the highway, farmer and lover of Mother Nature, the moon and stars, my long and low, flat-top Peterbilt, chickens, cats, dogs, horses, photography, tattoos, tea pots and vintage barnifacts…among other things.

I'm also a very, happily married, third-generation truck driver. My career choice is both demanding and rewarding, just like most things in life that are truly good. The trucking business has empowered me and made me realize that a determined woman can succeed in anything she sets her sights on, even in a profession that tends to automatically question whether she "has what it takes." It has given me the opportunity to travel to places and meet people I wouldn't have otherwise. It has filled me with confidence in my strength and abilities as a business owner, (in a way a 9-5 office job never could), and provided me with the life I love so much: debt-free, fulfilled and surrounded by everything I hold dear.

With the blog One Girl Trucking I hope to refute some common misperceptions about truck drivers as a community, and show people that we are human beings, since the media has a knack for portraying many of us as unprofessional, unkempt, incapable road hogs, drifters, hoodlums and worse.

There will always be a few bad apples…please don't let them spoil the bunch.

As is the case in many professions, there are often just a few who make a bad name for the majority. (Thank heaven I'm not an attorney!)

Sure, there might be some big rig drivers who think they own the highway, (mostly young, inexperienced hot heads – same as the ones driving plain, old cars), but you'll find most truckers to be the most professional and conscientious drivers you'll ever have the pleasure of sharing the road with. We've logged countless hours practice-driving and training. We've learned to successfully operate and manage both our businesses and our vehicles from top to bottom. We keep our own and everyone else's best interests in mind out on the road. After all, our trucks are our livelihood and we have families we want to get home safely to… just like you.

It's likely you've come across a truck driver that isn't the…"sharpest tool." Maybe even one that's a little…"scary" looking. Well, that's not the case for most of us. We're professionals interacting with other, professional businesspeople on a daily basis. We take our jobs seriously. And, contrary to popular myth: A) Yes, we do visit the dentist and B) No, we don't drive around wearing torn, grease covered cammo.…just like you.

No doubt, there is a trucker or two out there with a "checkered past". But, the vast majority of us are, and always have been, upstanding people. Truckers are grandparents, husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, siblings and friends. We love our kids, and we've paved the way for them to be able to accomplish everything from serving in the military to becoming doctors and lawyers. Hey, we even go to church, give our time to worthy causes and donate to charities…just like you.

Truckers have the same interests and lifestyles as the people who work a typical, 40-hour week. We own homes, (pretty comfortable ones too!), hot rods and Harley-Davidsons, as well as horses, chickens and llamas. We grow gardens in the summer and harvest for the winter. We sew quilts and knit. We build buildings and work on engines. We love to go boating and fishing. We fiercely love our families, our lives and the careers we've chosen to pursue. Just…like…you.