Profile For Sophia P.

Hi Lauren,

You've asked a lot of questions but I'll do my best to answer as many as I can. I guess getting your CDL depends on your situation money and time wise. You can definitely pay for a school and have more flexibility about your 1st trucking job that way but those programs generally cost a lot. There are companies out there who will train you for your CDL but afterwards you generally owe them a year and leaving before that time sometimes winds up getting charged for the cost of training, which would out you back in scenario one anyway!

Today driving a truck is very safe compared to decades ago. The "dangers" are few physically. I've never felt like I was in danger of being raped or assaulted on the road but I also walk through parking lots looking confident and with purpose. There are the occasional times when a guy will start being a bit overly friendly and starts asking questions like "are you alone out here" and such. Once I detect he's probably after companionship, which I'm not, I respond " I've got to get back to our truck, my husband's sleeping" and he usually fades away! Walk confidently like you own the place and you'll be fine! Most all major brands of modern truck stops today are equipped with several cameras for security reasons.

Knowing where you are going is a matter of experience. You'll know in a year if trucking is right for you.

Stress is a part of every new driver's experience, even the guys! The schedule you get depends on what type of commodity you wind up hauling. Food haulers and cattle hauling are often on tighter schedules because their cargo is time sensitive whereas dry van freight like a bunch of towels can take longer and less time critical. Tankers are sometimes in the same category. Some tanker freight is food grade, temperature controlled or something that changes in consistency over time like asphalt or concrete. There are literally thousands of commodity types out there. Some loads take hours and some take weeks or longer! I've hauled loads that delivered the same day and I've taken loads that delivered 10 days later!

The pay isn't great as a new driver but after your first year you can expect to see your earnings increase IF you wind up being an asset to your company not a liability. If you're a driver who plans, loads, drives and arrives on time, or early, you can expect to be rewarded by CONSISTENTLY doing that over and over. If you're a driver who cares about nothing but complaining, tears up trucks and makes excuses for constantly being late you won't do well in this industry, so a lot depends on you!

I applaud you for doing your research first. Should you decide to embark on this journey one thing is for sure: You'll probably never be out of work again so there is security and peace knowing that!

take care,

Sophia Owner Operator

Hi Morgan, I'm a woman flatbed (stepdeck) owner operator. What insight are you specifically looking for? yes, the physical aspect of flat bedding can tax you more than men but it's not impossible. Being an O/O I choose what level of physical activity I engage. I can't lift heavy tarps over my head nor do I want to so I don't carry them. Chains and binders are pretty easy: I carry one or 2 binders at a time and make a couple more trips to the back of the trailer. There are some up-sides: When I'm rolling up my straps usually I'll get a guy who will often help me out of courtesy. I do the same! We help one another out here, it's customary. Same thing for tarping. Generally you help the driver in front or behind you when you're waiting in line to unload if there is a line to begin with. Don't let the physical aspect of flat bedding scare you girl, go fir it! One of my best girlfriends, before she retired for health reasons, was 4'11 tall and weighed maybe 100lbs and she carried heavy tarps! To this day I can't figure out how she managed but she did! You don't need to be a 5'10 200lb woman who can sling a100 pound tarp over your head to flatbed, but you do need the confidence that anything is possible because I'm living proof!

Hope this helps,

Sophia SD Owner Operator

Victoria, I'm living proof you can make it and thrive! I've been trucking a very long time and own both tractor and trailer. Give it time and remember to breathe! People are going to be jerks to truckers. Most of the public can't tell if it's a man or woman at the wheel at first glance anyway. Everyone started somewhere, even the men. When men used to belittle me I told them " There was a time you didn't know where third gear was" and that usually shuts them up! If you want a successful trucking career stick with it. It's going to be hard and we face challenges men don't. Just remember there are ladies out here who have MORE than earned our place in trucking! You got this! Once our anxiety starts to fade you will probably enjoy a sense of accomplishment you've earned, not simply slid into like the guys! Keep trucking girl!

Sophia Owner Operator

Thank you so much I needed this. I'm sure the first year is always the hardest I just have to hang on tight. Being a woman especially makes it a little tougher because I almost feel the need to prove myself to the men I work with and show them I'm not an idiot. Thank you so much though I really appreciate the uplifting words

The simplest answer is that everything you're experiencing is going to be new and different because you ARE new and inexperienced. First day at school; first day at a new job; first time in front of the class giving a book report....everyone gets nervous because of the unknown.

For now, just treat it as one day at a time, and each experience within that day as a new and unknown thing. Nobody started off as the expert or the pro on day one, month one, or year one. It's just going to take time.

Don't hit anything, watch your following distance, take your time, don't be afraid to ask questions. You are starting at the same point every driver of one year, or fifty years driving started: At The Beginning.

I have a strip of paper from a fortune cookie on my truck. I got this from a restaurant on the day I was assigned my first truck. It reads, " Winning starts with beginning."