Woman Quit College, Became Truck Driver: ‘No Regret,’ ‘Best Decision’

• Kiara Areli is a 22-year-old truck driver based in the Chicago area.
• She dropped out of college because she didn’t want to go into debt.
• This essay is part of the “5 Trends to Bet Your Career On” series.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kiara Areli, a 22-year-old truck driver based in the Chicago area. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I grew up around truck drivers. My dad has been driving for 10 years and I also have aunts and uncles driving too. Despite this, I didn’t see myself driving semi-trucks at first — since most people view truck driving as a man’s job.

Instead, I chose to go to college because that’s what I was told to do growing up. After one year, I dropped out because I didn’t want to go into debt. I got a job at Amazon as a warehouse associate and thought about moving up the career ladder while there.

At Amazon, I joined the Amazon Career Choice program, an educational initiative designed to empower Amazon employees to learn new skills for career success. After seeing truck driving listed as part of the program, I immediately felt like it was a sign to go for it, especially since truck driving was pretty familiar to me. I received a scholarship from the program and went to a truck driver’s school.

After a month, and 160 in-person training hours, I got my Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). I was 20 years old and worked at Amazon for a total of two years before leaving. I now make almost $60,000 a year without a college degree.

Landing a job as a young new driver can be hard

Most companies typically prefer people with experience. However, I found my current employer — a family-owned trucking company that specializes in operating dry vans, dumps, and flatbeds — by chance on a road that I frequently drive on.

I remember seeing a sign saying a truck company was looking for CDL drivers. I reached out and explained that I was new and had no experience. The company called me back for an interview and they were super understanding. They later trained me in more real-life situations, such as backing up a trailer, floating the gears, and so on. Then I started working there.

For the most part, my day begins very early in the morning

My day usually begins around 3:30 a.m. and my work starts at 6 a.m. Since my truck, which the company owns, is parked about a 15-minute walk from my home and the dispatch center is about an hour’s drive, I need to leave my house around 4:30 a.m. to get to my truck and do a pre-trip inspection. Then, I make sure everything’s okay with my truck and drive to the dispatch by 6 a.m. to get my assignments for the day.

I then receive a route with several deliveries to make, sometimes up to five stops. Since I work locally, all deliveries are within my state and I don’t travel very far, only around 300 miles a day on average.

I’ve driven to places like Lockport, Lombard, and Batavia, Illinois frequently. Most of the time, my work ends at 5 p.m.

The best part about truck driving is every day is different

Before truck driving, working at a warehouse was monotonous: placing bags in containers for the next ship, and doing the same thing all day. I now get to meet different people and go to different places, some of which I would’ve never visited if not for this job. I once drove to Skokie, Illinois, and loved it — it’s like a mini Chicago with its own little downtown area.

What I also love about truck driving is the independence it allows. I can make decisions on my own and I feel in control while driving. When I was working at a warehouse, I felt there was a lot of micromanaging. I constantly had to be told what to do every five minutes or ask for permission. Personally, I didn’t like that. As a truck driver, I have the freedom to stop whenever I need to, whether it’s for food or a bathroom break.

I love the downtime I can have while driving. I can talk to loved ones over the headset and listen to my favorite music or podcasts — I really love listening to the Crime Junkie podcast while driving. But there are downsides, too.

The worst part of the job is the unpredictable hours. You might clock in thinking you’ll get off at 3 p.m., but end up working until 6 or 7 p.m. If you’re someone who likes a more structured job, I don’t think truck driving is for you.

I doubted myself at first, but still went for it

One of the biggest obstacles in starting my truck driving career was my own doubt, since the job has its challenges. For example, when I go downtown, there are tighter streets or more bridges, so I need to figure out how to turn around and not hit cars.

I also fear that when I show up as a young female driver, people won’t take me seriously. One time, I was delivering a package and I met this girl, she didn’t believe that I was driving the truck. I explained to her how my dad used to drive for 10 years, and I drive too. Then, she said, “So your dad is with you, right? He’s driving.” I was like, “No, I’m driving by myself.”

But I’m glad that I still went for it. Truck driving helped me grow as a person, both mentally and financially.

It’s not a hard job, but it comes with a lot of responsibility. Every time I step into the truck, I have to make sure that I’m doing things correctly so I won’t hurt people while driving.

Becoming a truck driver was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made

Before becoming a truck driver, I was in a dark place and had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. Truck driving really pulled me out of that. Honestly, I don’t regret not continuing college — now I feel like I have a purpose because I’m also inspiring others to consider this truck driving career path.

For anyone thinking about getting into truck driving, especially women, I say just go for it. It’s okay to be scared or doubtful, but taking that leap is worth it.

There are other career paths in the trucking industry too, like truck broker or truck dispatcher. In the future, I can see myself continuing to drive — it’s in my blood. Hopefully, I’ll become an owner-operator like my dad, who is my biggest inspiration, so I can drive my own truck. I also want to build a community of same-minded women in truck driving to motivate and support each other.

If you have worked as a truck driver and want to share your story, email Aria Yang at [email protected].