For Taresa, returning to the trucking industry at 55 was about much more than getting back behind the wheel. It was about creating a better future for herself and her family. After first entering the trucking industry shortly after 2001 and spending 10 years successfully driving over the road, Taresa stepped away from trucking to raise her children. More than 15 years later, she found herself ready to return to an industry she had always loved.
The road back was not an easy one. Taresa faced financial struggles, major health challenges, anxiety and the challenge of returning to an industry that had changed significantly since she first earned her CDL. Yet, despite every obstacle, she continued moving forward. After attending Tri-Area Trucking School’s Freeland campus, Taresa successfully returned to the road and is now working toward an even bigger goal: owning her own trucking company so she can eventually spend more time at home with her family. Her story is one of determination, family, second chances and the importance of continuing to work toward the life you want.
Tell us a little about your journey into trucking and what originally brought you into the industry. My story is very unique compared to a lot of others. I’ve been a single mom most of my life, and I have one child that I raised. During 2001, I was struggling to be everything I needed to be while trying not to become homeless and dealing with everything that came along with being a single mother. That’s when I found the trucking industry. I walked in and basically said, “Give me a job.” Back then, trucking was not anything like it is today, but they gave me a trainer and I got into a truck in Texas, which is where I originally got my license around 2000, right after 9/11. I drove for 10 years and was very successful at it. I loved it. I had no accidents, no tickets and really enjoyed trucking. Then I came home one weekend and ended up getting pregnant, which led me to step away from the industry and focus on raising my family. I now have three children at home: two 15-year-olds, a boy and a girl, and a 13-year-old. Eventually, I decided that I wanted to come back to trucking. I was 55 years old, severely in debt and had bills piling up, but I knew I wanted more. I went through the process with the state and did my due diligence to get back into the industry, all while dealing with some major health issues. There were obstacles upon obstacles in my way, but I kept battling them and eventually got hired by a company. I’ve been pretty successful ever since.
What were you doing during the years you were away from trucking? I was raising my children. That was it. I wasn’t working another specific job during that time. I was living on Social Security and disability, and there wasn’t a lot of money coming in. I wanted more than that. When I looked at what I could potentially make in trucking, I knew that what I was making in a month could potentially be something I could make in a week. That stayed in the back of my mind for a long time. I also always wanted to open my own trucking company. Now I’m finally working toward making that happen. I have my LLC, and I’m working on getting my DOT number and MC number. My goal is to eventually be able to get myself out of the truck, put somebody else behind the wheel and still be able to stay home with my family. That’s the bigger picture for me. I want to build something of my own that can provide more financial stability while also giving me more time at home.
What was it like returning to trucking after being away for more than 15 years? I was honestly expecting to have some trouble. I had been out of the truck for more than 15 years, so I wasn’t sure how it would feel getting back into it. But I didn’t have any trouble at all. I had 10 years of experience from before, and I knew how to drive. Jason, one of my instructors, was actually younger than me and had about eight years of experience at the time, compared to my 10. Being a woman and having more years of driving experience than my instructor was kind of funny, and it definitely put me on the spot sometimes. But I’ve always been someone who can hang with the best of them. I’ve done it before, and I was ready to do it again. There were definitely things I needed to relearn, though. I told Jason that I wasn’t going to float the gears because I had always double clutched. He told me that if I started grinding the gears, then he would have to teach me something. I told him that was fair enough, but I wasn’t going to grind any gears. I had confidence in my driving abilities, but I also knew that trucking had changed since I was first in the industry, and there were new requirements and information I needed to learn.
What was the biggest challenge you faced during your training? The biggest struggle I had during the entire course was the walk-around inspection and learning all of the parts of the engine. I knew how to drive. I knew backing, I knew how to maneuver the truck, and I knew the actual driving side of trucking inside and out. But I didn’t know all of the book information and the parts of the engine that students are expected to know today. When I originally got my license in Texas, I didn’t have to know all of those things. I was only in school for about two weeks when I went through training with Jason and the others, and the other three students had already been learning some of the material that was completely new to me. That created an interesting dynamic because they knew some of the book material that I didn’t, while I had years of actual experience in the truck that they didn’t have yet. Jason would put me first a lot of the time when we were driving and then let me sit aside while he worked with the other students because they needed more practice. But when it came time to do my walk-around, I had an awful time. I practiced those engine parts over and over again. I joked that by the time it was all said and done, I could probably become a mechanic because I knew those parts of the engine so well. I ate, slept and dreamed about it. I spent so much time walking around that truck and going over the parts that I eventually knew them inside and out.
How did the instructors at Tri-Area Trucking School help you through that process? Stan was amazing. I spent so much time working on those walk-arounds and learning the parts that I joked that I ate, slept and dreamed about him and that truck. I can’t even tell you how many times I walked around that truck going over the different parts. I even told Stan that he had been showing up in my dreams because I was studying so much. He joked that he’d been through a lot of things but had never been in anybody’s dreams before. Overall, I had a wonderful experience with the instructors. They’re all good people, and I really felt like they cared about the people they were teaching. They weren’t just there to teach us how to operate a truck and send us on our way. They genuinely wanted us to succeed. I would recommend Tri-Area Trucking School to anybody, and I already have. One thing I especially appreciated was that sometimes you need something explained in a different way before it really clicks. Jason might explain something one way, and if someone wasn’t understanding it, another person might explain it differently and suddenly it would make sense. I think that’s an important part of good training.
Did you have any memorable or funny moments during your time in the program? One of my favorite memories was probably the time I showed Jason up a little bit. On my first day driving, he told me to make sure I was in sixth gear when I went around a particular corner. I heard him, but I was driving in my own little world, and it didn’t really sink in. I ended up missing my gear and floating the gear around the corner. He told me, “You know you did that safely, but that wasn’t sixth gear.” I told him, “I know. You’ll never catch me on that again.” The next day, I was driving again, and sure enough, I was in sixth gear going around that same corner. He asked me if I remembered, and I said, “Absolutely. You’ll get me once, but you won’t get me twice.” We both laughed about it. It was a funny moment, but it also shows how I approached the program. I knew there were things I needed to learn, and if someone corrected me, I was going to remember it and make sure I got it right the next time.
You also helped some of the other students in your class. What was that experience like? I was always willing to help. The other three students I was with hadn’t had the same amount of experience in a truck that I had, so sometimes they would ask me how I was doing something. I never wanted to make anyone feel like I was showing them up because I had more experience. I knew they were learning, and I understood that everybody learns differently. If I had a different way of explaining something that might make it easier for them to understand, I was happy to offer my two cents. One of the students asked me how I was able to do something with backing, and I told her that I always watch my trailer tires. That’s the most important thing to me. If I can see where my trailer tires are going, I can know where my trailer is going. She didn’t get it the first time, but she told me she was going to listen to me the next time. About a week later, she called me and told me she had graduated and passed her state test. All three students I was with passed, and that was what mattered to me. They may have struggled at first, but they kept working at it and got it done.
What kind of driving are you doing now? I’m driving over the road, so I can go throughout all 48 states. I’ve almost completed all of them, with Washington, Montana, and Oregon being the only ones I haven’t gotten to yet. I’m hoping to finish those before I eventually leave the road. The longest I’ve been out this time is about three weeks. Before, when my daughter was little, I would sometimes stay out for about a month and then come home for a week. With the company I’m currently with, I told them that I wanted to be out for about three weeks and then home for a week. I don’t necessarily want to spend a full seven days at home because by the time I get home, unwind and spend time with my kids, the time goes quickly. I have three children at home who need their mom, so I’m trying to find the balance between working hard and still being there for my family.
How do you balance being an over-the-road driver with being a mom? That’s one of the hardest parts. I’m still a mom at the end of the day, and my kids still call me. I have three kids at home, including two children with special needs, and they need their mom. My kids are also in high school, so I’m at the point where I’m missing some of those important moments. I’ve missed soccer games, and all three of my kids are on the same team. They have games that I can’t always be there for. My husband gets to go, and I’m grateful that he’s there for them, but it’s still hard because I’m their mom. He’s their stepdad, but he’s their dad, and he’s the only dad they know. He gets to enjoy some of those moments that I have to miss, and I’ll admit that I’m jealous of that. At the same time, I have to remind myself why I’m doing this. This isn’t really for me. I’m trying to buy a house for my kids. I want to work hard enough to give them a stable home and eventually be able to step away from the road. You have to weigh your options and decide what you’re willing to sacrifice for the future you want. I know I’m going to miss some holidays and some first moments in their lives, and that’s difficult. But I also know that everything I’m doing is ultimately for them.
What keeps you motivated when you’re away from your family? My kids are what keep me going. At the end of the day, I look at how everything I’m doing is going to benefit them. I’m trying to buy a house, and eventually I want to give that house to my kids. I want to be able to decorate it how we want and do the things we’ve wanted to do as a family. For years, there were things I couldn’t afford to give them. Now I’m able to start doing some of those things. I recently signed my girls up for cheerleading, something I hadn’t been able to afford for years. They’re also going to do a pageant, and we’re planning a two-week vacation in December where we’re going to fly to Tampa. Those things mean a lot to me. My children didn’t ask to be here. We brought them here, and I believe God gave us these gifts. I want my children to grow up knowing that I didn’t do all of this because I didn’t want to be a mom. I did it because I wanted to give them the life they deserve.
What do you do when you get home and have time with your family? I’ve only been home one time since I started this job. When I was home, I had a couple of doctor’s appointments and took care of everything I needed to do, but I also made sure to take my family out to eat and spend time at home with them individually. When you don’t have a lot of time at home, you learn that it doesn’t necessarily matter what you’re doing. Just being there and spending quality time together is important. My oldest daughter, one of my 15-year-olds, has also been a big help. She’s taken on a little more responsibility while I’m gone. She’ll help with the laundry and other things around the house, and we’re able to work together as a family. She’s still a teenager, of course, but she’s helping where she can, and that makes things easier sometimes. That’s what we’re trying to do as a family: work together and support each other.
Looking back at everything you’ve been through, what accomplishment are you most proud of? Coming back to trucking and accomplishing what I set out to do is something I’m very proud of. There were so many times when I wondered if maybe I wasn’t meant to do it. With all of the obstacles and health problems, there were moments when I thought maybe there was a reason things weren’t working out. I have battled cancer, dealt with renal failure, had a stroke in 2021 or 2022, and now deal with mobility issues that I didn’t have when I was younger. I’ve had all of these battles, but I’ve overcome every one of them. I also deal with anxiety, and I don’t test well. It took me two times to pass my test. The woman who gave me my test could tell that I knew the material. She looked at me and said, “Taresa, you know this.” I told her, “You know I know this, so just give me my test.” She recognized that anxiety was getting in my way and encouraged me to show her that I could work through it. She told me I had this. It took me a little longer, but she talked me through it, gave me my test and I accomplished it. I almost cried at the end because I knew how much of a struggle it had been. My backing, parallel parking and driving weren’t the issue. The walk-around was the part I struggled with. Getting through the entire process and proving to myself that I could do it was a huge accomplishment.
How have your health challenges affected your journey? My health has definitely made the journey harder. I’ve battled cancer, had a stroke and am dealing with renal failure. I also have mobility issues now that I didn’t have when I was in my 30s. On top of that, I went through bariatric surgery and lost 200 pounds. I was down to around 220 pounds, and I’m hoping to have another procedure in January that will help me lose another 50 pounds and become healthier. My health is paying a price for some of what I’m doing, but I look at the bigger picture. I think about how everything is going to benefit my children. I believe in God, and there were definitely times when I wondered if maybe an obstacle was there for a reason or if maybe I wasn’t meant to continue. But I kept going. Sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture and decide what you’re willing to work through to reach the life you want.
Do you get the opportunity to explore the places you travel to? Not as much as people might think. I have mobility issues, and my mobility isn’t what it used to be when I was in my 30s. I’ve had a stroke, and that has affected me. So while I get to travel throughout the country, I don’t necessarily have the ability to stop and explore every place I drive through. Still, being able to travel across the country has been part of the experience. I’ve almost completed all 48 states, and I’m hoping to make it to Washington, Montana and Oregon before I eventually leave the road. There is something special about knowing that I’ve been able to see so much of the country through my work, even if I don’t always have the opportunity to stop and explore it.
What has returning to trucking allowed you to accomplish financially? One of my biggest accomplishments happened very recently. Last week, I paid off all of my debt. I had been behind on things, and now I’m caught up. I even belong to a boat club, and I’m no longer behind on those payments either. That was an incredible feeling because it showed me that all of the work I’m putting in is actually making a difference. It’s been a tough road, but those moments are what keep me going. When I look at where I started and where I am now, I can see the progress. I’m still working toward bigger goals, but paying off my debt was a major milestone. It showed me that if I keep working, I can continue moving toward the life I want for myself and my family.
What advice would you give someone who is considering going into trucking? First, you have to understand that you’re not necessarily going to start out making everything you want to make right away. I had 10 years of previous experience, but because it wasn’t recent, I still had a gap when I came back. It was difficult for me to get a job because companies saw that my experience wasn’t current. Even with my previous background, I still had to prove myself again. Everybody has to start somewhere, and you have to be willing to put in the work. I would also tell people not to get into a company that wants to run you into the ground for a dollar. There are a lot of companies out there, and you have to be careful about who you choose to work for. Don’t just take someone’s word for everything. Do your due diligence, ask questions and understand exactly what you’re getting into before you commit.
What should new drivers look for when choosing a company to work for? Do your homework. Look at the company’s turnover and find out how they operate. Find out how they run their ELDs and ask questions about the things that matter to you. Most importantly, put things in writing. Don’t rely only on verbal promises. Once you’re already at a company, you’ve invested a lot of time and money. You’ve traveled there, completed orientation, taken the drug test and put in all the work to get started. Then you might discover that they’re running you into the ground or not giving you what they promised. At that point, you might know you don’t want to stay, but you may also have bills due and other responsibilities. You could find yourself thinking, “I’m three weeks behind on my rent, so what do I do? Do I keep running or do I leave?” That’s why you have to do your homework before you ever get there. Not everybody is going to be truthful with you, so research the company, ask questions and get important agreements in writing. That’s the best advice I can give.
What advice would you give drivers who have children or families at home? If you have kids, put your kids first. Even though you’re out here working, try not to stay away too long because you’re going to miss a lot of first moments in their lives. My kids are in high school, and I’ve already missed soccer games. All three of them are on the same team, and there are games I can’t be there for. My husband gets to go, and I’m thankful that he’s there, but it’s not the same for me because I’m their mom. You have to weigh your options and decide whether this is really what you want at the end of the day. You’re going to miss some holidays and some special moments. That’s part of over-the-road trucking, and people need to understand that before getting into it. At the same time, if you know why you’re doing it and you have a goal you’re working toward, that can make the sacrifices easier to understand. For me, I’m doing it because I want to give my kids a better future.
What advice would you give someone who struggles with anxiety or doesn’t test well? Don’t let it convince you that you can’t do something you know how to do. I have anxiety, and I don’t test well. It took me two attempts to pass my test, but I knew the material. Sometimes the biggest battle is getting past the anxiety and trusting yourself. The woman who gave me my test could tell that I knew what I was doing. She encouraged me to work through the anxiety instead of letting it control me. It took longer than I wanted it to, but I accomplished it. So if you don’t pass something the first time, don’t automatically decide that you aren’t capable. Keep working at it. Give yourself another opportunity to prove that you can do it.
What advice would you give students about actually learning how to drive? You have to drive. Someone can tell you which gear to grab, which gear to use or how something is supposed to work, but at the end of the day, you have to get into the truck and do it yourself. Someone can critique your driving and explain how you can improve, but they can’t teach you everything without you actually getting behind the wheel. That’s how I learned. You can listen to someone explain something, but you have to put it into practice yourself. The more you drive, the more comfortable you become. That’s one of the biggest things I’d tell a new student: listen to your instructors, take their feedback seriously and then get in the truck and practice.
Why would you recommend Tri-Area Trucking School to someone considering a career in trucking? I would recommend them to anybody, and I already have. I had a wonderful experience. Jason is a character, but he’s also a good instructor, and Stan was amazing. They’re all good people. I felt like they genuinely cared about the people they were teaching and wanted us to succeed. Coming back after more than 15 years away from trucking was a big step for me. I had the driving experience, but there were things I needed to learn and refresh. The instructors helped me work through those areas while also allowing me to use the experience I already had. I appreciated being able to learn from them and also help the other students when I could. It was a positive experience, and I’m grateful for the role they played in helping me get back into the industry.
What do you think the future of trucking looks like? I don’t think trucking is an industry that’s going away. People talk about self-driving trucks, but I personally don’t think that’s going to replace the people who are doing this work. I can’t imagine going to sleep in a truck with a computer driving it. You’ve got all that weight moving down the road, and I would rather have a person in control. There will always be goods that need to be transported, and there will always be a need for people who know how to safely operate a truck. For me, trucking has provided an opportunity to get back on my feet financially, work toward my goals and create something for my family. That’s why I believe there will continue to be opportunities in this industry.
What is the next chapter for you? Right now, I’m working toward buying a house and building my own trucking company. I already have my LLC, and I’m working toward getting my DOT number and MC number. Eventually, I want to have someone else driving the truck while I stay home. That would allow me to continue building the business while also having more time with my children. I’m also looking toward moving South. I’ve lived in Tennessee before, and my children were born there, but I’m considering Alabama because of the lower cost of living. I’ve looked at properties there. I want more space, a lower cost of living and a place where my family can have the kind of life I’m working toward. I know it will take time, but I’m working toward it.
What keeps you going through all of the challenges you’ve faced? My kids. That’s really what it comes down to. I know what I’m doing is hard. I know I’m missing things. I know my health has been affected, and I know there are days when it would be easier to stop. But when I think about what I’m working toward, I keep going. I want to buy a house. I want my kids to have opportunities that I couldn’t always afford to give them before. I want to take them on vacations. I want them to participate in cheerleading, pageants and the activities they enjoy. I want to be able to provide for them and give them a stable future. At the end of the day, I want my children to grow up knowing that I did this for them. I didn’t do it because I didn’t want to be a mom. I did it because I wanted to give them the life they deserve.
Returning to trucking after years away came with plenty of challenges, from relearning the profession and overcoming test anxiety to navigating health challenges, finding employment and adjusting to life on the road while raising a family. But through it all, she kept moving forward. After returning to school at the Freeland campus, she earned her way back into the industry, paid off her debt and began working toward her long-term goal of owning her own trucking company.
For her, success isn’t just about the miles driven or money earned. It’s about creating more opportunities for her family, from giving her daughters experiences she once couldn’t afford to working toward buying a home. Her advice to future students and drivers is simple: do your homework, choose your company carefully, put important agreements in writing, advocate for yourself and don’t give up. The road may not always be straight, but every step forward brings you closer to where you want to be.
