Truck Driver Stories: Tiffany, Small Fleet Owner
As part of Ike’s analysis of the impact of automation on truck driving jobs, we’re profiling a few real truck drivers and exploring how their work may change in the future.
Tiffany loves high heels, dangling earrings, and long, manicured nails — none of which, she says, should stop anyone from being a great truck driver.
“I want people to know that they can still be who they are in this industry,” she says. “You don’t have to dress down. You don’t have to say, ‘Hey, just because I like to get my hair and nails done I can’t do this job.’”
She began her trucking career in 1999, when she was 24, joining construction convoys as a U.S. Navy Seabee. She launched her business thirteen years later, in Springfield, Missouri, and today manages eight trucks and 11 employees, seven of whom are women. The mother of five grown children, she rides with her pitbull, Piper — and 17 pairs of shoes and boots.
“I’m a worker bee,” Tiffany says. Her discipline and enthusiasm are not-so-secret weapons in running her small business. She also gets help from her sister, who plans her trips, and her 24-year-old daughter, who handles payroll, safety issues, and any emergencies that come up. It’s a great arrangement for Tiffany, who enjoys being on the road a lot more than managing logistics and paperwork.
Tiffany takes pride in running her own company, instilling her values by maintaining high standards of safety while also treating her employees fairly. “I enjoy being able to take care of my drivers,” she says. “When I was first starting out, I was earning like $400 a week and barely making it. Now I want to make sure to pay my drivers a decent salary so that they can make a living and also be able to enjoy life.”
Q: What do you like most about owning your own trucking firm?
A: I love trucking. I call it a “paycation.” I love being able to work, travel, and make money at the same time. It gives me the opportunity to see the world.
Q: What don’t you like?
A: The hardest thing for me is the back-office stuff. Like keeping up with taxes. Or having to let a driver go because they refuse to follow safety guidelines, which is a huge liability. Insurance is also a killer; we have to pay as much as $11,000 for a new driver. The other stuff is easy, like making sure my drivers have a load waiting for them when they unload. If the wheels aren’t turning, we’re not earning!
Q: What do you think most people misunderstand about truck driving?
A: They misunderstand the sacrifices we make. You’re home for Christmas; I’m sitting at a truck stop, because while most businesses aren’t open on Christmas, they are the very next day, and we’ve got to get that load for them.
Being away from home gets a lot of drivers depressed. I carry pictures of all my kids, my mom and dad and my grandmother to remind me why I’m out here but at the same time it depresses me. I miss birthdays; I miss holidays; I miss a lot of those things. These are the sacrifices I’ve had to make.
Q: What’s your favorite thing to haul?
A: Ice cream, because they always give me some! I find myself hauling ice cream about three times a month, which is a lot.
Q: How do you see the future for truckers?
A: If robotic trucks can make it so I can continue to make the same kind of money and have more home time then I’m all for it. Years ago, we were on horses and buggies — who would have imagined the changes we’ve gone through? So it’s one of those things where you can adapt and evolve or be left behind.
How we see Tiffany’s job changing
Tiffany may add automated trucks to her small fleet, and use her drivers to handle the routes to and from the highway. She may find it easier to hire and retain drivers by helping them stay local.
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