Faces of Trucking: Lisa - JRayl's Driver of the Year
There are over 3.5 million truckers in America, and 3.5 million inspirational trucking stories. This one is Lisa’s. Check it out!
This wasn’t Lisa’s first rodeo.
In her twenties, Lisa spent several years team driving across the country before her carrier shut down, forcing her into a factory job. She loved driving then as much as she does today. “I love all the adventures. I like challenging myself, going to new places and meeting new people!”
Lisa won JRyal’s Driver of the Year award. For her, driving is as much a career as it is a way of life, and she has embraced everything about it.
On Being Named Driver of the Year
Women are a minority in the trucking industry. When JRayl informed Lisa that she beat out the more than 350 other drivers (with less than 5 percent being women) for this esteemed reward, Lisa was surprised and honored. She even defeated both her husband and brother, also JRayl drivers.
In addition to Lisa’s positive attitude, her superior delivery performance and having one of the lowest idle percentages in the fleet were factored into the win. She has also been accident/incident free since she joined the JRayl family twelve years ago.
Feeling completely overwhelmed by the award, Lisa was left to decide where to take her complimentary five-day cruise. Previously, she and her husband discussed heading to South Dakota, the one state their trucking career had yet to take them.
On Trucking
Lisa loves being a truck driver. She works hard, putting in 13 to 14 hours a day, five days a week. In fact, one time when her husband subbed for her while she was away on a Vegas girls’ trip, he called her and begged her to come home — he had a difficult time keeping up with her schedule. “I run,” she says. “I don’t stop; I keep going. I figure, I’m already in my truck, so I might as well.”
Her schedule allows her to sleep at home every night, which is a good thing because she has her cat and dog to take care of.
She’s grateful her husband is home from his route a few nights a week, as well as every weekend, giving the couple time to spend together.
Lisa and her husband used to drive team, but she laughingly says she thinks — for any marriage — it’s better to not be stuck “in a closet, 24/7” with your spouse.
She enjoys the bonds she makes with the employees at the places she delivers to. And she especially loves the travel and the independence that comes from being behind the wheel. “I worked in a factory, and I swore I’d never go back to a factory job. I like the freedom of trucking; it’s one of the best parts. Every day is different. It’s not the same thing day after day. You’re not going in, punching a clock, doing your job, and punching out.”
Lisa appreciates some of the challenges she faces, particularly backing into docks. She prides herself on hitting the mark on the first try, and she cracks up at the shock she causes when she exits the truck. Those unloading say “this 5’ 2’’ woman gets the job done better than many men.”
On Running into Problems
She doesn’t have much to complain about when it comes to trucking. She is thrilled with her career and life.
Lisa says that there is the occasional male trucker who nitpicks at his female counterparts, because “they feel intimidated,” she contends. Other than that, she hasn’t encountered too many issues, but “that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen”, she adds.
Also, Lisa finds that she shares a common aversion on the road that other drivers do – driving on icy roads. Between the ice, snow, and subzero temperatures truck drivers face in the winter, she meets these challenges head on each year. Her perfect safety record speaks for itself.
side from these winter drives and the occasional ignorant counterpart, Lisa loves the job. Trucking, she says, is like anything else: “you get what you put into it”.
On JRayl
JRayl has been good to Lisa. She claims the carrier is “the absolute best” to work for.
“Oh my gosh, they’ve been the best. I’ve worked for other companies, and JRayl outdoes them!” She adds that they care about their employees and families, which helps fuel her desire to work hard for the company.
JRayl does more than talk-the-talk she says. Between regular team building events, revamped driver-friendly terminals, and their genuine care for their drivers who keep the company moving, JRayl motivates their drivers to perform at their best.
Words of Advice
When asked what advice she’d give to others who are thinking about going into trucking, Lisa doesn’t hold back her enthusiasm. “Do it! Just do it! If you’re thinking about it, if it’s something that you’ve been considering, then go for it!” She doesn’t feel like anyone has anything to lose when it comes to driving trucks: “You’re doing something positive for the country you’re lucky to be driving across.”
For her, trucking school was harder the second time around than it was when she attended her first time:
“Years ago, there were only ten questions to answer to get your CDL-A. Now, you have to study longer because you’re tested on everything from the front to back bumper. It’s gotten harder, and that’s a good thing.”
Her advice to both old and new drivers is, “if you’re tired, then you need to pull over, pull into a stop, and sleep.” One of her biggest fears is that she’ll fall asleep behind the wheel, so she’s very diligent about following her own advice.
“You know you can do some serious damage in a truck, with those 80,000 pounds cruising down the road!”
Our Congratulations to Lisa!
The trucks may be huge, but the responsibility that comes with the job is even greater. So thank you to Lisa, and all the drivers out there, for all that you do to keep things running smoothly. And a big congratulations to Lisa on her well-deserved Driver of the Year award!
JRayl Transport Inc. is an Akron, Ohio-based, family owned-and-operated logistics solution provider. JRayl has experienced tremendous growth over the last decade while maintaining a close family atmosphere. Currently employing over 400 employees in multiple strategic locations, JRayl builds family relationships that allow people to find loads, ship freight, and welcomes drivers home weekly!
Lisa's perspective: "I always tell people I’m a paid sightseer because, through driving, I get to see parts of the country that other people will never get to see!"
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