For 28 years, Dependable Source Driving Training Academy has been a guiding force in truck driving education. However, a noteworthy shift has taken place since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the academy now directing its focus towards empowering women in the trucking industry. CEO Willie Jones is championing a narrative that urges women to explore alternative career paths.
“You don’t have to just be a teacher. You don’t have to just be a nurse and a lot of our women, in the midst of COVID, were concentrated in low-wage jobs,” she said.
Among those embracing this new approach is Deshae Chambers, a twenty-four-year-old pharmacy technician. Chambers has worked as a pharmacy tech for six years but decided it was time for a career switch. Currently, in her second week of Dependable’s driver program, she’s on track to obtain her trucking license and start on a new professional journey.
“I’ve been in the medical field because it was convenient, not so much because it was my passion. Driving has always been my passion, so now my brother has started driving trucks, and we plan on opening our own company,” Chambers said.
The program offered by Dependable Source Driving Training Academy is about skill acquisition and opening doors to opportunities. Graduates can earn an annual income from $50,000 to $70,000. Looking beyond the immediate horizon, Jones envisions expanding the academy’s reach to high school graduates. The academy wants to communicate that choosing not to attend college doesn’t limit one’s career options, emphasizing the value and potential of the trucking profession.
“A lot of women came to us after COVID-19 and said, ‘I’m tired of working two to three jobs,’ so just try to make one job in truck driving. They can get into this industry and earn good money.”
Source: WAPT Jackson
