She got into trucking to see the world after retirement

A lot of times drivers will say they got into trucking to see the country, but not Shockley. She wants to save her money and see the world after retirement. (The Trucker/Barb Kampbell)

By BARB KAMPBELL
The Trucker Staff

9/11/2008

Janice Shockley had only been out on the road as a driver for five days when we caught up with her and her husband Dean at a central Arkansas truck stop. In fact, she was still in training, with Dean as her instructor, and will drive team with him once she completes all her requirements. They haul dry van loads to the 48 states.

The Shockleys drive for Team One, which leases to U.S. Xpress Enterprises Inc., and it’s U.S. Xpress where she’ll go to complete her tests including driving, written exam and testing on a simulator. All this after she completes 150 hours on the road and 10 hours of backing. Until she drives 75 hours they must drive only under Dean’s hours, with him riding shotgun, but once she hits that mark they may begin truly driving under team driver rules.

A lot of times drivers will say they got into trucking to see the country, but not Shockley.

“I got into trucking for retirement,” she said. “I need retirement. I was a school bus driver and didn’t make enough to retire on. We’re going to live on his [Dean] checks and bank mine for retirement.

“I wanted to be a truck driver to see the country now so when I retire I can go see the whole world.”

Shockley began to name the various places she wants to see including the “Amazon, Panama Canal, all of it. If it were ever safe in the Middle East I would go there, but I don’t think it will ever be safe.”

Driving a school bus helped ease Shockley into big rig driving.

“It helped with lane control, and turns, but not with backing at all,” she said. “This is a lot easier than driving a school bus, though. When you have 60 to 70 kids behind you that you have to watch continuously it’s hard.”

Dean became a certified trainer with U.S. Xpress so that he could train Janice after she completed school at Superior Drivers Institute in Columbia, Tenn. He’s been driving for 20 years.

The Shockleys live in McEwen, Tenn., and have one son, Jesse, who takes care of their home and pets so they can be out on the road together.

“We couldn’t do this if he wasn’t there to take care of things,” Shockley said.

The couple has been married 23 years with Dean gone on the road a lot and now they will be together in a truck all the time.

“We’ve been married that long and now we’ll find out how compatible we are,” said Dean. “Having her with me is good but a bigger adjustment for me than her because I’ve always been out by myself. It’s nice to have her with me.”