Driver relies on God to keep her safe and sound out on the road

By BARB KAMPBELL
The Trucker Staff

9/30/2009

Mitchell file
How long driving: 2 years
Lease operator with TransAm
Truck: 2009 Kenworth T660
Birthday: April 15, 1963
Favorite place to drive: Tennessee for its different terrains

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — After working as an armed security officer and also at a correction facility for both men and women, trucking isn’t that big of a deal to Cheryl Mitchell of Jasper, Ala.

Mitchell is single, divorced, with no children. Before starting her trucking career a couple of years ago, she was an armed security officer for Wackenhut Corp., and left that job for two good reasons.

“I wanted to make more money and I enjoy driving; I’ve always enjoyed driving,” Mitchell said.

She went to Bevill St. Community College in Sumiton, Ala., where she attended school for eight weeks. A friend of hers worked for TransAm so she applied there and was hired. She then spent three weeks with a trainer until she was on her own.

Mitchell said she hauls most everywhere and hauls a lot of things.

“We have reefer trucks, but we do back hauls from anywhere,” she explained. “I’ve even picked up flooring. We usually haul meat. We can haul food or turn around and haul a dry load back. That’s an advantage over just a dry hauler.”

The economy in the U.S. has caused a lot of drivers problems getting loads and many have even lost jobs, but Mitchell is not too troubled by it.

“It’s been pretty much steady; there’s been some fluctuation,” she said. “Even last year with fuel prices so high, TransAm did an emergency fuel surcharge so we were OK. People are scared to buy right now but it’s guaranteed they are always going to eat.”

Mitchell’s been fortunate that the longest she’s ever had to sit and wait for a load is one-and-a-half days.

“TransAm will send you to a place to get you a load if you sit too long. We get a base pay that’ll pay for a deadhead. You don’t make any money sitting there waiting anyway.”

She said, “The scenery — the places you’ll never see otherwise,” is one advantage to driving, and added that she gets to do some sightseeing and that she’s a photography buff, “so I do more picture taking than anything. I see some beautiful sights. I don’t pull over unless it’s an emergency. You can take an exit ramp and get sunsets and sunrises and different landscapes.”

The Trucker asked if she ever has trouble finding a place to park.

“Every once in a while,” Mitchell said. “The northeast corner [of the U.S.]; Massachusetts is terrible. New Jersey and New York are also difficult.”

Unlike a lot of truckers who say they won’t go to New York City and other places, Mitchell said she’s not afraid to drive anywhere.

 “You have to remember,” she said, “I did armed security and used to be in corrections. Not to mention I have an awesome God who protects me. I’ve been a Christian for 14 years. He’s gotten me through a divorce, challenges out here; driving a truck is a new thing for me and challenging.

“I don’t see how people live without Him. He loves me; He died for me and takes care of me. He’s first in my life. It’s just natural to talk to people about Him. I speak freely about Him. I don’t push Him on people. I figure we plant the seed.”

Mitchell then told The Trucker about an incident in Houston where a four-wheeler ran up on her truck, whipped around and then stopped right in front of her.

“If I’d been fully loaded I would have hit him” she said. “[God] got me out of it. The guy gave me the finger. I could have chased him — I have a pretty fast truck, it goes about 75 [mph] — but I headed out and let him go.

“I sat at a receiver for 18 hours the other day and could have lost my cool and didn’t. We face challenges every day. It’s just how we react to them.”

Mitchell said she’s never been criticized to her face about being a trucker and a woman, but it’s out there.

“You get looks every now and then,” she said. “Nobody says anything to me, but I hear it on the CB and I just cut the radio off. It’s not worth my temper. There’s always crap on the radio. I mostly use it when the receiver says, ‘do you have a radio?’”

Mitchell only goes home about every three to four weeks and stays there about three or four days. When she’s home she “catches up with church friends,” she said. “I hang out, relax, catch up on chores.”

Mitchell added that she does have a yard to keep; however, her roommate takes care of that so when she’s home she doesn’t have to worry about the yard. She also said she gets pampered with good meals while she’s home.

She attends the 1st Church of the Nazarene in Jasper.

“I’d be in the choir and women’s ministry if I was home on weekends,” Mitchell said. “That’s what I did before driving.”        

Barb Kampbell of The Trucker staff can be reached for comment at barbkampbell@thetrucker.com or visit www.barbkampbell.com to find out about her first published book.

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