“I had never seen a woman trucker. I was going to be an anomaly to myself.”
Yuma Haidara had a plan. After high school, she enlisted in the Navy. After serving for seven years, she went on to nursing school, in pursuit of becoming a pediatric nurse. But something caught her eye on her daily commute: a trucking school. One day, Yuma decided to pull in and see what it was all about. And the rest, as they say, is history. Yuma enrolled in the three-week course to get her commercial driver’s license (CDL), and today, she is a truck driver for Walmart. Yuma, who is based out of New Hampshire, spends 14 hours a day on the road, bringing general merchandise (anything that’s not groceries — so TVs, clothes, sneakers, tools, tires, even Christmas trees) to and from warehouses and stores. On this episode, she talks about why this is the perfect job and why she loves being alone in the truck with her music and audiobooks. She talks about being the only woman in her class getting her CDL, offers tips for sharing the road with truckers, and addresses stereotypes about truckers and truck stop culture. She talks about staying safe on the road, shares her scariest experience while driving, and talks about being an essential worker during the pandemic. Plus, she shares her running story, and explains how running fits into her long days on the road. And when she’s not driving or running, Yuma is an entrepreneur: She’s the creator of A Yummy Life body butter!
SPONSOR: Tracksmith — Use code ONTHEJOB for free shipping, plus five percent of your purchase will be donated to the Brave Like Gabe Foundation.
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Melissa Cummings on Episode 375 of the Ali on the Run Show
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