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up to Class A came from other women in the
industry. “At FedEx, some of the women who
drove line-haul would ask me, ‘J, why aren’t
you driving a truck?’” She went to school and
earned her Class A CDL through FedEx Ground,
and still stays in contact with her trainers there.
Duran spends a great deal of time sharing
her experiences with other drivers through the
posting of videos, written blogs and general
comments. “I think it inspires people to see that
someone like me is successful and enjoying
life,” she said. The catchphrase she often uses to
introduce her videos is “Lady Truck’n coming
at you.” She’s incredibly positive and exudes
an energy few can match. Her communications
aren’t over-produced, and there’s never a script.
“I just share things I like doing,” she explained.
“The only editing I do is for length.”
When meeting her, people are often surprised
that she is the same in person as she appears in
her videos. Her ability to connect helps with her
driving, too. “I love getting to know people,” she
said. “By the time I get to some of my deliveries,
they know me so well that I get a big hug when
I arrive, and they invite me in.”
Those relationships, however, often begin
with surprise that the person hauling their
expensive automobile is a woman. “Sometimes
when I go to places, people look for my partner,”
she explained.
“It’s like they’re expecting a man to get out of
the truck to handle the real work of loading or
unloading.” Duran smiles and lets them know
she has it all under control.
One thing she loves about her job with
Plycar is that she gets to see places that many
other drivers don’t. “Drivers kind of joke about
seeing the world as driver,” she said, “but I really
do. I’m not just on the interstate; we go to lesstraveled
areas. I’m in people’s neighborhoods.”
Another perk of her job is the beautiful
automobiles she sometimes hauls. “I see some
amazing cars,” she said. “My first favorite was a
late ‘50s Corvette convertible. The sound of the
engine was just incredible!”
Many of the automobiles she hauls are
electric vehicles. Duran said that while some
look amazing, “I want to hear that roar!”
Duran’s two children are grown and
beginning careers of their own. “My girl
is in nursing school and will be graduating
soon,” she said. “My son is a cadet at the Air
Force Academy, and he’ll be an officer in four
years.” Although she’s happy they have chosen
professions, she knows there is something more
important. “They’re good people, and that’s
more important to me than what they do for a
career. I’m very proud of both of them.”
Faith plays a large role in Duran’s daily
activities. Although she doesn’t regularly attend
any specific church, she said, “My faith is
growing. I’ve always been spiritual. I have like
seven bibles in my bunk.”
She shares her faith with other drivers as the
opportunity arises. “I connect with others on
so many levels; that’s such a blessing for me,”
she said. “If someone wants to discuss my faith,
I’m happy to share, but we can talk about other
things, too.”
As for the future, Duran said she’d like to
own her own truck and maybe even her own
company someday, but she’s in no hurry. “I
want to keep building my brand,” she said. She
recently became a representative for Trucker
Tools, a load matching and tracking app. She’ll
be representing the company at the Mid-
America Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky,
this year. She’ll consider other opportunities for
representation, writing or other ways to continue
encouraging other in the trucking industry.
“Embrace every day,” she said. “It’s a brandnew
start.”
14 INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR 2020 HUNDREDS OF JOBS www.TheTrucker.com/jobs