32 • SEPTEMBER 2023 FEATURES Thetrucker.com at the TRUCK STOP Presented by Cat Scale. visit weighmytruck.com in the SPOTLIGHT Prime Inc. driver Emily Plummer shares her journey to trucking Drivers often share how the trucking industry has changed their lives and provided career opportunities beyond hauling freight. This is certainly the case for Emily Plummer, a driver for Springfield, Missouri-based Prime Inc. Born and raised in a small Arkansas town, Plummer says she always knew smalltown life was not for her. In high school, she participated in JROTC and hoped to enlist in the military after graduation, believing this to be her only ticket out of town. When high-school graduation came, Plummer found herself facing a roadblock in the form of parental consent. “(My mom told me, ‘If you want to go in the military, you will have to wait until you turn 18,’” she said. Well, 18 came and went, but by ERICA N. GUY | THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF then, Plummer was working in a factory and making decent money. However, she was not content. “I didn’t want that. I didn’t want to be in a small town all my life,” she said. “There had to be more out there, I just knew it.” A year or so later, Plummer moved to Texas with her father, again finding herself in a small town. That’s where a life-changing experience literally parked itself next to her. She recalls a trucker pulling up next to her and her father’s vehicle to park — and was instantly hooked on trucks. She immediately asked the truck’s owner if she could take a look inside. “From that moment on, I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to be a truck driver,” she told The Trucker. As if it was written in the stars, soon Courtesy: Truckload Carriers Association Emily Plummer, a driver for Springfield, Missouri-based Prime Inc., was recognized as one of the Truckload Carriers Association’s Drivers of the Year for 2023. afterward she saw an advertisement from a recruiter who was looking for truck drivers for five different carriers. “I did the application, and four companies told me no. There weren’t many female drivers. If there were, they were with their husbands,” she said. “Thinking back, I could’ve gotten a no because I was a woman, but I can’t verify that.” Losing hope, Plummer says felt she was back at square one. She was 20 years old, with no idea what she wanted to do with her life. But then, the fifth company, Prime Inc., called and advised her to get her CDL. Plummer set out to do just that. She recalls her dad helping her train for pre-trip inspections using his old Cadillac. “It helped me get an idea of what I was going to do,” she said. Once Plummer had her CDL in hand, she said, Prime sent her a bus ticket to Springfield, Missouri, to go through the carrier’s driver training program. The rest, as they say, is history. June 18 marked her 28th anniversary as a driver for Prime. One thing that has stuck with Plummer since childhood is that it’s important to find a way to give back. “My mom instilled in us to give back,” she said. “The military was something I could do to give back to the country. I realized that driving a truck is another way to give back.” In addition to “giving back” as a vital part of the nation’s supply chain, Plummer gives back to their community. She and her husband sponsor her alma mater’s football team by providing food and refreshments for the players during the games. Plummer and her husband sponsor her alma mater’s football team, providing food and refreshments to the players during games. “I had one of the young men ask me, ‘Why did you come back to make sure we were fed at football games?’” she said. “I always tell them that I didn’t have that when I was growing up. It’s always good to return to your community. As long as you have touched one person, that’s all that matters. That’s it.” The young men now call Plummer “Aunt Emily,” she said with a smile. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, many businesses either shut down or arranged for employees to work remotely. This was not an option for trucking. As drivers continued to deliver food, merchandise, medical supplies and other necessities, a nation that had long scorned truckers suddenly saw the light. Truckers became celebrities, greeted with cheers, thank-you signs, and food for the road. “My husband and I knew this career came with being unappreciated, but we still wanted to do it. When COVID first hit, we knew that America needed us, so we couldn’t think about ourselves,” Plummer said. “I think the general public realized how important we are to them. We felt appreciated. We enjoyed all of the thank-yous we received on the road.” Unfortunately, the public’s celebration of truckers was short-lived. “Once COVID became unimportant to the public, things returned to what they were,” Plummer said. “They don’t understand the sacrifice that comes with being a trucker. We drive for five months at a time and see so many things that range from one extreme to another. They don’t see us missing the sporting events, birthdays, and graduations. They don’t see that we skip physical and mental health care.” Plummer says she and her husband have Courtesy: Emily Plummer Driver Emily Plummer told The Trucker that Prime Inc. was the first company to give her a shot after she earned a CDL. Nearly three decades later, she remains loyal to the company. See Truck stop on PAGE 34
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