Women in Trucking: Tyronia Carson

Getting back to CDL training has been a long, winding road for Tyronia Carson. Her journey took about 20 years, starting with a Class B CDL in 2005. A native of Charlotte, NC, one of Tyronia’s first jobs was working as a school bus driver for the Charlotte Mecklenburg School District when she was just 18 years old. She earned a Class B CDL and enjoyed picking up and dropping off school children each weekday.

But as a young single mother, Tyronia needed more to support her family. Chatting with her school’s resource officer, she casually mentioned she might be interested in becoming a police officer. The next day, he brought Tyronia all of the paperwork she needed to apply. Three months later, she was a police officer.

Tyronia called her time as a police officer rewarding and challenging, lasting 15 years. In 2022, her life changed suddenly and tragically when her sister passed away unexpectedly. Adding that life-changing event to the stress of years of police work sparked feelings that it was time to step away. With so much uncertainty in her life, in 2024 Tyronia chose to retire from the police force. But she still needed to find a new way to make a living. She quickly remembered how much she enjoyed driving that school bus.

“I thought I can just get back on that bus,” she said. But her best friend, a truck driver, had other ideas.

The Path to a Class A CDL

Knowing there are new opportunities with a Class A CDL, Tyronia’s friend suggested she return to CDL school. Tyronia quickly found TransTech’s Charlotte campus. As the only CDL school near her that offered weekend classes, she enrolled in the program.

At TransTech, Tyronia found collaboration, kindness, and learning between students and instructors, and found people she had common ground with.

“The instructors were amazing,” she said. “They were so patient and kind. They’re really passionate about truck driving. To learn about their experiences made me feel so comfortable. They know what they are doing.”

Perfecting Her Backing Maneuvers

Tyronia rolled through most of the program, absorbing knowledge and building driving skills. That is, until it came time to learn 90-degree backing. Moving a truck at a 90-degree angle isn’t easy, especially for students inexperienced behind the wheel. She was successful on her first try but suddenly found herself unable to do it again. She tried again and again but could not get into the space correctly. She struggled to the point that she thought about giving up.

But TransTech’s instructors reassured Tyronia that she was doing fine, offered her pointers, and walked her through the process step by step as she practiced. Soon, she started to improve, and by the time her course was done, she was backing up with the best of them. Advice from her instructors rang in her ears her through the skills test and right to her license. “When I was doing my test, I heard my instructors in my head, walking me through the steps. And I put that thing right in between the cones. No problem.”

Looking back, Tyronia says those struggles helped her, and urged truck driving students to not let early difficulties turn you off to trucking.

“It is very cliche, but do not give up. Stick it out to the end. Apply yourself. Study and listen to what your instructors are telling you. But you can’t give up. Do not let challenges be your downfall.”

Finding the Right Truck Driving Job

Tyronia has found work driving a delivery truck and is building experience behind the wheel while she decides the direction her career will go. She said life in an office isn’t for her, and she enjoys the freedom of traveling around the city, being trusted to finish her job every day.   “I like the idea of ‘I’m giving you a task and we’re trusting you to do this task: get this product where it needs to be on time.’”

She said she’s happy in her current role but is thinking about driving a big truck now that her child is grown and she has gotten her CDL A. She has had interest from truck driving companies but is taking her time, looking for the right role for her. “I think that is what makes me want to drive. I want to be out and about and accomplish my goals. I know I can move product. I can drive the biggest vehicle there is. And I get to travel while I’m doing it.”

“Truck drivers make the world go round.”