Description

Intro

Being a woman on the road is unique but being a Trucker Mama
to two of her own children and hundreds of trainee children is all in a day’s
work for Darla Smith. She’s sweet, strong, and full of advice to keep her girls
safe on the road each day. Darla is bound to delight you in this episode of Terminal
Exchange.

Trading Dress Skirts
for Trailer Skirts

She traded in her heels for a steering wheel in the ’90s and
hasn’t looked back. Darla Smith started driving out of necessity when her
husband became ill. And after he passed, she was equipped with the skills he
had taught her to make a living.

“It was my way to grieve – was to be in that truck – that’s where I felt closest to Steve… so I stayed in the truck.”

Passing the Torch

Mention “Mommy Darla” around Nussbaum, and you’re sure to be
greeted with face-consuming grins and hours of stories. She’s trained many
drivers – from young guns at her previous job, to Nussbaum shining stars like
Maya Hernandez and Adrienne Riel (now trainers themselves!). She’s investing
advice, safety tips, and stories in the next generation, ensuring a legacy of
great women drivers for the future.

“I’m Mommy Darla – everyone calls me Mommy Darla or their Trucker Mama!”

Throwing Chains

Sweet as pie and tough as nails, Darla will delight you with
stories of wrestling chains on, scarring accidents, and perseverance through
change.

This is one episode you don’t want to miss out on.

Quotes

• “I think he knew inside that he had a limited
  time to teach me everything.”
• “I went from a corporate board room dealing with
  physicians and administrators… to being a truck driver.”
• “I trained a lot of the younger men, the 23- and
  24-year-olds, which made sense. Who’s going to tell their 40-year-old mother,
  ‘No’?”
• “It was my way to grieve – was to be in that
  truck – that’s where I felt closest to Steve… so I stayed in the truck.”
• “You have to grow, and you have to change with
  the industry. If you don’t, you’re not going to make it.”
• “When you’re out there in your 60s, by yourself,
  it’s you. That’s it, sister!”
• “I’m Mommy Darla – everyone calls me Mommy Darla
  or their Trucker Mama!”
• “That’s what I said! I said I’ll be 80 years old
  – Brent will be beating me with a stick trying to get me off the steering
  wheel.”
• “They said, ‘You do realize this is a truck
  driving school?’ And I said, ‘Yes! I thought we were going in a classroom for
  school.’ And I had a skirt and suit on and heels and hose and… they sent me
  home to change.”
• “She showed up with high heels on for truck
  driving school!”

Pictures