FIXTITLE Emily Weymouth.docx
TAKE A CLOSER LOOK
The Story
Of
Emily Weymouth
Some people adapt to change well, while others don’t. We’ve all been found guilty of stereotyping individuals. Especially in the category that represent a specific profession. For example, let’s say a scientist or any occupation that requires an exceptionally intellectual ability may be portrayed as a bookworm or a poindexter. Or in lamen terms, you’d expect them to look like a nerd or geek. Donuts are for cops, beards are for farmers and hairdressers are chameleons. However, this is not always the case. There’s nothing like rooting for the underdog; the least expected. To be surprised by the unexpected. How about watching an out of shape, older than average, boxer take the ring against a physically fit athlete that is in the prime of their life? Your average Joe would put his money on the more obvious opponent. Without taking a deeper look into an individual and seeing what each has to offer, before prejudging the entire picture, is something we are all guilty of.
When I was told about this nominee for the first time, I couldn’t wait to talk to her. Number one, because she is a female. Now let’s be honest, the women are a little outnumbered in our trucking industry when it comes to the drivers’ department. Second, this fierce individual does not portray the typical truck driver image that the older generation of drivers is accustomed to. With that said, Emily Weymouth explains that it’s hard to be taken serious in her line of work when she stands 5’10, long, blonde hair with tattoos exposed for as far as the wandering eye can see and weighs in at probably 140, on a buffet-kind-of-day. Now don’t go throwing any pity parties her way! Emily is all about standing her ground and proving herself to anybody that sheds any doubt.
Emily was born in August of 1984, on the country side of Charlton, Massachusetts where there were more cows than people. She and her older sister were raised by both of their parents on an old pig farm. I have a hunch that a lot of her time spent playing in the dirt is what separated her from being the cutesy, girlie-girl. Every chance she had, she was either in the woods exploring, riding bikes with other kids in the area or playing soccer. Any way to stay active and on the move was right up her alley.
At the age of 12, her family relocated to the other side of Charlton near a lake. Soccer remained her key sport throughout high school and her summers were spent working as a life guard at the local camp. She also enjoyed water sports; skiing, wakeboarding, kneeboarding, and tubing. If it was somewhat challenging, she had no fear. Emily’s idea of fun is doing things to prove that she can… that simple.
Her first car was handed down from her sister when she turned sixteen. It was a 1987 tomato red Volkswagen Jetta. It was during this time in Emily’s life when her sister, that is three years older than her, fell ill. What they were told was symptoms of the common flu, turned out to be a more serious issue. With conditions unfamiliar to the physicians in that small area, Emily’s sister was treated at another hospital in Boston, over an hour away. After further testing, the results came back as bacterial meningitis that was targeting her blood cells. That entire year, Emily and her family spent the majority of their time on the road, back and forth to the hospital or in a hotel to stay as close to her sister as possible. Everything was frightening and happening so fast, not knowing what was next. The first three months, her sister was in a coma. Then she lost both of her legs. After extensive therapy and an overwhelming amount of support, she grew strong enough to come home after ten months of living at the hospital.
A year had passed and Emily was a junior in high school. Her sister was 19 and adjusting very well. You can hear how proud Emily is in sharing her sister’s story and how it brought her entire family together, “A lot had changed after she came home. It’s amazing how she pulled through. She’s the strongest person I know!” She was wheelchair bound for a while and then received prosthetics. Today, she is able to live her life the same as you and I, but with incredible courage and an amazing testimony. She now has her Doctorate Degree and gets to enjoy life doing the things that she loves, like surfing.
In 2002, Emily graduated high school and went on to attend Salem State University. It didn’t take long for her to realize that life on campus was not her cup of tea. She soon returned home and enrolled in her community college and studied criminal justice, earning her Associates Degree in 2006. She landed a job at a local car dealership, in the service department. Seven years later, while still working in customer service, an opportunity came up that caught Emily’s attention. She heard of a program offered by the state to help fund schooling that was focused on ‘bettering yourself.’ She had a genius idea and went with it.
Emily made her way out to New England Tractor Trailer School located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. “I grew up with trucks and I like the idea of being the bigger person on the highway. Plus it gives me that challenge that I like,” is how Emily sums up her whole agenda as to why she chose trucking. Once she earned her CDL, she was ready to make a name for herself. New to the industry and ready to launch her professional trucking career, she wasn’t sure which direction to go. She admits that the thought of traveling over the road was a tad bit overwhelming in the beginning. She wasn’t quite there yet. After applying to a few trucking companies, she began getting the hint that nobody wanted a rookie girl driving for them. Within the year she returned to the 9 to 5 car dealership gig.
One day Emily decided to dig a little deeper. There was a driver that delivered oil to her car dealership that she saw on a regular basis. She said, “I just asked him, ‘How do I get in?’ And he told me that I needed to have my Class A and I was like, ‘I have it!’ I think it kind of surprised him, like he wasn’t expecting someone like me to have a CDL.” On January 28th, 2013 she applied and landed her first trucking job.
They put her in a tanker for four months, until she became bored with it and asked for something else. Next she found herself in a 53ft freight truck delivering local. She was loving every minute of it! You can hear the thrill in her voice as she describes it, “I had anywhere from eight to twelve stops a day. I’d have to pull up to pumps in small places. Plus the physical activity that’s involved keeps me on my toes.” Soon Emily was in the seat of a white 2004 Peterbilt 53ft tractor trailer.
Each day on the road, she’s perfecting her skill and is now ready to break away from New England. She began researching and asking around about tanker jobs, for over the road. Quality Carriers, a company out of Tampa, Florida came up more than once. Someone suggested that she speak with a gentleman in the trucking industry, Dave Brown with DB Kustom Trucks. She was told that if she leased on with them, that Dave could build her a custom designed truck and she could have her dream job of finally exploring the country in it. She admits that she was hesitant at first. Emily knew what she wanted to do, but whether or not this was her chance wasn’t exactly clear yet.
Emily contacted Dave and explained that buying her own DB Kustom Truck was a huge step for her. Instead, she suggested that if he had an extra truck and was in need of a driver, then she would definitely come on board. She laughs as though she still can’t believe how it all fell into place so easy, “…then he told me that he just so happened to have an extra truck and needed a driver for it.” Dave didn’t waste any time and neither did Emily. She joined the team at Quality Carriers and Dave put her in their 2007 extended nose Peterbilt, also known as, Black Jack. Her goal is to have her very own DB Kustom Truck designed, built and ready to hit the road by this time next year.
At this year’s Great American Truck Show in Dallas, Texas Emily was crowned Overdrive’s Most Beautiful 2014. The contest is based on a combination of deciding factors; looks, personality, popularity, experience, etc. “Since winning, it has opened the door for many opportunities that I would have never imagined happening.”
With Emily’s determination and positive attitude, she stands as a great role model for other up and coming professional truck drivers that want to be successful and live out their dream. A lot of the women in the trucking industry can relate and have experienced the struggle first hand. It’s not just about your size or your age. Or your gender, anymore. It’s about whether or not you can carry your own weight in this business. Every vehicle that she has owned has been a manual transmission.
Emily is now more than ready to put herself out there and prove that she is here to be recognized. Not because she’s easy on the eyes, but for the simple fact that she is great at what she does and wants to help empower others to do the same. “I want everyone to know, especially anybody that felt like I did when I first started… that you can do this too!” Her primary goal is to help encourage reliable, responsible and respectable truck drivers from all around our nation.
If you can’t catch her on the road with Black Jack, try looking for a 2007 Harley Davidson 1200 Nightster. Riding motorcycles and owning her own has always been one of her favorite pastimes.