Lady truckers: in it for the long haul

Twenty years ago, a young Ralyn Newman knew what she wanted to become when she grew up. In stark contrast to her classmates who dreamed of becoming nurses, teachers and cosmetologists, Newman was certain she wanted to become a semi-truck driver. 

“I used to help my grandpa haul hay, and that started my semi fascination,” Newman explained. “He put me in the truck and told me to figure it out. I taught myself on a truck with a super 10 transmission, which a lot of people don’t like because they are hard to drive.”  

When Newman, a Covington, Oklahoma, native was a sophomore in high school in the early 2000s, a school counselor came to her classroom to discuss careers. When the counselor asked Newman her aspirations, she proclaimed with confidence that she planned to drive a semi-truck. 

“I wanted the highest paying job at the time, and it was a truck driver,” Newman said. “The counselor told me, ‘Women don’t drive trucks, pick something else.’ I said, ‘okay, I want to be game warden.’” 

The counselor did not approve of her second career choice either, so she settled on becoming a history teacher.  

“I kind of set truck driving to the side, but it was always in the back of my mind,” she said. 

Newman later attended college and received a degree in applied sciences with a focus in law enforcement, and a minor in history from Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva, Oklahoma. She had planned to pursue forensic mammalogy, but job opportunities were scarce in rural Oklahoma. 

Instead, Newman held numerous agricultural jobs, including ranch management, driving a combine and grain cart on a custom harvest crew, pushing cattle at sale barns—and her real ambition—driving a truck.  

After several years working out of state, Newman returned to Oklahoma where her life changed after she welcomed a daughter, Huntyr, currently 9 years old. As a single mother, Newman is raising her daughter to dream big and follow her instincts. 

“If she decides to go to trade school, college or drive a truck, I’m going to support her,” Newman said. 

Hammering down toward a dream

In pursuit of her truck driver dreams, Newman applied for and received a commercial driver’s license so she could start driving for a living. She was fortunate to be hired by a local septic company in Oklahoma to receive work experience before another company hired her to drive a semi. 

“No one else could afford to carry the insurance on me at that time,” Newman said. “In the trucking world, until you get two years of experience, a lot of companies can’t cover you. Even though you’ve got farm kids that have been driving since they were 14, they don’t look at it as prior experience.”  

Eventually, Newman began working for a trucking company called Jadansa Inc., in Russell, Kansas. Her supervisor, Troy Hackerott, mentored Newman, gave her the encouragement she needed to thrive, and opportunities to expand her skills. 

“Troy helped me realize that I was doing stuff for everyone else and not making myself happy,” Newman said. “I wasn’t meant to be the housewife, and I prefer working. I’ve tried office jobs like being a secretary, but I like being outside and being out here in the truck.” 

About six months into her employment, Newman realized Jadansa had a removable gooseneck trailer, or RGN trailer, and asked Hackerott if she could start hauling farm equipment with it. He said yes, if she could secure the clients and jobs. She had experience with this type of freight from her days working on custom harvest crews and enjoyed hauling large equipment. 

She continued hauling with the RGN trailer and after one year working for Hackerott, he approached Newman and asked her if she would like to purchase his trucking equipment and start her own trucking firm. Becoming an entrepreneur and driving a truck was the realization of a dream that had been building for Newman since she was a girl, and she finally had the opportunity. 

“I was scared to death because I questioned whether I could run a company,” she said. “But I’m thankful I took that jump.” 

HR Trucking and Escort, LLC

Newman started HR Trucking and Escort, LLC in 2022, and the first load she hauled under the new company was a John Deere drill that she transported across the country to Echo, Oregon. Newman relies on word of mouth and customer satisfaction to stay in business, so she prides herself on attention to detail, safe driving and protecting her freight. 

“I treat all the loads like it’s my own property, and I wouldn’t want my stuff to get damaged if it was hauled by somebody else,” she said. 

Four months into ownership of the business, Newman added a lease driver, Payton Jensen, who owns his own truck. This lowers the financial risks of adding a second full-time driver and truck but allows HR Trucking to add more cash flow to the business. Since that time, Jensen has started a sister company to HR Trucking, called J&P Custom Ag. 

“They repair, repaint and rebuild drills and grain carts and other farming equipment,” Newman said. “Everything that he works on, HR hauls. We have a great partnership.” 

Newman’s trucking company specializes in hauling farm equipment—specifically air drills—but Newman also pulls a hopper bottom trailer during wheat harvest and has transported other agricultural products, such as fertilizer.  

“The hardest part of trucking is getting through the first year, and once I made it past that, I knew I could keep doing it,” Newman said. 

She said one of her most unique hauling jobs was moving Federal Emergency Management Agency houses that were destined for Hawaii after the devasting wildfires in 2023. 

“I did that for a month and a half from Colorado to Washington,” Newman said. “That was a lot of permits and logistics. I was 70-feet long, 14-feet wide and 15-feet tall.” 

Newman said she loves the freedom of being her own boss and the perks of traveling for a living. She can haul loads to every state, except California, and has driven through 41 states so far. She even takes Huntyr on some of the cross-country trips, and they often plan out stops at national parks along the way. Last year alone, Huntyr, who is homeschooled, drove through 32 states with her mother. 

Challenges of being a lady trucker

Newman loves her job, but she admits it is not an easy occupation, especially for a woman. Although most of her peers are accepting and supportive of her presence in a semi, Newman said she has encountered her share of adversity. 

“It’s kind of a big shock in this industry,” she said. “I’m only 5-foot-4 and weigh 160 pounds. There are a lot of times that I get out of the truck and people say, ‘you’re not what we were expecting.’” 

Hauling large equipment can be a physically demanding job, and Newman knows the limitations of her smaller, female stature. However, she doesn’t let her gender become a handicap or determine her ability to deliver freight to its destination at the customer’s expectations. 

“I do take a little bit longer to chain some things down,” she explained. “I don’t have the strength like some men do and I might need some extra tools, but I’m going to make sure it’s accurate. That’s my only disadvantage as a smaller female.” 

As far as personal safety, Newman takes extra precautions and pays attention to her surroundings. Being a single female driving across country puts her at an elevated risk, especially when she parks for the night to sleep.  

“Whether we like to acknowledge it or not—and this goes for all female drivers—we have to be looking over our shoulders all the time,” she said. “There are some evil people out on the roads, and I pick and choose very carefully where I park for the night. And I always run my seat belt through my door and buckle it.” 

Newman said she also relies on many of her driver friends to keep her safe not only from individuals that might do her harm, but also to provide information through CB radio communication about road construction, weather conditions and traffic accidents.  

“I would say it’s less than 1% of the drivers that are out here are bad people,” Newman explained. “A lot of the guys out here know my truck; they watch out for me. Most of the men and women out here would give you the shirt off your back if you needed it. It’s the same thing with the farmers I know. A lot of them will let me come park at their place because it’s safer. I think that’s part of what keeps me going and looking forward to things, is that type of community in the ag world.” 

According to the Women in Trucking Association, in 2023, of the truck drivers with CDLs, 12.1% were women. Newman’s advice to other women with nonconformist career aspirations is to hammer down and take the wheel of your own destiny, setting aside other’s opinions. 

“Don’t let anyone tell you, you can’t,” Newman said. “You might be scared and want to go run and tuck your tail, but just do it. It might be hard at first, but it’s worth it, whether you’re going to be in farming, oil field, welding or trucking.” 

Lacey Vilhauer can be reached at 620-227-1871 or lvilhauer@hpj.com.