Joy Rohlinger decided to make a drastic career change at 39 years old. She previously worked as a pharmacy technician before she had a conversation with her husband, Andrew, that prompted her to consider becoming a truck driver. Rohlinger’s spouse owns and operates the Mayville, Wis.-based fleet, Last Call Logistics, which runs regional routes hauling building materials throughout the state.
“I asked him how much the drivers make, and it was twice as much as I was making,” Rohlinger recalled. “I said, ‘I could do this.’ He said, ‘Yes you could.’ It became a joke, and then it became serious.”
Rohlinger went on to enroll in a 12-week professional trucking driving course at a Waukesha County Technical College, earning her Class A commercial driver’s license in December 2018. Since then, she has worked full time driving trucks professionally.
Rohlinger really likes her time on the road and said she has come to enjoy “me” time. It has given her a mental break.
“Usually I have a podcast going or an audio book playing, and I'm just going and I'm enjoying my scenery,” Rohlinger said, about driving. “I'm enjoying whatever is in my ear and I'm just in my zone. It’s the most personal time I've ever had in my life, and I'm getting paid for it.”
However, she stressed, truck driving isn’t for everyone. In addition to the isolation from others – which she enjoys, but some may not – Rohlinger said she puts in 60 to 70 hours per week, often starting her day between 4 and 6 a.m.
For those serious about a career change, Rohlinger recommended attending a professional truck driver training course, “even if it's not required in your state,” she said. She confirmed the skills and information from a professional course gave her more insight into the business and access to networking with potential employers.
One person she has convinced to follow in her footsteps is her daughter, Olivia, who is a class of 2020 graduating high school senior.
Rohlinger’s daughter intended to enroll in the summer semester at the same truck driving school, but school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic have so far delayed those plans.
Also, as far as the impact of COVID-19 on Rohlinger’s everyday job, she said one of the big changes has been adjusting to the different procedures for picking up and delivering loads at each location.
“Every single vendor has a different policy when you get there,” Rohlinger said. “One of the stops I go to frequently, they don't want to see drivers at all anymore. You don't go into the office; you don't go onto the docks. There's a sign on the door at the shipping office that says ‘Don't come in, call this number to check in.’ Then after you check in, you put your paperwork in the back of your trailer, back into the dock, they lock you in, when you're done you get the green light to go and your paperwork is signed inside the trailer waiting for you. You never see a single person.”
When Rohlinger is driving, her mindset is to stay on the road as much as possible, and to take breaks only where it’s the most efficient use of her time, like during loading or unloading.
“I keep going and I take my break time while I'm sitting in a dock somewhere or, if I'm doing a drop and hook, I might sit and eat for 30 minutes,” Rohlinger explained. “I do not want to stop, because every time you pull off the road to stop for any reason, no matter how quick you are, you lose 20 minutes (per stop).”
While Last Call Logistics currently only runs in Wisconsin, Rohlinger said they do plan to expand their routes out of state in the future. While she primarily drives for Last Call Logistics, she does assist with certain operations and sees herself transitioning to a more prominent role in the office eventually. But, for now, she’ll be staying behind the wheel.
“I think as I get older I'll want to drive less,” Rohlinger said. “But I do enjoy that time (on the road). Like I said, it has turned into my ‘me’ time.”
