When Demetria R. discovered her customer service position — working with Medicaid recipients to authorize their benefits — would be dissolved during a department-wide layoff, she was unsure what her next step would be.
Thanks to the Cook County Workforce Center On-The-Job Training (OJT) program in Minooka, Illinois, Demetria found more than simply a path forward; she discovered a whole new career with NFI, a family-owned and -operated company that was founded in 1932 by the Brown family.
According to a spokesperson for NFI, the OJT program for new truck drivers is one of the most successful endeavors the company has undertaken.
Demetria says she first heard about the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) program through friends. The program she entered was designed to help displaced workers with training to be able to pursue work in a new field, in Demetria’s case, that new field was trucking.
She says she was thrilled with the opportunity because she had hoped to get her CDL and hit the road five years earlier. Unfortunately, she says, “life got in the way” and it was not possible at that time.
Following her layoff, entering the OJT program allowed her to obtain the training she needed — and it was funded by the state.
“I felt like I was in good company when I realized there were four other female students in my class,” Demetria said of her CDL training.
Because of the growing number of women entering the industry as drivers, NFI was instrumental in creating the SheDrives program, which aims to strengthen the role of women in trucking. The initiative is designed to change the narrative and provide opportunities for women to excel in the industry.
While she initially feared her male classmates would be more naturally inclined to driving and understanding the job, Demetria says that notion was quickly dispelled. In fact, because she started out with a mindset of “I have a lot to learn,” she was more open to the training and had better retention of the knowledge required. This gave her confidence that she could succeed in a male-dominated field.
Once Demetria completed her training and earned her Class A CDL, Cook County provided an opportunity for her to connect with NFI through the OJT program. This partnership between NFI and Cook County allows NFI to provide a nine-week training program to new, inexperienced drivers.
Demetria says her favorite part of training with NFI has been bonding with her company trainer over a mutual love of music. That music, she explained, allowed her to stay calm and concentrate in stressful driving situations.
Today Demetria says she loves her job as a driver for NFI, adding that as a driver, she doesn’t feel micromanaged; instead, she says, the team provides beneficial coaching and support.
For her, the best part of the job is interacting with her customers and putting her customer service skills to good use.
While she feels she’s found her niche, she notes that every individual is different.
“Driving is not for everyone,” Demetria said. “Drivers must truly have a passion and thrill for the job versus just looking at it as a way to provide a good income.”
Of course, she added, the income available to drivers has been life-changing for many people she’s met in the industry, enabling them to grow and thrive financially and personally in the trucking industry.
She has seen careers in trucking provide for several of her friends and many people in her community, allowing them to take care of their children and preventing them from losing their homes. It has also allowed friends and co-workers to live in a safe place and provide a better life for their families.
One of the things that has impressed Demetria the most is seeing the diversity at NFI and the fact that many of her co-workers are women of color. Working with NFI has allowed her to be able to identify with others and feel that sense of community.
“It has been a game-changer for me,” she said.
Demetria is thrilled that she now has a career that she can keep for life — as long as she has her license and a great attitude. She feels a sense of pride in being part of a vital link in the nation’s supply chain.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
