Some people find their calling with time. Misty already knew hers when she was a little girl.

Growing up in an era when blue-collar trades commanded real respect, she had her sights set on a truck. Becoming a driver wasn’t just a job; it was a respectable way to provide for your family, a mark of hard work and reliability. Though she didn’t pursue it right away, Misty never stopped thinking about getting on the road.

After high school, Misty built a career as a dental technician and eventually ran her own business. When the 2008 economic crash hit and clients stopped coming through the door, she found herself at a crossroads. Instead of waiting for conditions to improve in an industry she couldn’t control, she asked herself a simple question: what industry is recession-proof?

The answer? Trucking. Because freight has to roll.

This is a conviction that still drives Misty today, as an over-the-road regional driver for Dependable Highway Express.

Shortly after, Misty took out a personal loan, enrolled at Sage Truck Driving School in Kingman, Arizona, and didn’t look back. Her first load rolled out on June 30, 2011, a date she still remembers. She started out team-driving with her sister, running produce from Chicago to Toronto, before taking on the I-80 corridor solo. Within six months of getting her CDL, she was driving on her own.

“My responsibilities are with the motoring public, with the families I drive next to,” she says. “I want them to get home safe, and I want to get home safe to my family.”

That sense of responsibility has defined Misty’s career. She brings a level of professionalism and precision to every run, maintaining high standards for herself and those around her that she never apologizes for. At weigh stations, she greets inspectors with a handshake and a full account of her truck’s condition. She food-preps before every trip, keeping herself fueled for the demands of long hauls. She plans ahead, because she knows that what she expects of herself tomorrow shapes how she performs today.

Misty also knows what it means to earn credibility in a male-dominated field. Women in trucking often have to prove themselves twice over, and Misty has built a reputation mile by mile, run by run. The industry has its rough edges, she’ll tell you plainly, but it also has a real sense of camaraderie. And for those who can handle it, women absolutely belong here.

Safety is something she thinks about on every route. Road awareness, load security, knowing where and when to stop are all habits she has built into how she operates. She adapts, she prepares, she communicates regularly with dispatch, and she takes nothing for granted.

With more than a decade of OTR under her belt, Misty joined the Dependable team as an over-the-road regional driver a little over two years ago, and it has been a good fit ever since. She values the safety culture and 24/7 support structure: when you’re broken down at midnight on a weekend, it matters that someone answers. She has also brought her standards to the floor, spending time training new hires and setting expectations from day one.

If she had to give advice to a woman considering the industry, Misty would be honest: it’s demanding, the sacrifices are real (time away from family, missing holidays and special occasions), and it takes the right kind of person. But for someone with the drive to do it right and who appreciates the peace of the open road, it’s a career that delivers something meaningful.

That sense of purpose runs through everything she does. Beyond providing for her family, Misty talks about wanting to make a positive impact on someone every single day: on the road, on the job, as a grandmother and wherever the opportunity arises. “We don’t say ‘I can’t’ here,” she explained. “The goal is to support yourself, support strangers, and be better humans.”

“There are going to be hard days,” she says. “That’s what makes us appreciate the goodness. You get your grit and character through the hard times.”

We’re proud to have drivers like Misty on our team. Her commitment to safety, professionalism, and the people sharing the road with her reflects exactly what we stand for at Dependable. More than just moving freight, she holds the road to a higher standard.