Being a woman on the road is unique but being a Trucker Mama to two of her own children and hundreds of trainee children is all in a day’s work for Darla Smith. She’s sweet, strong, and full of advice to keep her girls safe on the road each day. Darla is bound to delight you in this episode of Terminal Exchange.
Trading Dress Skirts for Trailer SkirtsShe traded in her heels for a steering wheel in the ’90s and hasn’t looked back. Darla Smith started driving out of necessity when her husband became ill. And after he passed, she was equipped with the skills he had taught her to make a living.
“It was my way to grieve – was to be in that truck – that’s where I felt closest to Steve… so I stayed in the truck.”
Passing the TorchMention “Mommy Darla” around Nussbaum, and you’re sure to be greeted with face-consuming grins and hours of stories. She’s trained many drivers – from young guns at her previous job, to Nussbaum shining stars like Maya Hernandez and Adrienne Riel (now trainers themselves!). She’s investing advice, safety tips, and stories in the next generation, ensuring a legacy of great women drivers for the future.
“I’m Mommy Darla – everyone calls me Mommy Darla or their Trucker Mama!”
Throwing ChainsSweet as pie and tough as nails, Darla will delight you with stories of wrestling chains on, scarring accidents, and perseverance through change.
This is one episode you don’t want to miss out on.
QuotesEp. 19 // Plasma Actuators and Flux Capacitors
Ep. 18 // The Wildly Important Gap: Les Kaschner
BONUS // The Hope of Easter: Jim Revelle
Ep. 17 // Running the Numbers: Bill Wettstein, CFO
Ep. 16 // Burnt Behind the Eight Ball: Randy Pugh
Ep. 15 // Is Training for Professional Drivers Really Necessary?
Ep. 14 // The Best Medicine, Bird Poop, and the ‘C’ Word: Brian Cannon
Ep. 13 // The Prodigy: Performance Coach, Maya Hernandez
Ep. 12 // The Counselor: Performance Coach, Mike Vanyzendoorn
Ep. 11 // The Survey Says…
Ep. 10 // The Veteran: Performance Coach, Jeff King
Ep. 9 // Chris Chaney: No Bad Days
Ep. 8 // Clark Reed: Perfecting Patience
Ep. 7 // The Veteran, The Counselor, and The Prodigy
Ep. 6 // Garrie & Avis Atkins: The Art of Showing Up
Ep. 5 // Brent Nussbaum: The End of 6×2?
Ep. 4 // Leading With Passion: CEO, Daimler Trucks North America
Ep. 3 // Chaplain Jim Revelle: Cubs, Comfort, and Comedy
Ep. 2 // Faith & Family “ON AIR” and OTR
Ep. 1 // Vicky Brown: A 30-Year Nussbaum Legacy
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