Clarissa Rankin drives the next generation forward: Why more women should be in trucking

Sometimes the career that changes your life isn't the one you planned for.

Clarissa Rankin grew up in a family that's been in transportation for four generations, but trucking wasn't always the career she imagined for herself. After getting her bachelor's degree in criminal justice and working in the prison system, she saw a different path open up when her husband got his commercial drivers license (CDL) and started making real money after just weeks of training. She got her freight broker certification to help book his loads, but couldn't make sense of the lingo, so she went and got her own CDL just to understand the industry better. Once she actually started learning the job and driving, she knew there was something more out there for her. She got her first truck, made it her own, and built a life she never saw coming. Then she took it further than anyone in her family ever had, building the Road Knowledge Training Academy in North Carolina and becoming the first in generations to turn transportation into education.

Now Clarissa is making sure other women see that trucking can change their lives too. 83% of women enter trucking because someone in their life encouraged them, and Clarissa built a whole school around being that person. She also grew an audience of over a million followers on TikTok doing the same thing, posting motivational and day-in-the-life videos that show women what this career actually looks like. 

This Women's History Month, Samsara partnered with the American Trucking Associations' (ATA) Women In Motion and Clarissa to do what she's been doing on her own for years: show women that this career is for them. Together, we co-designed a limited-edition magnet that puts her pride in this industry on the road. 

We sat down with Clarissa to learn more about how she fell in love with trucking, why she built her own school, and what she wants anyone interested in driving to know about what's waiting on the other side of a CDL.

Was there somebody early on who believed in you or gave you that push to get into trucking?

Clarissa: Nobody pushed me into trucking specifically, but I grew up around transportation my whole life. I'm fourth generation. It started with my great-grandmother. She owned a taxicab service without even having a driver's license. Then my grandmother got into it, taking people back and forth to hotels in Myrtle Beach. Then my dad got involved and started doing medical runs and dialysis pickups. I grew up watching my uncles answer the phones and make it look so easy. My family was basically DoorDashing before DoorDash existed, picking people up, putting groceries in the car, carrying them inside. So transportation was always in my blood. But I'm the first one who turned it into education.

How did you actually make the jump into trucking?

Clarissa: My husband actually got into trucking before I did. He went to school for four weeks, got his license, and found a job right away. I had a bachelor's in criminal justice, and worked in the prison system transporting inmates. So I told him I want to try this. And at first he was like, nope, nope, nope. He was being protective because it's such a male-dominated field, and I was always picking aggressive jobs. I wanted to work for the SWAT team, the FBI, I wanted to be a bounty hunter. That's just my personality. But eventually I went and got my CDL, and here we are.

What made you fall in love with it and realize that it was the career for you? 

Clarissa: The moment was in CDL training. A lot of people in my class were finding it challenging, and then there I am with my long nails and my bubbly, girly personality picking it up like, oh, this is nothing! It just came naturally to me. That's when I realized I can do this, and if I can do this, I can tell other women about this.

That's what really made me open up to start educating people, especially women. I wanted them to know that they can get into this field and make good money and really be able to change their life. A lot of times when you think about careers for women, you think about being a teacher, nurse, or a librarian, and those are great careers. But this industry is very good as well, and I don't think enough women know about it or see themselves in it. So that's what really made me kind of buckle down to start educating more women about getting into it.

Why do you think encouragement matters so much for women getting into trucking?

Clarissa: A lot of people think this job is so tough that women wouldn't last. So that encouragement is showing women that there is hope, you can do this. It's not easy and it's not for the weak, but you can do this. And it's so encouraging to see another woman out here doing the same thing you want to get into.

What does the industry need to do to bring more women in? 

Clarissa: Make it more women-friendly. When I first got into trucking, the infrastructure was not built for us. Truck stops don't carry the basics we need. You walk in and they've got shirts, hats, everything for the guys, but not much for women. Sometimes you pull into a location and there aren't even proper restrooms available. A lot of the accommodations women need to survive over the road, we have to figure out on our own. Just make it more inclusive so everybody can feel welcome in this industry. It's something that really needs to be upgraded and updated, because women do exist in this trucking community, for sure. 

When people see the magnet you designed, how do you want them to feel?

Clarissa: I want people to feel hope. Following your dreams, having faith in yourself, believing you can conquer anything. My trucking career started with one truck and one girl with a wonderful husband right by my side. Dreams do come true. It takes hard work and dedication, but you can make it happen.

Get Clarissa’s limited-edition magnet

Clarissa designed this magnet to do what she does every day: show women that this industry is for them. Get your magnet for free here. 

Want to keep up with Clarissa on the road? Follow her on Instagram and TikTok.