Kenya Mobley is Setting the Bar in the Professional Trucking Industry with on Track Trucking School
When we think of the professional trucking industry, you may think of the industry that makes sure that we get everything that we need to the stores we love to shop, farm animals may even be involved. There’s more to it of course. But we often don’t take into account the amazing professional drivers who drive these trucks and get things done in the name of service. The world would not function without these amazing professionals.
When we think about the actual truck driver, most of us think we are talking about males only. No, quite the contrary. According to Women in Trucking, the percentage of professional drivers who are female has increased to 13.7 percent in 2022. Wow. Times are changing for the better.
I had the opportunity to speak with Kenya Mobley who is literally living her dream as the owner of On Track Truck Driving School, a commercial driving school in Arlington, Texas. It is 100% woman-owned which is rare. Kenya is not a driver, but a huge force in the business to train and help get drivers on the road. I wasn’t kidding about the dream part. Mobley, while sleeping, had a dream about this business prior.
“So I owned a trucking company and I had a friend I was talking to. One night I had a dream and I saw books, a classroom, and trucks. So I approached her and told her I had this dream and shared with her exactly what I saw. And she said that’s a truck driving school. And I said, is that a real thing? And she said yes. She said I bet you won’t do it. Don’t ever dare me. So, I went full speed ahead, with no mentor. And four years later, we are still going strong, “she said.
Of course, executing this dream into reality was a task but Mobley took a leap of faith, and she was very passionate about the idea that was given to her in such an interesting way.
“So, my first step was I just started researching to see who could possibly help me fulfill this dream, but every door I knocked on went unanswered so that left me in a position that if I want this you have to figure this out on your own. That’s basically what I did. I figured it out on my own and as the years progressed, I started tweaking, learning more, meeting different people, and going to seminars. I’m just getting better by the day,” she said.
I wanted to know how those interested in this business can get started.
“The first thing they need to do is make sure that’s the right lane that they need to be in. A lot of people get into trucking and don’t realize that a breakdown on the road could cost you 10 thousand or more. Do you have the reserve to keep this going? That hasn’t happened to me yet but just make sure it’s the right lane and you have the resources available,” Mobley said.
She notes that when learning about the business, be sure that you are dealing with collaborators and not competition. If people see you as competition, they will only give you little bits and you have to figure the rest out. As a woman, she felt the hardest part of beginning On Track Truck Driving School was getting the confidence to do it. This industry is mainly male dominated so this was a big step.
The next task was to market her truck driving school, which is marketed to men and women, but she especially wanted to give women the opportunity.
“I just posted the photo on social media when I opened the school and the caption was “Since the boys wouldn’t let us play in their sandbox, I built my own. That just captured the attention of women. The photo went viral and the next morning I had all types of messages and phone calls and they were from women. They said they had been wanting to do this but they just didn’t feel safe,” she said.
Mobley stresses that the main concern isn’t only safety but being accepted by the male counterpart.
“I’ve heard some stories where they (women) tend to know a bit more than a male and they try to assist the male, and they blow them off to talk to them in a certain tone. Or if they need help, the male won’t help. But there are definitely men out there that want to see women succeed. I’m grateful for those men, “she said.
Regarding the programs that Mobley’s school offers, there is a five-week program and a seven-week program. The five-week program is Monday through Friday. The latter program is two weeks long, in person or online, and five weekends. When it comes to the women in her program, she tends to work with them more being that this is a new industry. Safety is very important of course and Kenya encourages sisterhood when on the road with other drivers that are women or the support of men towards the women on the road.
Mobley highlights that the benefits of truck driving are that you aren’t stationary or tied to a desk, you can explore, and the pay is lucrative. But, it’s a lot more than those things.
“It’s a way for you to give back to the community because without truck drivers we can’t receive the necessities. I look at truck drivers as servants, “she said.
Not only is Mobley helping people get jobs, but she also offers second-chances to clients previously incarcerated.
“Once you have served your time, I believe that you deserve another chance, “she said.
Kenya Mobley is doing amazing things in DFW to uplift women and encourage them to try the trucking industry and we are so proud of her.
When we think of the professional trucking industry, and by trucking, I mean, the small or big trucks you see all over the highway. You know, the ones that you try your best to give them space because they have places to be.
Yes, the industry that makes sure that we get everything that we need to the stores we love to shop, or even farm animals may be involved. There’s more to it of course. But we often don’t take into account the amazing professional drivers who drive these trucks and get things done in the name of service. The world would not function without these amazing professionals.
But when we think about the actual truck driver, most of us think we are talking about males only. No, quite the contrary. According to Women in Trucking, the percentage of professional drivers who are female has increased to 13.7 percent in 2022. Wow. Times are changing for the better.
I had the opportunity to speak with Kenya Mobley who is literally living her dream as the owner of On Track Truck Driving School, which is a commercial driving school in Arlington, Texas. It is 100% woman-owned which is rare. Kenya is not a driver, but a huge force in the business to train and help get drivers on the road. I wasn’t kidding about the dream part. Kenya, while sleeping, had a dream about this business prior.
“So, I owned a trucking company, and I had a friend I was talking to. One night I had a dream and I saw books, a classroom, and trucks. So, I approached her and told her I had this dream and shared with her exactly what I saw. And she said that’s a truck driving school. And I said, is that a real thing? And she said yes. She said I bet you won’t do it. Don’t ever dare me. So, I went full speed ahead, with no mentor. And four years later, we are still going strong, “she said.
Of course, executing this dream into reality was a task but Kenya took a leap of faith and she was very passionate about the idea that was given to her in such an interesting way.
“So, my first step was I just started researching to see who could possibly help me fulfill this dream, but every door I knocked on went unanswered so that left me in a position that if I want this you have to figure this out on your own. That’s basically what I did. I figured it out on my own and as the years progressed, I started tweaking, learning more, meeting different people, and going to seminars. I’m just getting better by the day,” she said.
I wanted to know how those interested in this business can get started.
“The first thing they need to do is make sure that’s the right lane that they need to be in. A lot of people get into trucking and don’t realize that a breakdown on the road could cost you 10 thousand or more. Do you have the reserve to keep this going? That hasn’t happened to me yet but just make sure it’s the right lane and you have the resources available,” Kenya said.
Kenya notes that when learning about the business, be sure that you are dealing with collaborators and not competition. If people see you as competition, they will only give you little bits and you have to figure the rest out. As a woman, she felt the hardest part of beginning On Track Truck Driving School was the confidence to do it. This industry is mainly male dominated so this was a big step.
The next task was to market her truck driving school, which is marketed to men and women, but she especially wanted to give women the opportunity.
“I just posted the photo on social media when I opened the school and the caption was “Since the boys wouldn’t let us play in their sandbox, I built my own. That just captured the attention of women. The photo went viral and the next morning I had all types of messages and phone calls and they were from women. They said they had been wanting to do this but they just didn’t feel safe,” she said.
Kenya stresses that the main concern isn’t only safety but being accepted by the male counterpart. That’s saying a lot.
“I’ve heard some stories where they(women) tend to know a bit more than a male and they try to assist the male, and they blow them off to talk to them in a certain tone. Or if they need help, the male won’t help. But there are definitely men out there that want to see women succeed. I’m grateful for those men, “she said.
Regarding the programs that Kenya’s school offers, there is a five-week program and a seven-week program. The five-week program is Monday through Friday. The latter program is two weeks long, in person or online, and five weekends. When it comes to the women in her program, she tends to work with them more being that this is a new industry. Safety is very important of course and Kenya encourages sisterhood when on the road with other drivers that are women or the support of men towards the women on the road.
Kenya highlights that the benefits of truck driving are that you aren’t stationary or tied to a desk, you can explore, and the pay is lucrative. But it’s a lot more than those things.
“It’s a way for you to give back to the community because without truck drivers we can’t receive the necessities. I look at truck drivers as servants, “she said”
Not only is Kenya helping people get jobs, but she also offers second-chance opportunities to clients previously incarcerated.
“Once you have served your time, I believe that you deserve another chance, “she said.
Kenya is doing amazing things in DFW to uplift women and encourage them to try the trucking industry and we are so proud of her.