Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/696174
30 www.bigrigowner.com J U LY 2 0 1 6 wanted to drive for," Mechigian said. While getting behind the wheel for the first time had been intimidating, Mechigian was on her way to being well-versed in backing and other truck driving techniques by the time she graduated trucking school, making her more prepared for McElroy's new driver training program. "The people that teach you these things do such a great job," Mechigian said. In the nine months that Mechigian has been driving professionally, she's adapted well to the trucking life. Hav- ing both sheand her husband in the industry helps them understand one another's unique job requirements, and their company makes sure all its driv- ers are home for the weekend. To stay entertained, Mechigian said each driver has their own preferences. For her, she prefers streaming on her Android phone or playing phone games, or calling other drivers over her headset. Her husband, she says, has a complete Xbox gaming system set up in his truck for his down time. The couple had to update their data plan to accommodate their usage over the road. As far as her health goes, Mechigian was already in decent shape before she started trucking thanks to her time in the Army National Guard. When it comes to staying in shape on the road, she says the nature of flatbed work offers all the exercise she needs. She's lost about 25 pounds since she started hauling flatbed. McElroy Truck Lines requires all their loads be tarped, and Mechigian estimates that her two tarps weigh about 130-150 pounds each. She does the tarping entirely on her own, save for the times someone offers a generous helping hand or there's a tarping machine to provide assistance. She says that simply doing her job keeps her healthy while she's over the road. Mechigian's pristine record has made her a candidate for a driver trainer position, where she'll have the op- portunity to teach and mentor upcom- ing drivers. She's excited about the possibility of being able to train other women to drive flatbed. "It is hard work but it's not so hard that a woman couldn't do it," Mechi- gian said. Looking to the future, Mechigian says she's more than content trucking for McElroy Truck Lines. If anything, she says, she'd be interested in learning how to secure different types of larger loads, like the kind seen in logging or auto hauling. But at her core Mechi- gian is a flatbedder, and she's not plan- ning to stop anytime soon. After dropping her sheetrock load off in Jackson, Mechigian heads to Phila- delphia, Mississippi. Her truck bed is loaded up with wood, and she steps out into the now drizzling rain to strap and tarp the load. Her bright orange hard hat and reflective vest stand out against the gray weather. Mechigian is unfazed, however, and once her load is secure and her Qualcomm logged, she's off to her next destination. • legends of the road