TMAF Interviews Pamela Randol, driver for Highway Transport and 2023 National Tank Truck Carrier Champion Finalist

Pamela Randol is a tank truck driver for Highway Transport. She has been in the trucking industry for about 25 years and has been driving a tank truck for the past three and a half years.

For Pamela, there’s not just one great thing about driving a tank truck, but the independence of the job is one aspect that she appreciates the most. “My company trusts me with thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment and commodities, and then give me an address and a phone number — plus the tools that I need- and trust that I’m going to do it safely.” Safety is incredibly important to Pamela. “For me I’m not just delivering commodities, I’m delivering safety too. I’m going to make sure I’m safe and that everyone around me is safe too in the process.

Safety behind the wheel is a personal, conscientious effort for Pamela. Her safety routine includes planning her route ahead of time, especially fuel, food, and sleep stops, so that travel on the roads is as easy and stress-free as possible. “The definition of a professional truck driver, for me, is to take care of those people around me. Everyone behind the wheel of a vehicle around me has a home, a family, someone that loves them — so no matter what someone does around me, I’m still going to take care of them like they’re my family. That’s how I approach safety in the truck behind the wheel.”

When asked about what the industry can do to attract more truckers, she said “Everyone who knows or meets me says ‘I can’t believe you drive a truck!’ Get the truck driving faces out there — short, wide, thick, skinny, every color, every gender — we all fit into the trucking industry, we all can do it.”

When she’s not on the road, Pamela enjoys spending time at her Freeport, Texas, home. She loves to crochet blankets, cook, take nature walks and spend time with her husband.

Pamela credits her husband, who joined Highway Transport industry a year prior to her, as the reason she became a tank truck driver. “He kind of paved the way for me, and honestly, I couldn’t do my job as effectively and as well as I do if it weren’t for him. Since he had been [at Highway Transport] before me, I was always able to call him whenever I had any questions. He was truly my greatest mentor.”

On being selected as one of the eight 2023 NTTC Champion Finalists, Pamela said “at first it was really overwhelming! One day I got a phone call…and I just didn’t see it coming. It was very, very humbling. I am so excited to be here with all the other drivers and their families and am really thankful for this experience.”

A piece of advice that she has for the next generation of truckers is “Don’t wait! Just do it and go tankers!” She recommended that those interested in trucking or tanking should reach out to the truckers they know with questions about their jobs. She also said that asking questions is a good way to figure out if a trucking lifestyle is a good fit. “It’s not just a job, it’s a lifestyle, and an adventure.”