Black-Owned Company In Mississippi Trains Black Women To Become Truck Drivers

Black women in Mississippi are learning how to drive the big trucks.

Willie Jones, president and CEO of DSC Training Academy, shows these women how to enter the transportation industry by providing educational and hands-on training through her truck driving school in Jackson.

Public News Service reported that the demand in the truck driving industry is high, especially for Mississippi, which relies heavily on trucks to deliver everyday goods.

Jones said a career in the trucking business offers equitable pay for women drivers.

“As long as you’re able to drive that truck and get that freight from point A to point B, your pay is going to be equal to the men that are out there,” said Jones.

“We know for sure that there are higher-wage opportunities. Of course, in trucking, our first-year graduates average anywhere from $50,000 to $70,000 a year, and they have opportunities to earn so much more.”

Women who train through her academy are matched based on personal and professional goals. A new training initiative is in the works for DSC that will offer students who are mothers mentorship, mental health, and other resources.

“We’re very excited to have a new program that we’re getting ready to launch at DSC called ‘Mississippi Women in Trucking,'” said Jones.

“And we are recruiting 20 women for this pilot program. So, we’re providing up to 12 months of affordable childcare paid for these women, in addition to transportation assistance and other wraparound services.”

Jones said Mississippi offers workforce training dollars for women to pursue jobs that will increase their wages. Graduates from her academy are well-prepared to thrive in the transportation market.

According to DSC, the company formed its Training Academy in 2000. The established brand’s Commercial Truck Driver Training School has locations in Greenville, Tupelo, and Jackson. Jones operates out of Jackson as the academy’s sole location at the workforce development center at 3906 I-55 South Frontage Road.