Women In Trucking - Alaska Style

by Sharon Bissell Eddy
(Wasilla, Alaska)

Alaskan Woman In Trucking

Sharon S. Eddy

Women in Trucking - Alaska
I started trucking in 1999 due to the fact I was
living in Alaska and I didn’t care to be left at
home while my husband went out on the road for 2
and 3 weeks at a time and left me at home in -60 degree temperatures in the interior of Alaska.

So one time when my husband came home, I had
nearly burned the house down and told my husband
that I didn’t like being here alone. With that
statement he enrolled me in truck driving school so I could drive with him.

I loved that so I started my courses and
passed my driving test and have been driving
off and on ever since. This experience gave me a different way to look at life on the road. Every bend in the road and every minute on the road is a living postcard.

I have boxes and boxes of pictures I took while driving. I even hooked up the video
camera on a tripod and video taped some of
our driving on ice pack roads.

I unfortunately have the recollection of our
only wreck on the highway. We were driving
in a three truck convoy on the Cassier Highway
in Canada.

My husband was a seasoned drive with some four million miles under his belt so there was never a concern on my behalf to be afraid to sleep behind his driving.

All this changed as a result of this wreck. After this turning over of our truck, I found it very hard to sleep for some six months after that.

My husband had told me if I wanted to be
safe while I was sleeping that I should sleep
on the drivers side of the bed in the bunk.

So I took his

advise and when we wrecked, I realized then that there was really no safe side of a bunk in the sleeper of a tractor when you are in the middle of a wreck.

I woke up to his voice saying,” I don’t
know where we are going Bob, but we are going
over.” Then all of the sudden I heard the aftermath of leaving the road and miraculously landing gently on our wheels.

God was with us that day. If you had seen where
we landed, you would believe that was true.
My life as a (woman) trucker is a story that can’t
be told in five minutes.

My life has been impacted by that choice I made
to go to school and learn the correct way to drive. One instructor told me something that I learned to be very true. You go to school to learn how to drive by the book, but you will really learn how to drive when you are out there on the road actually driving.

Driving out on the road does give you a lot of power. You can gain the respect you deserve by how you perform out there. Respect out there isn’t something you can demand just by asking for it. It is something you earn.

Like life, driving is full of choices. Choices
you will make that will determine what type of
driver you are going to be.

I will close with this... If you want to drive
a big truck and you are a woman, don’t let anything stand in your way, including yourself
and be wise in the choices you make and you
wont have to tell anyone that you are a good
driver, they will already know it.

Reputation will speak for you.

Sharon S Eddy
Tok, Alaska Wasilla Alaska
Women in Trucking Member

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Apr 10, 2025
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25 Years over 4 Million safe miles
by: Alaska's Women In Trucking

A Life on the Road: My Journey Through Alaska and Beyond Over 4 milliion safe Alaskan Miles

I’ve always believed that life is what you make of it—whether you’re barreling down a lonely stretch of highway in the dead of winter, or stepping up to help someone in need. My journey in trucking began with a dream and a stubborn faith that I could thrive in this industry, even when the odds weren’t always in my favor. Years later, I found myself honored as the very first Woman of the Month by the Women in Trucking Association in January 2012—a milestone that felt both personal and symbolic for all women in this traditionally male-dominated field.
Early Beginnings and Finding My Way
I grew up fascinated by big rigs, watching my father handle trucks with ease and dreaming I could do the same one day. When I met Jim, he was already a seasoned trucker, and I soon realized that the open road was calling me, too. In December 1999, we decided to get married, fully prepared to make trucking a shared adventure. By February 2000, I was in Washington state, earning my CDL, while Jim encouraged me every step of the way.
Even before I took the wheel, I rode alongside Jim from Anchorage to Seattle and back—4,400 miles round trip. I loved the camaraderie of those trips. I even passed the time by making little "pouting dolls" in the passenger seat, which made Jim laugh. He always said I brought a spark of fun to the long hauls, whether I was off-key singing to the radio or trying to cook a meal in our tiny truck kitchen. Eventually, we adopted a puppy named Spanky—a Schnauzer mix—though he soon got too big and too restless to enjoy riding on the dashboard. He was part of our story for only a short while, but his playful energy made those miles more memorable.
Challenges on the Road—and a Scare with Jim
Trucking in Alaska is no small feat. The weather can turn on you in an instant, and sometimes the nearest hospital is hours or even days away. Once, near Kluane Lake on our way back to Alaska, Jim pulled over suddenly, ashen-faced. He managed to keep driving a few more miles to Destruction Bay, where a local nurse found his oxygen level at 82%. Jim insisted he’d be fine, but by the time we reached Lowe’s Hardware in Anchorage around 1:30 AM, I was on high alert. At 6 AM, he woke up unable to form coherent words. I spun him around to the bunk and called an ambulance. It was terrifying—one of those moments that reminds you how fragile life can be. He ended up in Providence, then Elmendorf Hospital, and thankfully recovered. But that incident underscored for me how much we rely on each other out there on the road.
2002: Rollover Survivor on the Cassiar Highway
Of course, the open road has tested me in other ways, too. In 2002, Jim and I were working for Carlile Transportation, running with four couples (or partner teams) on Carlile’s Arctic Express. We were traveling in a three-truck convoy on the Cassiar Highway in British Columbia; Jim was at the wheel, and I had fallen asleep in the bunk. Suddenly, I heard him on the radio saying, "Hey, Bob, I don’t know where we’re going, but we’re going over."
In a blur of branches and snow, we rolled off the road. By some miracle, the truck itself didn’t sustain much exterior damage, though the bell housing was punched through, the frame rails bent, and the fifth wheel snapped off. I regained consciousness near the windshield. A friend from the trailing truck, Debbie, was calling my name, making sure I was okay. Everything felt surreal in that moment.
An ambulance took us to a hospital in Hyder, Alaska, a short distance geographically but an eternity away in the snow. I was the only patient there, and it took hours to make that 35-mile trip. We emerged physically bruised but grateful to be alive. That rollover taught me just how quickly circumstances can change on remote roads—and how crucial it is to trust your driving partner.
A Midnight Sighting: Bigfoot (aka "BTK")
As if near-accidents and medical scares weren’t enough to keep a trucker on their toes, there are also the inexplicable moments. One Wednesday night—about 3 AM—on the Cassiar Highway near a place we call Bell 2, I was in the driver’s seat with Jim asleep. Up ahead, I spotted something tall and unmistakably upright. It wasn’t a bear on its hind legs; it was bigger than that, and it seemed…curious.
I tried to wake Jim, but he was too exhausted to stir. As I rolled by, headlights illuminating the figure, I realized I was nearly eye-level with this creature—even though I was in a semi. It stared at me for a moment, then turned and vanished into the woods. Later, other drivers mentioned sightings of the same creature, calling him "BTK." Whatever those initials really stand for, that was all the validation I needed that I wasn’t just seeing things. Some mysteries on the road defy simple explanation.
A Lifesaving Stop at −4∘-4^\circ−4∘
Not every roadside surprise is supernatural, though. Sometimes, you have the chance to do real, tangible good. On one particularly cold day—−4∘-4^\circ−4∘ Fahrenheit, according to our dash—we were crossing the border back into Alaska and noticed a pair of taillights buried off the road. When we stopped, we found two elderly folks stranded in a sedan with a dead engine. They had no phone and no heat, and were clearly in trouble.
Jim and I got them out of the car and into our warm truck, gave them some hot coffee, and called for help from Tok. The roads were so bad it took ages for an ambulance to reach us. We met the paramedics partway and handed off the couple, who were at serious risk of hypothermia. They thanked us over and over, but all I could think was how lucky we were to spot those taillights in time. That’s the code of the trucking community: when you see someone in need, especially in the bitter Alaskan cold, you pull over.
Another Rescue: The Ladd Air Couple
On a similarly icy trip back into Alaska, my daughter was riding along with us. We’d just passed the border when we spotted yet another vehicle off the road in the brush—a Lincoln Town Car. Inside, we found an elderly couple: the owner of Ladd Air (a well-known Alaskan bush pilot) and his wife, en route to receive an award honoring him as the oldest active bush pilot. They were both rattled, and Mr. Ladd was bleeding—a serious concern given that he was on blood thinners.
We pulled them to safety, rescued Mr. Ladd’s beloved cameras from the trunk, and got them into our cab to warm up. He bled onto our mattress, but that was the least of our worries. We radioed for help, arranged to meet an ambulance near Northway, and made sure the couple reached proper medical care. A few days later, Mrs. Ladd called to thank us, insisting on giving us a Wooden Goose basket—a token of gratitude for the "helping hands" that saved their lives.
Reflecting on the Miles
Looking back, I see a story shaped by countless miles on some of the most challenging roads in North America. I’ve faced slick ice on the Alaska Highway, dense fog on the Cassiar, and near-whiteout conditions in remote stretches where help is hours away. Jim and I have shared these roads with each other for years—sometimes singing off-key to pass the time, sometimes facing real danger head-on, and always leaning on our teamwork and faith.
When I was named the first Woman of the Month by Women in Trucking in 2012, it felt like the culmination of all those experiences: learning to trust my instincts, handle a rig in extreme weather, and make the road a safer place for everyone I meet along the way. With nearly 25 years under my belt—approaching 4 million safe miles and counting—I’ve also become an advocate for other women entering the field. If my example can show even one woman that she can do it, too, then every challenging mile has been worth it.
Looking Forward
My journey isn’t over. These days, I’m passionate about using the same grit and resourcefulness I learned on the road to help others—like exploring ways to build tiny houses for people in need and working on rehabilitation projects that give folks a second chance. Trucking taught me to be resilient, prepared for anything, and open-hearted toward those who might be stuck in difficult situations.
Through rollovers, Bigfoot sightings, and rescue missions in subzero temperatures, one thing remains certain: I wouldn’t trade these experiences for anything. The road has been my teacher, my workplace, and my home. And every so often, I’m reminded that there’s no limit to what we can do when we’re willing to stop, lend a hand, and make a difference—mile by mile.

Thank You for your space on here
Sharon Bissell Eddy
4 10 2025

Mar 18, 2018
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WE are trying to open driving school NEW
by: AlaskasWomenInTruckin

Thank you all for your support. We would like to take names of all who would like to do Alaska's Ice Road Driving School? We are setting up testing so you can get ready to do the written part. We love Alaska and want to share this part with you.

Jan 09, 2016
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How is your driving?
by: Alaska's Women In Trucking

How are you doing in the safe driving skills?

What is the first thing you do when you get in your vehicle?

Jul 06, 2014
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Alaskan Woman Trucker
by: Anonymous

I take pride in my driving.

Feb 16, 2014
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Commerically driving but not in big truck?
by: Sharon Bissell, Eddy

Here in Alaska and I am sure in other places in the world there are those drivers who want to drive but dont have a clue what it takes to be a good driver. Some think they are good. Some know they are and some well............I dont want to think of being in the vehicle with them.

I look at the vehicles I see out on the road and nine times out of ten there is cell phone in their hand. They are texting and looking up texting looking up..........I just want hit the horn but I have to restrain from it as it may startle them and they may hit someone.

Think about your driving? Are you a good driver? Or are you in with the distracted drivers that might be driving beside you texting, drinking something, eating, changing radio station, anything but, consentrating on the most important task at that moment......DRIVING.

Think too, what does the inside of your car look like? Are there things inside the car that could hurt you in the event that you ran off the road. What is in the windshield/dashboard of your vehicle?

Driving is a art and is a skill I take a lot of pride in. I want to be safe. I dont want someone to have to tell me that I feel asleep and hit someone. Or that I killed someone because of the distraction I had in the car or vehicle I was driving.

Feb 01, 2014
Rating

Still drivin
by: Still drivin

Yes even today, I am still driving. Alaska's women in trucking is getting off the ground.

Thanks for you interest.
Sharon

Jan 12, 2013
Rating

Amazing
by: Anonymous

You have a nice story and God makes it all happen..amazing!!

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