Driver Spotlight: Marina Morin

For ten years, Marina Morin spent her workdays inside a medium security prison as a corrections officer. Though she enjoyed the work she did, the necessary daily security measures and confines of the environment got to be too much.

“I’d go into these four walls every day,” she said. “In corrections, you completely have to strip down and get patted down. Like every day for ten years you have to do this. You get used to it, but I wanted a different lifestyle.”

She sought a job with more freedom, more flexibility, and more opportunity. The world of trucking caught her eye.

“You just see the trucks around and it’s like ‘wouldn’t it be nice to just drive’,” she said. “It just seemed so free.”

Marina’s Training

After enrolling in a local trucking night school, learning the ropes, and hearing what DTI had to offer from a visiting recruiter, Marina made her choice. She was going to be a driver with Dot Transportation

Marina’s plans to change careers (which she kept under wraps all throughout trucking school) sparked some hesitation from friends and colleagues. Though it didn’t deter Marina in the slightest.

“They thought I was crazy and they got in my head. They were like ‘you’re giving up so much’ and ‘why do you want to do it?” she said. “But I was focused and I was gonna do it. I just felt like it was what I needed to do and what I wanted to do.”

Marina’s Advice for Women

Though trucking is still an industry with a mostly male workforce, Marina says that shouldn’t discourage any females who are exploring professional options in trucking.

“For other women wanting to go into trucking, I think if you want to do it just do it. It’s not different just because you’re a female. We’re all doing the same thing. We’re driving the trucks, delivering the products, and being safe.”

Marina’s Future

Marina, who lives just minutes from the Dot Foods Dyersburg distribution center, is coming up on her first year behind the wheel and is loving her new found life on the road. Through her cross country adventures, she loves the scenery and the tranquility of being on her own. She’s thankful for the opportunity to advance her career and looks forward to many more miles with DTI.

“It’s awesome,” she said. “I’m glad I took the leap.”