California’s AB5 Forced Driver To Leave State She Loved

For most people, owning your own business is a path to success. For me it was a mission – a lifeline for a better future for me and my daughters.

This journey began more than three decades ago in California when I dropped out of nursing school to pursue a professional license. As a woman, the thought of working in a male-dominated field was intimidating at first. But those initial fears soon gave way to the rewarding opportunities that a career in trucking offers.

The change was unexpected. As a single parent with four daughters, I needed both flexibility and the ability to care for them. That’s why I partnered with Prime Inc. in 2015 to become an independent contractor.

As an independent truck driver I was able to run my truck as my own small business. I loved traveling for work, the freedom of being my own boss and being able to take my kids on long haul trips when I could.

I made good money while seeing the country and built a wonderful life in California – a place I’ve been proud to call home. I was living my version of the American Dream. But the Sacramento legislature soon had a very different plan for me.

When the state legislature began debating Assembly Bill 5—a law that effectively bans independent trucking contractors—my dream was in jeopardy. AB5 would have demoted me from small business owner to company employee – impacting my hours, benefits, flexibility and overall ability to earn on my own terms. It would effectively shatter the dream I’ve worked so hard to build over so many years.

So, for the second time in my professional life, I knew it was time to change gears. I packed up and left California. I could not afford to lose my business and my family’s livelihood. In 2020 I relocated to Springfield, Missouri, where I worked as an independent contractor at Prime Inc.

See also: TRUCK DRIVERS PROTEST AB5 ACT IN CALIFORNIA

I often think about where my dream started and what could have been. As a black woman, I have built a successful business and carved a profitable path in an industry that was once almost entirely male owned. Then the California legislature stepped in and took it all away from me. They forced me to say goodbye to the place I had called home for decades.

I’m blessed to have successfully relocated to a more business-friendly state, but not everyone has the resources to do so. Since AB5 went into effect, thousands of independent truckers in California have found themselves in legal limbo. Legislators have allowed other industries to spin off AB5, but they continue to deny truck drivers the same opportunity.

In my 31 years in the trucking business, I’ve driven more than 1.3 million accident-free miles and delivered the goods Americans rely on every day. I am proud to serve as an Industry Ambassador, mentor female truck drivers in my spare time and support this vibrant, growing community.

Those like us who choose to own our company should be supported in pursuing our dreams. It is unfortunate that the California legislature sees fit to tell us that we belong only as employees of the company. Despite these obstacles, I can still take to the streets and pursue my dreams elsewhere.

Story via Fox News