Woman instructor steers students on path to driving
PERRYSBURG – The CDL program at Owens Community College has a saying: “We don’t run away from our problems; we steer toward them.”
That’s true both when trying to master a maneuver, like straight-line backing, or as CDL instructor Linda Lear has proven, in life.
Lear came to Owens as a CDL student 2019, looking to start a new, better life. As Lear said, her back was against the wall because of personal problems. She knew she had to do something.
“I always liked to travel and drive, so I decided to go to Owens,” Lear said. “There were always barriers trying to hold me back or stop me from obtaining my CDL. Once I had shut the door and put everything behind me and just focused on one thing, I obtained my license.”
Owens helped Lear break through those barriers. She gave special credit to Owens CDL instructor and training manager Harley Curavo.
“My teacher, Harley, spent that extra one-on-one time with me that I needed,” Lear said. “I couldn’t do anything. Him taking that extra time gave me the push to obtain my license.”
She spent the next two years on the road as a driver. At first, she thought she would be the only female in the trucking industry. However, it didn’t take long for her to see that she was wrong – there are many women who work in the trucking industry. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of female truck drivers has doubled in the past 20 years. Females now comprise 8 percent of the truck driving population.
A chance encounter with Curavo and his encouragement for Lear to become an instructor led to the next chapter in her life.
Lear has now spent two years as an instructor at Owens. Helping students overcome their challenges and barriers motivates her as an instructor.
One of her students is Toledoan Kejuan Jones, who said that entering the program “is a good experience that set me up for the future.
“It’s different, but it’s fun to learn new things, especially about the trucks. I want to experience everything – regional, local, over the road- to have that experience so I can determine what I want to do further down … the road,” he said.
“I was in their shoes … I was struggling with some things,” Lear said. “I show them things I was struggling with and what helped me to overcome it. Once I show them different things, students are able to grasp the concept. That’s what makes me feel good, when the students are able to understand.”
Lear said her biggest responsibility is safety, both for the student and the other motorists on the road.
She doesn’t have to do it alone, though. The friendly, family atmosphere at Owens and supporting each other as people is what sets the CDL program apart from others in the area.
“Every one of those other programs works as a team, but we’re not just a team here at Owens, we’re more like a family,” Lear said. “We help lift one another; we help inspire. You never know what someone is going through.”
Job security and the overall atmosphere are what Lear uses to sell potential students on the idea of obtaining their CDL at Owens and entering the trucking industry.
“We’re essential. Everything in the world has to touch a truck. I don’t care if it comes on a boat or plane, everything has to touch a truck,” she said.
“You’re always going to have a job. There’s always stability.”
To learn more about the CDL program at Owens, visit Workforce
For more information on the Workforce and Community Services programs at Owens, please visit Workforce/Community
