There’s a kernel of truth to these cultural representations. “I am very proud that Carla and I are showing people a different side of the trucking lifestyle, a lesbian relationship, two black women operating, and being OK with making it in America,” says Richelle.įilms in the Seventies and Eighties like Burt Reynold’s cult classic Smokey and the Bandit and Kris Kristofferson’s Convo branded truckers in the public’s imagination as macho modern-day cowboys on the run from the law and the humdrum of a staid life. They’re using their platform to break down stereotypes. They’re young women of color who host a popular Youtube channel with over one million views and 13,000-plus subscribers - most of whom are male truck drivers. Nic Richelle and Carla Grimsley are a married lesbian couple team driving a big rig with Prime Inc., one of the nation’s largest freight companies. LGBTQ truck drivers are not new to the profession, but their visibility and rising prominence within the industry is.
