Nikki Hart

Everything I am and everything I’ve accomplished is rooted in being Josh”s mother. When his father passed, there was no roadmap—just me, a child who needed me, and the choice to keep going no matter how heavy life became. I didn’t have the luxury of giving up; I had a son who deserved stability, love, and someone who would show up every single day without fail.

He became my reason, my responsibility, and my greatest source of strength all at once. Through every setback and every sacrifice, I kept moving forward because he was watching, learning, and depending on me. Raising him wasn’t just something I did—it shaped who I became.

If I’ve built anything meaningful in this life, it’s because I chose to stand strong for him, even in the moments when I felt anything but strong.

The best career advice I ever received was from my dad a long time ago. I lost both of my parents when I was young, but the one thing that's always stuck with me my whole life is that my dad always told me that if you want something, you have to go out and get it. Nobody else is going to go out and get it for you.

Don't depend on anybody. Don't ever depend on a man for anything - you go out and get it yourself. He said if you work hard, it'll pay off, and it always has.

Never allow anyone to make you feel that you must change who you are. I am someone who strives to excel—I approach every opportunity with determination, give my best effort, and aim to achieve the highest possible outcome.

Throughout my career, there have been environments that attempted to limit my capabilities or confine my approach. However, I was not meant to operate within constraints that diminish my potential. At times, my ability to multitask and perform at a high level may have been misunderstood, but my focus has always remained on fulfilling my responsibilities and executing them to the best of my ability.

It is important not to let others diminish your confidence or capabilities. You are capable of more than you may be led to believe. Looking back, I recognize that allowing others to hold me back impacted my growth, and I would have progressed further had I remained fully aligned with my strengths and ambitions.

The trucking industry is currently facing two primary challenges: the advancement of autonomous vehicle technology and a critical shortage of safe parking.

The rise of self-driving trucks has created uncertainty among drivers regarding long-term job stability. At the same time, limited parking availability forces many drivers to stop in unsafe or unauthorized areas, particularly along high-traffic regions such as the East and West Coasts.

Additionally, required rest periods are often disrupted when drivers are asked to move, leading to fragmented sleep and increased safety risks.

These issues underscore the need for thoughtful integration of new technology, expanded infrastructure, and better alignment between regulations and real-world conditions.

I'm a very empathetic person. I can see both sides, and it helps me out a lot because I'm usually the person that brings the two sides together. I put my all into everything I do, and it shows in my work. If I believe in something, I can give it my all, and you'll see it in my work. I've also been on the other side - I've gotten in trouble a couple times and had my license suspended, but I kept driving because I had to go to work as a single mom. That's why I'm so strong about helping people, because not everybody is black and white. There's always that whole middle gray area, and people tend to judge things off the book cover. I'm not that person. That's why I always try to help them, because people do look at things black and white when there's a lot of gray area out there. Be you unapologetically….