The Courage to Create: Beyond the Truck – Finding Purpose and Building Resilience with Jerry Curl

I Love Learning Podcast, S4 EP13: Jerry Curl

Have you ever become so focused on what you do for a living that you forget who you are outside of your job? We spend so much of our lives working, meeting expectations, and taking care of others that sometimes we forget to take care of ourselves. And for professional truck drivers, who spend so much time alone on the road, that can be especially challenging.

In this episode of I Love Learning, I had the opportunity to sit down with my friend Jerry Curl, co-founder of Beyond the Truck, an initiative dedicated to helping professional drivers build resilience, rediscover their purpose, and create healthier, more fulfilling lives. Jerry has spent nearly five decades in the trucking industry, and what I love most about his mission is that he sees drivers as people first. He reminded us that drivers are so much more than a truck number, the miles they drive, or the freight they deliver. They’re parents, spouses, friends, and individuals carrying responsibilities and emotions that we may never see. As Jerry shared, sometimes the heaviest load a driver carries isn’t the freight behind them, but what’s weighing on their mind.

One of my favorite parts of our conversation was Jerry’s perspective on how meaningful change begins. He believes we don’t have to transform our entire lives overnight. We just have to start making better decisions today. I love that because, as a learning scientist, I know how important small steps, encouragement, and connection can be when we’re trying to develop new habits. Through Beyond the Truck, Jerry and his team are creating opportunities for drivers to learn about physical health, mindset, emotional well-being, and personal growth. They’re also building communities where drivers can connect, share their experiences, and remind one another that they’re not alone. We talked about how important it is to have people who believe in us, especially during the moments when we struggle to believe in ourselves.

What really stayed with me was Jerry’s reminder that we can’t change the miles behind us, but we can make different decisions about the miles ahead. That message goes far beyond trucking. Whether you’re trying to improve your health, find a new purpose, learn a skill, or create something meaningful, you don’t have to have everything figured out. You simply have to be willing to begin. And sometimes the courage to create isn’t about inventing something new. It’s about creating a healthier life, a stronger community, or a new way of seeing yourself.

Jerry’s story is exactly why I love this season, The Courage to Create. He recognized a need in an industry he loves and decided to do something about it. He’s creating opportunities for people to feel valued, supported, and capable of becoming more than they imagined. And isn’t that what meaningful innovation is really about?

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