Did you know that CDL drivers face some of the highest risks when it comes to health and even suicide? The long hours, the isolation of the road, the pressure to provide for family , it can all take a heavy toll. At Fortified Academy, we’ve seen firsthand that success in trucking isn’t just about learning to drive a big rig. It’s about building the strength mentally, physically, and relationally to thrive in a whole new way of life.
That’s why we created Life of a Trucker, a program designed to walk with our apprentices as they adjust to the demands of this career. But we also knew that peer support, as powerful as it is, needed to be backed with professional clinical care.
Almost a decade after planting the first seeds of this vision, we are taking another step forward. We’re excited to share that Fortified Academy has partnered with Michelle Simmons Counseling Group to add a clinical layer of support for our apprentices.
Here’s what that means: our peer support specialists will continue to journey side by side with apprentices — sharing lived experience, encouragement, and practical wisdom. At the same time, Michelle Simmons Counseling will step in to provide professional counseling and behavioral health expertise, ensuring apprentices have the tools they need to handle stress, strengthen relationships, and care for their overall wellbeing.
Our lead peer support specialist, Davon Hawkins and our lead CDL trainer Arthur Gilbert knows this journey firsthand. Having lived the life of a CDL driver, they understand the anxiety that comes with the job. They remember vividly the unsettling feeling of driving past trucks turned over on the side of the road or seeing a rig broken down, wondering if the same could happen to them. That lived experience allows Davon and Arthur to connect with apprentices in a way that textbooks and training manuals never could. They can sit with them in their fears, remind them they’re not alone, and guide them through the pressures of adjusting to life on the road.
Monica Gilbert, our Executive Director, puts it this way:
“Driving a truck is more than a job — it’s a lifestyle change. We want our apprentices to succeed not only in earning a CDL but in building a life that is sustainable and healthy. Partnering with Michelle Simmons Counseling gives us the ability to wrap each driver in both peer and professional support.”
Michelle Simmons shares that same heart:
“Truck drivers face unique mental health challenges, and by combining peer mentorship with clinical expertise, we can make sure these men and women have the tools to thrive on and off the road.”
This partnership is more than a program feature it’s a promise. A promise that no apprentice has to walk this road alone. A promise that their health, their families, and their futures matter just as much as their CDL careers.
Because when we invest in the whole person, we don’t just produce CDL drivers. We raise up resilient men and women who can provide for their families, build wealth as owner-operators, and bring strength back into their communities.
And that’s a journey worth taking together!