For 13 years, Chris Fields worked construction. For the last decade, his wife, Hannah Fields, has been on the road producing national brand experiences. 

Different job sites. Different states. Same marriage. 

Finally, Chris Fields was ready to switch lanes. 

“I’ve worked construction for 13 years. She’s been on the road for the last ten,” he said. “Finally, I was like, you know what? I want to go too and live this life with you.” 

That decision led them to Eastern Iowa Community Colleges’ Commercial Driver’s License program. 

The couple are not chasing a new career. They are expanding one. 

They work in experiential marketing, the business of taking brands on tour. They haul mobile showrooms across the country, set up interactive tech exhibits, and run large-scale promotional events. Some highlight consumer products through hands-on demonstrations in cities from coast to coast. Other tours feature virtual reality stations and flight simulators inside semi-trucks.  

For years, Hannah Fields managed the front end of those events, spending long days on her feet, coordinating teams, guiding customers through experiences. Chris Fields spent that same time rooted in construction while she moved from state to state. 

Recently, they began driving smaller, non-CDL vehicles for tours. It gave them a taste of life behind the wheel and showed them what was possible. 

But without a CDL, companies often sent them in opposite directions. 

“For us to be able to be on tour together, it’s better to have CDL. That way we can do two-man teams,” Hannah Fields said.  

The license changes their options. It qualifies them for larger vehicles, longer contracts, and team routes. It allows them to take on tours that require commercial licensure and operate bigger equipment together instead of separately. 

They approached training the same way they approach business: strategically. 

“Some programs were shorter. Some were less expensive. But this one seemed like we were going to get the best hands-on training,” Hannah Fields said.  

They chose depth over speed. 

“They give you more than you need to pass the state test. If we’re going to travel coast to coast in big vehicles, we want to be prepared. We don’t want to be thrown into it with just a license,” she added. 

At EICC, preparation started before they even stepped into the truck. They completed theory coursework ahead of time, then moved quickly into hands-on instruction. 

“By day two, we were out on the road, not just in the parking lot, but on I-80,” Hannah Fields said. 

They trained on pre-trip inspections, tight backing maneuvers, and interstate driving. With a class size of just two, they logged significant time behind the wheel. Every day built confidence. 

Chris Fields admits the experience challenged him in ways he did not expect. 

“The things I thought were going to be hard ended up being easier. And the things I thought were going to be easy ended up being harder,” he said.  

What stayed with him most was the level of instruction. 

“They teach us more than what they have to. There are things she’s told us that I’ll use day to day whenever I’m in a 53-foot trailer,” Chris Fields said.  

For a couple whose workplace is constantly moving, the depth of training matters. 

The CDL is another tool in a growing toolkit. 

Hannah Fields is also a children’s author and artist. She turns their travel experiences into a monthly book series starring Pip, their goldendoodle. Pip has his own Instagram account, travels on tour, and recently secured a brand partnership with Carhartt. 

“For Pip, it’s an adventure. He gets to experience a big world,” she said.  

That creative energy pairs naturally with her husband’s construction background and logistical mindset. One built projects. One built experiences. Now, both are building mobility. 

Soon, the couple expects to qualify for extended team tours, operating larger trucks and managing brand activations together. 

For them, the CDL adds one more skill to lives already built on movement, and finally sharing the same road. 

“It’s an adventure,” said Chris Fields. “We get to be together more and explore the U.S.”