The Australian Federal Government’s 2023 Skills Priority List identified that only 4.4% of truck drivers are female, so the business case for boosting the number of women in the transport industry is increasingly compelling as it is estimated Australia has a truck driver shortfall of roughly 26,000 individuals.
More female recruits would help to overcome driver shortages and improved gender balance could also strengthen customer engagement, insight and advocacy in a sector that’s moving closer to end-users thanks to our move towards online shopping. Attracting people into the industry is a significant challenge for employers and according to Randstad Employer Brand Research findings, transport and logistics rank a lowly 14th down the list of sectors that Australians would like to work.
But even though it makes good business sense for more women to enter the transport industry, one survey carried out by Transport Women Australia found that more than 70% of women in the industry face challenges like discrimination, dismissive attitudes, and uneven playing fields. The average gender pay gap according to WGEA for 2023-24 in the Road Freight Transport industry is 15.5% in favour of men, reflecting an industry where few women work in the best paid roles.
Alysha is one of those women who are currently working in the industry and enjoying it. Truck driving is Alysha’s fourth career change and it was a dream that she never thought would become reality. Alysha has a Bachelor of Applied Science and worked at the University of Queensland in a variety of roles including as a research technician, equine unit manager, as well as in the medical laboratory and veterinary pharmaceuticals as a scientist and in the school education department setting up the science program in a new high school.
After a car accident meant Alysha could no longer ride and compete in endurance events on her horses, she started to funnel her passion time into cars and trucks. Alysha went and got her truck licence and started truck driving from then on.
“Things just rolled on from there, when I was frustrated at my job, I started applying for truck jobs which had better pay and when a car carrying company offered me a job meaning I could combine two loves, I was in,” Alysha told Driven Women Magazine.
Alysha started driving a local four car carrier in and around Southeast Queensland and did this for just over two years. But she always liked the idea of long-distance driving, and fell in love with doing the overnight trips in the four-car carrier and would be eyeballing the long-distance trucks when they came to the depot. She was always on the lookout for an opening with the right conditions and so when a job was offered to her, Alysha took the leap out of her comfort zone and gave it ago. That was nearly a year and a half ago.
“I drive a semitrailer, currently a Volvo FH16 with a 6/7 car carrier trailer. Because of my semi-permanent whiplash injury to my neck, I have to be selective on what I drive, if it is too uncomfortable, I get too sore and it’s not enjoyable or practical. That is hard because I’d like to be able to do the tough gigs but I have to be humble and realistic,” said Alysha.
Presently Alysha is doing two trips from Brisbane to North Queensland a week that usually consist on two roundtrips to Townsville or one Cairns and one Mackay trip and she does all the loading and unloading of the cars herself. Ideally, Alysha preloads the trailer on a Friday so that Monday morning she can get to the depot by 5am, transfer her bags of clothes, food and water (and two dogs) to the truck and get out of Brisbane before the commuting traffic builds up too much.
“I have my Basic Fatigue Management certificate so I am able to work/drive for 14 hours per day. I drive all day Monday then Tuesday I arrive in Townsville or Cairns and unload at dealerships or the depot, occasionally a private customer or two. Then reload if there is anything needing to come back down the coast. Wednesday sees me back in Brisbane to repeat the process. Clocking up around 5,500km for the week, I’m usually home again Friday, but it all depends on the road conditions and traffic for the week. There are lots of closures on the Bruce Highway, accidents, roadworks, floods, fires, I think I’ve had them all,” explained Alysha.
The company Alysha works for offers flexibility with time frames, so if she does get held up, she just has to let the office know of the new ETA. This takes the pressure off, a luxury that many other drivers don’t have, especially those working in express, cattle, and fresh goods.
What Alysha loves most about being a truck driver is the freedom and being a lover of the outdoors, she gets to be outdoors, but from the comfort of inside her truck. “I love driving. I’m happy to get back behind the wheel every day and there’s also a lack of drama, if there is office politics, I don’t have a clue,” laughed Alysha.
But there’s no hiding from the fact that truck driving is a male dominated industry and discrimination is still present. Alysha is currently the only female car carrier driver going north, there are a few in the southern states and she admits it’s not an easy job, car carrying or being on the road.
“The first company I worked for were great. All men but totally encouraging and supportive. Not because I was a girl, giving it ago, but a person giving it ago. I always asked questions, listened to what they had to say and even though I don’t work there anymore I have friendships with most of them especially when I see the other long-distance drivers out on the road.
In Brisbane when I talk over the UHF there can often be sexist comments ‘get back in the kitchen where you belong’ (I reply, don’t worry I brought it with me) as soon as I hit the highway, I’ve never had a problem, most drivers out there are just there to do a job and I quickly learned the etiquette system and we all get along fine,” shared Alysha.
One particular challenge Alysha faces is a lack of clean bathrooms, being from a camping family and also with the horses, she’s resourceful but even for the men, it’s limited. Then there’s the psychological challenges, having to prove herself and as a lone female, being kept at arm’s length. Alysha hasn’t really made friends with other drivers in the company, one or two at most, and she’s more friendly with the coffee vans, but not being a conversation starter doesn’t help Alysha either.
“I’ve been fortunate to step into the industry and find genuine hard-working guys that have a wealth of knowledge and experience who have been amazing support. But I also listen, ask questions, am somewhat thick skinned and while I make mistakes, learn from them and generally don’t repeat them and I don’t take criticism from someone I wouldn’t take advice from,” concluded Alysha.
I love this final piece of advice though from Alysha, “Be a woman, don’t try to be a man, just do the job the best way a woman knows how.”
If you are a woman and truck driving is something that you are interested in pursuing then contact Women in Trucking Australia (WiTA). Their Foot in The Door (FiTD) program provides a defined training pathway for women to obtain a Heavy Vehicle (HV) license and find employment. As part of the program, WiTA connects newly licensed female HV drivers to experienced mentors to help them get established in their career.
Photographs supplied by Alysha.