Woman trucker to compete until she wins
FLEET owners and managers of exceptional and reliable truck drivers with unblemished safety records can now nominate their best drivers for the 2022 Thankyoutrucker competition where the winner will pocket R50 000.
The competition is a partnership between Iveco SA and the Road Freight Association. Nominees must be individuals who have an unmatched love for trucking, specialists in their field who are always on the job and treat customers with respect.
Last year, Audrey Chiloane, a cross-border truck driver from the Zosi Group based in Gauteng, came third in a competition and industry dominated by men.
Her random acts of kindness on her dedicated Mozambique and Botswana route and her clear track record were what earned her the spot.
Chiloane told the Sunday Tribune she had been a truck driver for five years. Her passion for travelling and her desire to see what lay beyond the South African borders made her decision to be behind the wheel of a Scania horse pulling two trailers an easy one.
“I wanted to experience many things by not working in an office,” she said. “At first I encountered a number of challenges, but because this was something I wanted to do, it became easier and I got used to the long routes in a short period of time.”
The mother of two said during her early days she encountered a lot of negativity at border posts and from customers who felt she was doing a man’s job.
“I want to encourage other women to consider becoming truck drivers. I already have some who have taken a Code 14 driver’s licence or are in the process of acquiring one after seeing me drive a truck,” she said.
Chiloane said she was able to spend enough time with family as she was usually on the road for a day or two.
“Every month I also have eight days off so I am able to see my family,” she said. “Right now I have loaded and I am ready to go to Gaborone. It should take about six hours to reach the border from Gauteng. I will be offloading the next day and should be back that very evening.”
Zosi Group CEO William Motha said he nominated Chiloane last year because of her hard work, punctuality and respect for customers.
“The industry is dominated by men, so the company wanted to encourage other women to consider doing this type of work,” he said. “Audrey is an example to all for driving a bigger truck.”
Motha said Chiloane had crossed borders to Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana and other African countries and that if she could do it so could others who wished to be like her.
“We are planning to nominate her again this year because she has continued being exceptional. We will continue to enter her into the competition until she wins,” said Motha.
Iveco SA managing director Martin Liebenberg said they were looking for unique individuals who showed maturity. They could be long- or short -distance drivers who always delivered the hardest loads.
“Being a top truck driver is no easy feat. It requires dedication, hard work, patience, excellent technical and soft skills, ongoing training and development, a lot of sacrifices, and more. The competition aims to inspire our truck drivers to keep on doing their best, particularly in these challenging times,” he said.
The winner will receive R50 000, the runner-up R10 000 and the thirdplaced driver will walk away with R5 000. Entries close on September 3.