Owner/Driver #339

women in trucking
BREAKING
THROUGH
THE BARRIER
The Pilbara Heavy Haulage Girls celebrated
International Women’s Day with a high
school visit, offering encouragement for
young women keen to join a male-dominated
industry. Ben Dillon writes
STEPPING INTO the cab of a heavy-duty truck
for the first time can be a daunting experience
for anyone, but for people who have a genuine
fear of driving it can seem like an impossible
barrier to break through. Add to that if you
are a woman trying to break into a maledominated
industry and the odds are stacked
against you.
Bobbi Lockyer is a Port Hedland-based artist,
photographer and mother of four whose designs have
appeared on the catwalk at New York Fashion Week, but
until International Women’s Day (IWD) she had never
been behind the wheel of a truck. Living in a situation
of domestic violence for more than a decade, Lockyer
had a very real fear of driving and has only had her
driver’s licence for the past couple of years.
Enter Heather Jones of Pilbara Heavy Haulage Girls
(PHHG) who, as well as running a transport business,
also heads up a ‘boot camp’ for female drivers coming
into the heavy-duty segment. As part of this, Jones
also brings her trucks to events such as the recent
International Women’s Day held by the township of
Port Hedland where both Jones and Lockyer were
invited as speakers.
With the first stop being the local high school, two of
the PHHG pink trucks rolled into the school car park
where a swarm of students had the opportunity to
climb in and over the truck, with talks given for IWD in
the school hall.
After this was a luncheon hosted by the township
of Port Hedland, with Jones and Lockyer sharing their
personal journeys to the assembled guests. Meeting
34 APRIL 2021 ownerdriver.com.au