Owner/Driver #339
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women in trucking<br />
BREAKING<br />
THROUGH<br />
THE BARRIER<br />
The Pilbara Heavy Haulage Girls celebrated<br />
International Women’s Day with a high<br />
school visit, offering encouragement for<br />
young women keen to join a male-dominated<br />
industry. Ben Dillon writes<br />
STEPPING INTO the cab of a heavy-duty truck<br />
for the first time can be a daunting experience<br />
for anyone, but for people who have a genuine<br />
fear of driving it can seem like an impossible<br />
barrier to break through. Add to that if you<br />
are a woman trying to break into a maledominated<br />
industry and the odds are stacked<br />
against you.<br />
Bobbi Lockyer is a Port Hedland-based artist,<br />
photographer and mother of four whose designs have<br />
appeared on the catwalk at New York Fashion Week, but<br />
until International Women’s Day (IWD) she had never<br />
been behind the wheel of a truck. Living in a situation<br />
of domestic violence for more than a decade, Lockyer<br />
had a very real fear of driving and has only had her<br />
driver’s licence for the past couple of years.<br />
Enter Heather Jones of Pilbara Heavy Haulage Girls<br />
(PHHG) who, as well as running a transport business,<br />
also heads up a ‘boot camp’ for female drivers coming<br />
into the heavy-duty segment. As part of this, Jones<br />
also brings her trucks to events such as the recent<br />
International Women’s Day held by the township of<br />
Port Hedland where both Jones and Lockyer were<br />
invited as speakers.<br />
With the first stop being the local high school, two of<br />
the PHHG pink trucks rolled into the school car park<br />
where a swarm of students had the opportunity to<br />
climb in and over the truck, with talks given for IWD in<br />
the school hall.<br />
After this was a luncheon hosted by the township<br />
of Port Hedland, with Jones and Lockyer sharing their<br />
personal journeys to the assembled guests. Meeting<br />
34 APRIL 2021 ownerdriver.com.au