Super mum’s have been ruling the transport industry for quite some time, but especially more recently.
Transport and truckies are being blessed with the mum’s they work alongside with, who kick butt at their career, and at looking after their little ones.
- Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter to receive the latest news and classifieds from Australia’s transport industry.
- Don’t miss a second and subscribe to our monthly Deals on Wheels magazine.
- Sell your truck with Australia’s #1 truck classifieds
Claudia Foini
For years, Claudia Foini noticed Transport Women Australia (TWAL) were not receiving the attention they deserved.
Being a woman in the transport industry isn’t the easiest task, let alone then later becoming a mother.
But Claudia loved the work TWAL were doing for all the women out there in the industry and decided to become a member.
“Especially earlier on in my career, it was very much a male populated industry, but over the years, we’ve turned the tables,” she says.
“There’s certainly a number of women in high positions now which is truly amazing.”
“I saw the opportunity last year to jump on board as a director for TWAL, so I thought I’d give it a go, as if I don’t have enough on my plate!”
Like an average 19-year-old, Claudia says back then, she wasn’t sure what to do with herself career wise and fell into transport through an opportunity with a friend.
Starting off as a manifesting clerk, more than 20 years later Claudia is now not only a director of TWAL, but the state manager for Doble Express Transport (DXT).
“There’s the owner and then there’s me and my 13 depots statewide that I manage, along with my depot managers in each location,” Claudia says.
Claudia’s hard work has certainly paid off, but she admits, becoming a mother while juggling her career at the start, was quite the challenge.
“I have a little boy who’s four years old now, but when I first had him, I had four months off, and I was going stark crazy,” she says.
“In our industry, you certainly have a ticking brain because you have constantly got to be on the go.
“It was difficult to begin with, juggling many things like lack of sleep, but now I’ve got a pretty good routine with my son and it’s great, just an additional task for me.”
Despite hardships, she wouldn’t trade it for the world…
“This industry has been fabulous to me,” she says.
“If you have great organisational skills, and don’t mind bossing a few men around, it certainly takes the pressure off your own home life sometimes.
“Give it a go, the mumma’s should back themselves!”
And whether she’s managing a fleet or managing a toddler, she’s proving every day that you can do it all.
Blair House
They say being a mother is the hardest job in the world.
With a 4-year-old daughter, a baby on its way and working a career in transport, Blair House can confidently agree with that statement.
Currently six months pregnant, Blair has been riding the wave of motherhood challenges.
“It’s hard because you still have the expectations of what a male would do, but then you have a child that relies on you as well,” she says.
“Yes, it’s hard, but you obviously make it work.”
The flexibility of the transport industry is what Blair can’t help but love about it.
“Transport is running all the time, it’s not just your office nine to five job, and most companies are very flexible when you have a family.”
Working as an operations manager at her parents’ business, SRH Milk Haulage, Blair didn’t always plan to end up in this career field, instead her younger days consisted of her hating school and wanting to become a hairdresser.
Sixteen years on, and she finds this job is a comfortable fit into her life.
“I was obviously in the industry prior to becoming a mother, and although my parents own the business, our female drivers have a set roster to work out their schedule with their kids,” she says.
“Depending on the runs, if the kids are older, they can be taken in the truck, it’s a very flexible industry, especially for mothers.”
As a member of TWAL, Blair found herself attending events and relating to the conversations had around transport.
“It was nice to have people around me that shared the same interests and share a similar female perspective,” she says.
With her second baby due in July, Blair knows her life will change yet again, as the waves of motherhood tend to knock one around.
But there are no worries for Blair, because she knows that in this industry, she will be catered for and looked after.
Kim Hall
Working in transport always seems to be a generational influence.
Kim Hall is another prime example. Initially she was inspired by her dad, and now her youngest is inspired by her.
“Working as a truckie was a lifelong interest of mine, I pushed and pushed and pushed for it,” Kim says.
“My father is a truck driver, so I used to see a fair bit of what his job was all about. Even before he started driving, I had an interest in trucks and machinery from a very young age.”
As a mother of two teenagers, 16 and 18, her youngest is now looking at becoming a heavy diesel mechanic.
“He’s more interested in the mechanical side of things, though my eldest has very little interest in transport,” she laughs.
“Working in transport as a mum is rewarding, but it is good for the kids too.
“They have now developed a better understanding of transport, especially now that I’ve got one learning to drive. He’s got a lot more respect for truckies than other young fellas would.”
As one of the few female truckies at SRH Haulage, Kim encourages women and other mum’s to just “go for it!”
“It’s really as simple as that. I love my job, and if you end up in a really supportive company with great support, it’s even better.”
Read more:
- Children in need receive new hope from Centurion
- Almost three decades and 100 brand-new Kenworths later
- Supporting fellow truckies at Clunes Historic Vehicle Show
- Driving for change one pink truck at a time
- Trucking runs through the workers veins at JATEC Transport
Check out the Deals on Wheels Facebook here.