Big-rig sisters in for the long haul

Young, vibrant and sexy, they have traded in their high heels for industrial footwear so they can operate the pedals of giant trucks.

Meet the beauties behind the beasts: Portia Khumalo and Nandipha Makha, two women drivers of delivery trucks who work for Spar KwaZulu-Natal in Phoenix Industrial Park, and Nomonde Dube, who drives for BP.

Khumalo, 30, and the shy Makha, 29, are among 11 women driving the horse-and-trailer Mercedes-Benz Axor and Actros delivery trucks. Nationwide, Spar employs 30 women drivers.

While doing a job that many women would rather leave to men, Khumalo and Makha say it’s all in a day’s work for them as they navigate the province’s complex road network daily.

“It’s a choice I made – not that there weren’t other jobs to choose from. I chose to put away my high heels, escape the airconditioned office and hit the big road,” said Khumalo with a giggle.

Khumalo, who has been driving Code 14 trucks for three years, says life on the road is exciting, challenging and stressful, all at once, for a woman. She says each day has its own challenges.

“However, nothing can substitute for the thrill of travelling to an unknown place to deliver the cargo and being on time. I love meeting new people,” says the Umlazi-born woman.

Durban-born Dube, 26, drives a Nissan UD460 truck for BP Petroleum. Dube has been driving an oil tanker for two years.

She started driving Code 10 trucks when she was 22 while working for a Pinetown distribution company.

“When I got my Code 14 licence, I applied here and they accepted me, took me for training and here I am now. I enjoy what I’m doing and the chemical industry is a challenging one,” she says.

Makha, of uMzimkhulu, admits there are things that put them off, especially perceptions about female drivers. She says these usually are rude gestures made to them by men.

“It’s so unbelievable that some men still look down on us,” says Makha.

Khumalo says as drivers they also play the role of good ambassadors for the company and that the job comes with a lot of customer service responsibility.

“We deliver to people, stores and franchisees who expect a high level of professionalism from us,” she says.

The women say even though their families worry about the type of job they have chosen to do, they take comfort in knowing that it is as safe as any other job out there.

“My mother never stops worrying. I always send her an SMS before I go on a long journey, whether to Port Edward or St Lucia. I put her at ease by telling her that I treat my job as travel and tourism.

“There are places all over KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape that I would not have seen had I not been a truck driver,” says Khumalo, the mother of an eight-year-old daughter.

Both Khumalo and Makha agree that the most challenging aspect of their job is directions. Khumalo quips that women cannot read maps and she was no exception.

“At least unlike men, I ask for directions,” she says bursting into laughter.

“I often ask other drivers about the routes if I’m not familiar with the place. I got lost once – and you won’t believe it was here in Pinetown.

“The trouble with the horse-and-trailer type of a truck is that you cannot just turn anywhere. You have to be mindful not only of the road signs, but of other motorists as well,” she says.

Like most truck drivers, the women say their shift may start as early as 3am and they will spend anything from six to eight hours on the road.

They say what keeps them going is the convenience that comes with the comfort of the cab, which has a radio and airconditioner – some are even automatic vehicles.

“It’s a lonely job sometimes, because one cannot take passengers and you also have to endure a pre-set speed limiter that stops at 80km/h. Sometimes you feel like pushing the thing harder. It feels so good to be in control of such a big monster,” says Khumalo.

Khumalo, who has already won a provincial award for driving, says gaining respect from male colleagues has been difficult.

“They just would not believe that a young and pretty lady like me can do so well behind the wheel of a big truck. This has all changed over time.

“We are a good team, we share expertise, frustrations and all the good that comes with the job,” she says.

Like most women, Khumalo and Makha carry their handbags complete with female cosmetics, sunglasses and other accessories.

“You can be a truck driver and be sexy at the same time,” laughs Makha.

They admit to giving some trucks names depending on their wayward mechanical behaviour.

Both Khumalo and Makha bemoan the lack of roadside facilities like toilets. They say service stations remain far apart and some routes just do not have them at all.

Max Oliva, Spar KZN logistics director, says women drivers have become the engine of the company’s operations and that they form 30 percent of the division’s workforce.

“We have found out that women truck drivers are extremely competent, pay attention to detail and respect the job,” he says.