At the age of 28, Heather Jones took the wheel of a truck for the first time. She decided to become a truck driver to provide for her young daughters.
Heather left her quiet job as a secretary and started traveling along the roads of Western Australia. Today, at the age of 51, she already owns her own transport business.
In the early ’90s, Heather’s husband left her, leaving her alone with her young daughters (Kerstie was 4 years old, and Chelsea was only 5).
She had a stable job as an accountant in a mining company. However, the wages were low, making it challenging for the young mother to lead a normal life for herself and her children.
A trucker friend came to Heather’s aid, offering her the opportunity to drive a truck on multiple routes.
“I don’t even know what would have happened to us if a friend hadn’t offered me a job. After all, the salary was several times higher. And now I work for myself. This offer changed our entire life,” Heather recalls.
At that time, the concept of a female truck driver was new, as the dominant position in this industry was held by men. But Heather managed to find allies who supported her throughout her journey.
The young mother brought her little girls with her, even having to equip a special mini-room in the cockpit with beds, toilets, and a refrigerator.
The girls had to study on the road because they couldn’t attend school.
The family lived this way for 7 years. When the girls reached adolescence, they asked their mother to enroll them in a school.
Heather realized that the children needed their own home and stability. So, she decided to take out a bank loan to invest in her own business.
Heather had to go through “seven circles of hell” before succeeding in obtaining a loan from the bank. After all, many rejected her because they believed that transporting goods was not a woman’s business.
Starting a business was challenging, and the woman worked day and night to get the business back on its feet.
Now, at 51, Jones owns her own business and has also bought a house in Perth. Her adult daughters help her in the family business.
Twenty-seven years ago, she changed her job from secretary to truck driver and has no regrets.
Through her example, Heather Jones has shown that a woman can accomplish anything, even in a traditionally “masculine” profession.
