Kat Hailes
Trailblazing Truck Driver, Transport Company Owner
As a young girl, Kat loved the sound of jake-brakes as the big rigs rolled by. Now she drives a truck full-time and runs a certified Indigenous civil construction earth-moving company with her partner.
“From a young age, I loved the sound of truck jake-brakes as the big rigs rolled by. I dreamed of becoming a truckie and to chase that dream, I moved to the NSW Riverina, got my HR (heavy vehicle) license, met my partner Daniel and worked casually doing harvest runs at Lake Cargelligo before relocating with him to Sydney.
I couldn’t find work trucking, so I spent several years working as a mortuary assistant until my two little ones came along. I absolutely love being a Mum, but I did feel something was missing in my life after the children were born. That “something” was truck driving, and today my partner and I own an earth-moving company. I’m lucky to have a great partner who runs the business and minds the kids!
I work ten-hour days driving one of the five company trucks. A lot of work is on construction sites.
I have my ear glued to the CB radio constantly, so I know exactly where to tip my loads, or to load up with waste soil to take to dump points.
On site, I meet and chat to lots of female traffic controllers and they ask me how they can get a start in the industry. Whenever we can, we employ Indigenous drivers. We regularly visit TAFE colleges to talk to students who are interested in trucking.
I think females are well suited to the role because we focus on the small stuff – where we’re going, what we’re carting, weights and dimensions, signage, paperwork and the list goes on.”
Connect: https://p.facebook.com/kooricartage/
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