Determined and passionate – that’s how a racing truck mechanist, truck driver and truck sales manager are described in a recent Iveco video. Titled Truck Queens, the clip aims to defeat sexist stereotypes about women and their role in the labour market. The message here is that a love for trucks doesn’t depend on gender.
The 8 minute clip tells the story of three women who come from different countries and different backgrounds.
The first testimonial is from Judith Ehrmann, an experienced mechanic for truck racing Team Schwabentruck, which competes in the FIA European Truck Racing Championship.
Judith is responsible for getting lead driver Steffi Halm’s truck race ready and drives the team’s IVECO S-Way service truck. She found her passion in her family’s business:
My parents have a very small family-run bus company,” Judith explains. “It was always bustling, you got dirty, and it was fun to watch the guys work. That’s how I understood I wanted to be a mechanic, and so I got started.”
The second testimonial is from Lorella Della Torre, who has carved a career as Sales Manager at an Italian IVECO Dealership. In her 30 years covering a variety of roles within Iveco, she has earned the respect of her colleagues and customers.
In the 80s, when I started working in sales, the role of saleswoman didn’t exist, so I created it for myself. I entered an entirely male environment, where there was no room for me. I had to shoulder my way in.”
The third testimony is from Oti Cabadas, who has confronted traditional prejudices head on to become an experienced truck driver. She has spent years behind the wheel of trucks and has now had the opportunity to drive an IVECO S-Way on long-haul missions. Life on the road is hard, but Oti loves it:
People see it as just another vehicle, but for us it’s our home. In this job you make many sacrifices, but I find it fulfilling and I get a lot out of it – I wouldn’t give up trucking, however hard it is.”