Kayla Trainor was checking the trailers on her triple road train when I saw her parked along the Townsville Port Access Road recently.
The 165cm tall 36-year-old Trainor was driving a Kenworth T659 powered by a 650hp motor and with an 18 speed road ranger gearbox.
“I am carrying molasses bound for Dalby and really love the job,” Trainor said, adding that she currently mainly carts molasses and feedlot supplements.
Trainor has been a truckie for the past 18 months and has always liked driving.
“I was an office worker in Toowoomba for 17 years before this,” she said. “My most rewarding moment so far is getting a brand new Kenworth 659 truck.”
Quietly spoken Trainor is based at Pittsworth and said she gets treated well by other drivers.
“Especially the crew where I work, they are great,” she said.
She likes stopping at the Injune Roadhouse because they have a shower for female drivers.
“We do need more rest areas with facilities for female drivers as well,” she said.
Outside work, Trainor enjoys motorbike riding around Dalby.
The first truck she drove was a Volvo 540 and Trainor said she used to drive the Brisbane to Perth run for a different company.
Trainor might be small in stature to drive triple road trains but she wants to go one better. “My aim is to drive quads which are even longer,” she said.
If Trainor could give any advice to a female who wants to get into trucking it would be, “Don’t let size worry you. Get a good rattle gun, tyre lever and a steel bar, and you will be right. I’m actually surprised the amount of support from the men I get in the industry, most have been really supportive. My team, my employer and boss have been amazing. I would recommend any female to join Mort & Co,” Trainor said.
“Our customers are really surprised to see a chick get out of the truck. They offer to help with the hoses, I’m like I’m all good thanks,” she said.
Although, Trainor said she does struggle with the lack of amenities and cleanliness for truckies, be it male or female.
“I’m happy to share, but we need sanitary bins. So many showers/toilets don’t have them. I love Injune Roadhouse. It has a clean lady’s shower, great feed and room for parking my triple,” she said.
I found Trainor a pleasure to yarn to. And it was great to see that she had found happiness and contentment in the job.