The first ever awards specifically designed to celebrate and showcase the work of Australian female heavy vehicle drivers have been set down to coincide with the establishment of “National Female Truckies Day” on July 5 – the birthdate of Australian female trucking industry icon Toots Holzheimer.
Widely regarded as the guardian angel of Australian female heavy vehicle drivers, Women in Trucking Australia are delighted to announce that the Holzheimer family have not only given their blessing for WiTA to name these prestigious awards in Toot’s honour but also to celebrate this national day of significance on her July 5 birthdate.
WiTA, now regarded as the peak advocacy body representing female heavy vehicle drivers, is dedicated to empowering and supporting women across all heavy vehicle license classes.
Inspired by their namesake’s remarkable legacy, the Toots Awards will not only honour and recognise the work of today’s female truckies, but will also inspire and encourage future generations of Australian women to consider trucking careers and remember our pioneer sisters as we look back to celebrate the rich tapestry of Australian female heavy vehicle driver history.
Female truckies are a close-knit group who regularly come together to support and mentor each other at truck stops across the nation and on the WiTA Facebook page. With 63,000 followers, WiTA is proud to host the fastest growing social media platform in the industry.
With that in mind, moves are underway to celebrate our inaugural National Female Truckies Day through an impressive show of unity as the largest group of female truckies gathered in one place come together on the WiTA Facebook page to mark this new day of national significance.
Female drivers are asked to submit a selfie with their truck along with details of their licence type, state/territory and freight type via WiTA’s Facebook Messenger.
Pics will be posted onto WiTA’s Facebook page from Wednesday, June 21, and by popular vote, the winner of the inaugural Toots Award will be determined and announced on National Female Truckie’s Day on Wednesday, July 5.
In addition to the Toots Award, there are many great prizes to be won including gift baskets, WiTA polo shirts, gift cards and 200 pairs of gorgeous pink work socks gifted by WiTA corporate member Finlease!
Interestingly our Canadian, English and US sisters who have also embraced the concept are now working to establish their own days of national recognition – so there’s a lot happening globally.
The board and staff of Women in Trucking Australia – eight of whom are heavy vehicle drivers – will continue their work developing innovative programs and initiatives to support and empower female heavy vehicle drivers with the ultimate goal of fostering a more inclusive and diverse trucking industry.
- Lyndal Denny is CEO of Women in Trucking Australia.