A truckie with a baby bump isn’t something you see every day – and pregnant HC driver Lindsee Cameron admits she’s drawn a couple of “raised eyebrows” during her runs around South Australia over the past few months.
Lindsee, who did tipper work for Natrio Global Logistics right up until she was eight months pregnant, is expecting her first baby any day now.
And although some people were surprised when they noticed the growing bump underneath her PPE, Lindsee said she’s received nothing but support and positivity from the trucking community.
“When I found out I was pregnant, at first I was a little hesitant to tell my boss,” she told Big Rigs.
“There can be a bit of stigma around women in this industry, and I’m the only female driver at work.
“But my boss has been so supportive throughout my pregnancy, and my colleagues have been absolutely wonderful as well.”
Lindsee hopes to return to work for Natrio Global Logistics after she has her baby.Lindsee, 42, said Natrio Global Logistics went out of their way to accommodate her during her pregnancy.
“They helped me to keep working for as long as possible,” she said.
“They gave me longer distances as opposed to jobs like unloading the ships, where I would have to get in and out of the truck anywhere from 20 to 40 times a day.
“That made a big difference.”
Women in Trucking Australia has been another major source of support for Lindsee – from helping her to get her HC job in the first place, to offering advice after she found out she was expecting.
“I used to be a chef, but I was looking for a big career change,” she said.
“Women in Trucking Australia helped me get into the transport industry through its Foot in the Door Program.
“They have been amazing, and I know I can always go to them if I have any questions.”
Overall, Lindsee said balancing pregnancy with trucking has been a great experience.
“I had morning sickness at the start,” she said.
“That was a bit of a struggle, but I researched things that could help – I always had ginger lollies and popcorn on hand!
“I actually quite enjoyed being pregnant while truck driving.
“It was just me, my baby, my music and the road.”
Lindsee said she quite enjoyed trucking while pregnant.Lindsee was a casual employee with Natrio for just under a year, so she won’t get any official maternity leave, but she hopes to rejoin the company when she’s ready.
“I would definitely go back to Natrio, if they’ll have me,” she said.
“I could potentially get a permanent part-time contract, after I have the baby.
“I’d like to move up the field and get my MC licence, and get into pneumatic tankers.”
Lindsee said Natrio Global Logistics were very supportive during her pregnancy.Lindsee, who is originally from southeast Queensland but moved to Adelaide a couple of years ago, wanted to share her story to inspire other female truckies.
“We’re quite often led to believe that when we get pregnant, we’re useless or incapacitated,” she said.
“A lot of that is put into our minds, and then we believe it.
“If you feel comfortable, it’s actually pretty empowering to keep working for as long as you can – especially if you’re behind the wheel of a big truck!
“I just wanted to show other female truckies that it can be done.”
Lindsee hopes to get her MC licence and start driving pneumatic tankers.Lindsee said her best advice to other female drivers who are pregnant or thinking about having kids is to listen to your body.
“That’s something that I probably could have done better,” she said.
“Keep the lines of communication with your boss open, and check in about what is going on with your pregnancy – what jobs you can do and what you need to stop doing.
“That’s really important. The job’s great, but the baby comes first!”
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