Industry News

‘I knew it was now or never’

Steph Fenech, 52, revealed she’s only ever had three jobs in her life – and they’ve all been very different. She recently chatted with Big Rigs while washing her truck, after returning from her daily run.

Based at Veolia’s Cambridge depot in Tasmania, Steph joined the company in November 2021, taking part in the Women on Wheels training program.

Through this program she was able to secure her medium rigid (MR) licence and has since spent close to three years on the road.

Steph steers an Iveco hook-lift truck, collecting skip bins from construction sites right across the Apple Isle. “I get to go anywhere they send me,” she said.

As Steph explained, “I had ridden racehorses for 26 years. That was my first job and for those 26 years, I had a great boss. But then I broke my back. I had done night school previously to get into aged care nursing. I did that for eight years but I didn’t find it fulfilling. I needed something new and that’s why I applied for Veolia’s Women on Wheels program.”

Steph came across the program during an internet search for jobs and says it was her husband who encouraged her to give it a go.

“He said, ‘You’re stagnant where you are, just go for it, you’ve got nothing to lose!’ I was looking for a different move. I had been home with the kids too. I wanted something for me. It was a gamble, but it was the right time in my life to take that gamble.”

Veolia launched its Women on Wheels program to address the national driver shortage and help bring more women into the industry.

The pilot program started in Tasmania in 2021 with six drivers – and a further three have come on board since then.

Women on Wheels has also been successfully run in South Australia, with five new drivers coming on board. In 2025, Veolia will run the program in Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia and regional Victoria, along with another round in Tasmania, adding at least another 14 female drivers to its staff.

Steph drives a hook-lift truck, collecting skip bins from
across Tasmania. Image: Chris Dickinson/Veolia ANZ

For Steph, getting her truck licence was at the back of her mind for a long time.

“I had always wanted to get my truck licence while in the horse industry, so I could cart the horses,” Steph said.

“The horse trainer I worked with had trucks and machinery on the farm. I’d driven trucks on the farm but still came into this pretty blind. I didn’t realise how big the industry is and everything it entails.”

She added that Women on Wheels was “a massive success”, combining a mixture of classroom learning and real-world experience.

“The program looked at all the safety aspects and what Veolia is doing from an environmental perspective.

“We spent time riding in the passenger seat with various drivers – in the liquid trucks, hook-lift trucks, sanitary bin trucks, bin delivery trucks and side loaders.

“As well as hook lifts, I’m trained in rear lift trucks as well.

“Since getting into the program, I haven’t looked back. I love being on the road and the freedom that comes with that – and there’s always a great level support around you too.

“I have really good bosses so I feel really lucky. The camaraderie at Veolia is great – it doesn’t matter whether you’re a man or a woman.

“I appreciate the opportunity I’ve had through Women on Wheels. I don’t think I would have gotten my
licence if I hadn’t come across a program like this. I had felt intimidated about going out and getting my truck licence but I’ve never felt like that at Veolia.”

Asked whether she plans to upgrade her licence, Steph commented, “The other blokes I work with on the hook-lift trucks are really encouraging me to go into the bigger trucks.

“Eventually I plan to upgrade my licence but I’m really comfortable where I am for now. I love doing what I’m doing. You get to build a bit of a rapport with people you see on the building sites as well.”

For others considering a move into truck driving, Steph said, “If that’s what you want to do, don’t hesitate. I shouldn’t have waited as long as I did.

“For me, it was the right place at the right time. I just wish I’d done it earlier!”

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