Hume Transport’s Nellie White is aiming to further advance her career in transport through the help of her new scholarship.

It’s no secret that the transport industry is still a heavily male-dominated sector. Organisations like Transport Women Australia Limited, led by Chair Jacquelene Brotherton, are helping to promote the importance of diversity in the workplace.

One of the ways that they are doing this is through the ‘Driving the Difference’ scholarship. 2024 was the sixth year the initiative has been run, giving the winners the chance to pursue advancements in their career.

There were five recipients of the latest round of scholarships, including Nellie White of Hume Transport. Based in Albury-Wodonga, Nellie works in transport operations across areas including fleet compliance and fleet allocation.

She is partially responsible for a fleet of more than 70 trucks, which provide interstate freight services on both sides of the border as well as out to South Australia and Queensland.

Nellie applied for the scholarship with the hopes of undertaking a course to start the process of getting her truck licence, but never thought she would be one of the women chosen.

“I got a call from Jacquelene Brotherton, saying you’ve been accepted and we’ll present the scholarship to you,” she tells PowerTorque.

“I was in disbelief, but it was very exciting. I didn’t think that I would ever get it.”

Now four years into the job at Hume, Nellie has already found herself growing and developing within the transport industry.

She can’t imagine doing anything else now, but transport and fleet operations are still a relatively new world for her.

“I had no knowledge of the transport industry before starting at Hume,” she says.

“My dad used to cart hay, but that was when I was very young. I lived and worked in a hotel through COVID, and that was difficult.

“I was ready for a change, and I wanted to move to Queensland. I applied for a bunch of jobs here while I was waiting for the border to open and got this job in accounts.

“It was full time, and I thought I’d bide my time until I moved. But now it’s been four years and I’m still here with no plans to go, and I love it.”

Accounts was where Nellie got her start, but after becoming familiar with how a transport operator goes about its business, the opportunity to get more involved in the operations side arose.

Along with her desire to tackle new challenges, it was a natural progression.

“I quickly grew out of accounts and thankfully my boss recognised I could be doing more,” Nellie says.

Nellie White.

“He put me through compliance and operations a bit. Six months into my employment we had some stuff shuffle around, so I was offered a few roles. I could stay in accounts, go to compliance, or operations, or go to Queensland.

“I knew I wanted to stay because I fell in love with it so quickly. The operations job scared me the most, so that was the one that I took.

“The boys said they wanted me in the ops room. They were really supportive and backed me in to do well there.”

A part of applying for the Driving the Difference scholarship was nominating a course or something similar to undertake to advance your career in transport.

Nellie chose a course at Wodonga TAFE to start the process of getting her licence, starting at HR with the aim of eventually working her way up to bigger rigs.

She sees it as a way to give her the flexibility to jump behind the wheel if needed, whether that be moving trucks around the yard or wherever else they may need to go.

“I see it as a handy thing to have,” Nellie says.

“When I moved into operations the boys were really keen for me to get my licence. I really wanted to get out there and see what it was like for the drivers, see it from their perspective.

“The boys suggested I get my licence, but I was terrified of that! They pushed me and I’m glad they did. I’ve always loved being out on the road.

“I’m not looking at driving as my main job but it will be a good thing to have.

“I just want to start at HR. My boss is pretty keen for me to go all the way, but it’s a discussion to have! Now when I start the course I’ve just got to get a bit of practice in and go for it.”

Hume also regularly brings their fleet to truck shows, and Nellie says she’ll be able to help get the trucks down to those.

“I just got a truck named after me, and I thought it would be cool to be able to drive that truck to shows.

“I want to get a bit more out there with Hume and build our brand that way. There’s a whole culture in transport, and if you’re not out there on social media you can be invisible in this industry.”

Organisations like Transport Women Australia are continuing to offer opportunities to not just women, but anyone who wants to get involved with or further their career within transport.

Nellie says they have had a massive impact on her, and would advise anyone interested to look at what they can offer.

“I would encourage more women to get involved,” she says.

“Transport Women Australia have been great. It’s not just about women, it’s about everyone. We’re all in this together. That’s where they come from, and I love that attitude.

“I would encourage anyone to join the transport industry, it’s fantastic. It’s definitely a lifestyle, but you’ll fall in love with it so quickly. I never thought I’d be where I am right now, but I love it.”