My mother drives a tractor trailer for a living

According to the American Trucking Associations, women make up about five percent of truck drivers.

My mother, Sonia Suazo, used to work in a kitchen, surrounded by male chefs, but wanted to try something different. My father, Policarpo Suazo, has been working in trucking ever since he came to the United States in his 30s. He taught her everything and now she’s part of a company, doing all the work herself.

Though you may think driving the truck may be simple, most trucks are manual and exceptionally complex, with with 10 forward speeds and two reverse.

My mother is about 5’3, so seeing her navigating such a big truck shows…

She said: “I wanted to challenge myself. Prove that I can do a man’s job. There is a lot of men driving. Only 5% of women are driving tractor trailers. I am proud to be part of that 5%.“

What does this job entail, exactly? It’s not just driving. She added: “There are lots of mechanical responsibilities. You have to make sure your truck looks good. You’re going through a lot of weight stations and security. Your lights must be working good and no flats on the road. You have to make wide turns.

“You have to check out what road you have to take because remember, sometimes you can’t take the same route as the car. You have to take truck routes.”

When asked if she got bored, my mother immediately replied, “Yeah, I do.” My father listened in and yelled, “You can’t! You’re driving!”

So how does she stay entertained while on the road?

“I listen to merengue, and salsa. I go on Facebook a lot. When I want to have time to myself, I sleep as much as I can. I sleep between four to five hours a day. 

“My average drive is 10 hours a day. I need to fill out the logbook and spend time at the pier.

“Whenever I have to pee, I put myself out of the road, I have a cup, and I pee in a cup. Most of the time I’ll throw it out but sometimes I rinse it because I have to reuse it.”

“Truck stops are like a big supermarket. They look like Walmart. There are restaurants, truck stores, bathrooms, showers, laundry. Some of them have a small movie room. They have arcade games where you can play.”

What is it like working in an industry so typically dominated by men?

She said: “The men help me a lot. They’re very friendly! When it’s hard to get into a spot when I need to park, they help me out. 

“When I go anywhere, men are proud to see a woman driving a truck. I don’t ever feel unsafe.”

“Now you see people are more open for women to do what they thought they couldn’t do before. More women will drive trucks in the future.

“To women struggling, go for it. Never give up. There’s more opportunities for ladies out there. Men do feel very happy seeing a woman drive. Believe me, a lot of men will give you a thumbs up when they see you.”