“Driving a Scania is every trucker’s dream”
11 JULY 2019
Becoming a Scania truck driver is a dream come true for 30-year old single mother Siti Rahimah Binti Makmur in Malaysia. Since 2017, she has been a driver with Kontena Nasional Berhad. With her Scania P 410, she loads arriving cargo at Port Klang for transport to the depot at Petaling Jaya or to the customer.
Before becoming a driver, Siti Rahima worked as a clerk while at the same time had a second job as a freelance make-up artist. Since she was the sole breadwinner for her family, she also ran a small business selling cosmetics and homemade cakes.
“My journey with Kontena Nasional Berhad started in 2017 when the company accepted me to be part of them as a fulltime truck driver. At first, I learned driving a truck from a friend. When I became comfortable and confident, I decided to pursue a career as a truck driver and have a brand new adventure.”
Being a woman in the male-dominated transport industry can be challenging. “The men in my life in Kontena Nasional Berhad give encouragement and admire my motivation as a female truck driver. Yet, there are still a handful of men with outdated stereotypes saying that we are supposed to be in the kitchen. Women in a male-dominated industry need to prove themselves and the trucking industry isn’t an exception.”
But Siti Rahimah says that does not deter her in the least. “I’m just motivated to do the job better, faster and more efficient than anyone else without compromising on safety.”
