Ambitious young truckie sets sights high

Inspired by her dad and step-dad, both of whom she now works alongside, 23-year-old go-getting truckie Aimee Booth is determined to learn as much as she can, while enjoying the ride.

Booth joined Ross Transport in early November 2021 and now drives a Western Star, hauling a live floor trailer, carting gravel, sand, asphalt, waste and more to quarries throughout Sydney, Illawarra and the Southern Highlands. “It’s a really good gig and I’m absolutely loving it – I couldn’t be happier,” she said.

When she chatted with Big Rigs, Ross Tranport’s youngest female recruit was in training to join the tipper team.

“I work with my dad and my step-dad at Ross Transport. Weird, I know, but we’re all best mates. My dad works interstate and my step-dad works in the tippers with me. I guess it’s always been in my blood to be a truckie. Hearing all about their adventures and challenges every day, I couldn’t wait to join in,” said Booth.

“I’ve admired Ross Transport’s trucks for as long as I can remember. While I was meeting my step-dad after work for lessons, I got to meet a lot of the drivers and couldn’t believe how supportive they all were. It felt like home every time I drove into the yard and I hadn’t even secured a job with Ross yet. I knew it was where I wanted to be.”

Booth started her truck driving career with a small waste company in 2020, delivering and collecting skip bins. As soon as she was able to, she obtained her HC licence in October 2021 and joined Ross Transport shortly after.

“It was a big jump from an LR to a HC, but driving a semi is something I have always dreamt of, so I put my mind to it and devoted my life to learning as much as I could, as quickly as I could. I spent a few weeks meeting with my step-dad after work while I was waiting for a truck to be available for me and he took me for some practice runs to get me used to the semi-trailer, which really helped out once Ross started training me for the job,” Booth said, adding that the training and support provided by her employer has been outstanding.

“Because I’m so new to the industry, Ross Transport wanted to allow me to drive different tipper trucks with different drivers to really help extend my knowledge and experience for when I’m out on my own.

“I was lucky enough to drive a Kenworth T909 truck and dog, which I think is the nicest truck I’ve driven so far. I learnt how to fold the trailers for tipping and nailed it first go; and I had a few practice runs up Mt Ousley while fully loaded. Getting the idea and feel of different trucks helped me gain confidence. I’ve been out on my own for a few weeks now and I adore the job and my Western Star.”

Booth adds that the support she’s received from Ross Transport has been incredible and overwhelming. “Words will never be able to express how amazing Ross Transport has been to me. I’ve had the warmest welcome into the industry. The boys I work with are the utmost gentlemen and management are too kind for words. The patience and support I have received is utterly incredible. It obviously can be a scary experience as a female joining a male dominated industry when you have no experience at all; but the workers and management have been insanely helpful. I’ll never forget what Ross Transport has done for me.

“Every day is a new and exciting adventure, learning my truck and meeting different drivers from other companies who are also incredibly supportive and happy to see a chick giving it a good hard crack. I also work with my step-dad, so it’s awesome to be making these memories with him that I’ll never ever forget.”

Though Booth loves the job at Ross Transport and can’t see herself going anywhere else any time soon, she does have her sights set high for the future. “I’d love to buy my own truck one day. It seems a little far-fetched at the moment, as I’m just starting off, so in the meantime Ross Transport are stuck with me! I can’t think of a better company or bosses I’d want to work for. My hope for the future is to continue absorbing as much knowledge as I can about the industry,” she said.

“Ross Transport is all about giving people a go and training workers from the ground up. I couldn’t have made it so far without them.”

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