Audrey Thabile is a powerhouse in her industry, empowering women to become truck drivers and working in the male-dominated industry.
Johannesburg, South Africa (18 August 2021) – Women are certainly no longer content with being confined solemnly to jobs traditionally associated with their gender. They are also stepping into roles previously occupied by men. Audrey Thabile (36) is one such a woman. She is a driver tester at SA’s largest truck driving academy, in Boksburg Gauteng. She is also fully involved with testing of drivers as the driving academy expands from a focus on Code 8 to Code 14 drivers.
Armed with her CODE 14 license; Professional Driving Permit (PDP) and Dangerous Goods Permit having completed driver training at Innovative Learning Solutions (ILS) in 2020 she was subsequently found to be such a remarkable candidate she was hired to join their training team. Thabile is the man, ahem the woman for the job! Thabile says she is ready to prove her worth by grooming a mostly male audience to tackle the challenges of the road.
“I love trucks. It’s been that way since I was young. When I came across Innovative Learning Solutions’ Introduction to Advanced Driving Techniques course, I knew I had to sign up for it. The training was exactly what I needed because I had already conducted my CODE 14 training and testing with the three-axle truck and the ILS programme uses a Volvo Superlink which requires more skill to handle. Trucking companies want drivers who are competent in the Superlink, and a competency certificate proves you know what you are doing,” says Thabile.
She says beyond the social limitations most women face, another reason not many women are drivers rests on old mindsets of driving being a man’s job.
“Driving is gender-neutral. It is not reserved for a specific sex but many studies have proven that women generally are safer drivers than men, yet there are fewer of us driving professionally,” says Thabile.
Audrey is an inspiration to women in South Africa. She hopes more women will take up positions that are considered male-dominated. She encourages them to follow their dreams.