“Once they realised I was deaf, their excuses as to why they couldn’t help me flowed thick and fast.”
Brisbane truck driver Candice Lureman has settled into her dream job at Visa Global Logistics, driving a 2012 Mercedes Benz Actros 2648 B-double.
Candice, 35, who is deaf, applied for 3500 truck driving jobs before joining the team at Visa Global Logistics in January 2017.
She usually carts containerised import freight. Her shifts are between 10 and 12 hours long, starting at 4am or 5am. These busy work days include wharf slots, delivering full containers, collecting empty containers, and dehiring empty containers.
Candice faced many challenges after deciding she wanted to drive trucks. First she had to find someone willing to train her. “Once they realised I was deaf, their excuses as to why they couldn’t help me flowed thick and fast,” Candice says.
Fortunately Strategix Training Group helped her obtain her Heavy Rigid licence in 2011.
Soon after, she found work with a large transport company but she lost this job in September 2013, and battled to find her next opportunity.
Candice received many responses to her 3500 truck driving applications “but once I texted them to explain my deafness, all I received were emails or texts wishing me all the best for the future,” Candice says.
“Getting past HR attitudes toward women and people living with disability became my greatest challenge.”
In the face of each setback, Candice grew more determined. She upgraded to a Multi Combination licence and obtained a long list of transport related certificates.
She also gained three months training and work experience with Pilbara Heavy Haulage Girls where she won the admiration of CEO Heather Jones.
Heather recommended Candice for the driving position at Visa Global Logistics.
Now Candice is studying Certificate IV in Driving Operations. And she loves training in Visa Global Logistics’ quad/quad Super B-double combination.
Read the full story in the August 2017 issue of Owner//Driver, on sale August 7.