MEET THE WOMEN BEHIND THE BIG WHEELS!

Love of the open road keeps these ladies truckin'

- Sarah Marinos

‘MY FAMILY WANTED ME TO STUDY LAW’

There were a few raised eyebrows in her family when Natalie Kascak got her truck licence. Now 34, she’s been driving trucks since she was 18 and makes 6000km round trips towing fuel tankers from Adelaide to Darwin.

“My family was hoping I’d study law or medicine, and I did start a medical science degree but couldn’t face the daily grind of study for years,” she says.

“I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and was hooked on truck driving from my first lesson!”

After a brief stint as a paramedic, she returned to trucking when her grandmother became ill, and she went back to Adelaide to care for her.

Natalie now drives triple road trains from Adelaide to Darwin and Alice Springs. During the six-day round trip, Natalie camps in her truck and listens to music and audiobooks to pass the time.

“When I’m in the truck, I’m my own boss,” says Natalie, who is chair of Woman in Trucking Australia (WITA).

“I like the remoteness, although it’s challenging if you break down. But I’ve learned some basic mechanics – I know how to get myself out of trouble.”