“Go ahead, do it!” was the phrase that inspired Cinthia Moreno to fulfill her dream: to become a fifth-wheel operator . Driving a tractor-trailer was always on her mind, but she had to fight the stereotypes inherent in this profession, which is considered a male profession.
A smile appears on his face when he talks about tractor-trailers and the roads he has conquered on the many journeys he has traveled, where his truck has traveled, even in the most adverse climates.
In an interview with T21 , Cinthia Moreno said that fulfilling her dream has not been easy, as she was rejected countless times.
“When I made the decision to become a tractor-trailer operator, there were many problems and obstacles. I sent applications and emails with all the information I needed to get the opportunity to pursue this profession, but I was rejected in several places. They told me that being an operator was for men, that it would be very difficult for a woman to perform this job effectively,” she emphasized.
However, after many closed doors, her persistence paid off, as she managed to enter the Trayecto school , a company that gave her the opportunity to train, prepare professionally, and become certified as a fifth-wheel operator.
Originally from Mexico City, she has lived in San Luis Potosí for three years, where she works in the automotive equipment distribution sector.
Despite the lack of safety on the roads, he assured that he hasn’t had any accidents or dangerous situations. “My profession is very beautiful,” he emphasized.
Cinthia belongs to that small universe of female operators in Mexico.
According to information from the National Chamber of Cargo Transportation (Canacar) , only between 2% and 3% of tractor-trailer operators in Mexico are women , who mainly work on local or regional routes focused on industrial entities such as Nuevo León, the State of Mexico, and Guanajuato.
One of the things Cinthia enjoys about being on the road is the sunrises, and although it’s not common to see female drivers, “we’re striving every day to do this job in the best way possible, driving responsibly,” she noted.
With a year and a half as a fifth wheel operator, plus five months of training, Moreno indicated that the support of her family has been very important to achieve her goal, in addition to the fact that she has also been inspired by the example of the plot of the film To the Limit , starring actress Demi Moore, who plays Jordan O’Neill, a woman who undergoes intense and challenging elite training by the U.S. Navy.
“I was very struck by the fact that she was the first woman to join a male-only training team. So, despite many people telling her to give up, that she wouldn’t be able to do it, she kept going until she achieved her goal. That’s been part of my life, constantly fighting stereotypes,” she said.
Cinthia, who proudly displays her unit, said there are five other female operators at the base where she works in San Luis Potosí.
With a smile that never leaves her face and the pride of knowing she has achieved her goal, Cinthia says goodbye knowing that tomorrow she will have a new adventure aboard her tractor-trailer, which has become a kind of mobile home and part of her family.
In 2024, the number of female drivers in the cargo and passenger segments in Mexico increased, according to data from the General Directorate of Federal Motor Transport (DGAF) of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT) .
According to the DGAF, last year there were 6,738 valid licenses for women in the trucking industry , which represented a 23.6% increase compared to 2023.
This meant that nearly 1,300 women joined the ranks of freight and passenger truck drivers in 2024. However, while this represents progress, their participation in the sector remains in its infancy.
In response, several associations have taken a proactive role in promoting and raising awareness about women’s participation in the trucking industry.
In this sense, the Association of Women Cargo Vehicle Operators (AMO) , founded in 2021 in Tijuana, Baja California, emerged with the purpose of promoting gender equality in this sector, as well as attracting talent and developing women’s professional skills.
Various initiatives have also emerged, such as the Women in Auto Transport Network, promoted by the National Association of Bus, Truck and Tractor-Trailer Producers (ANPACT) , Juntas en la ruta (Road Boards), and Scania Drivers, among others, which have encouraged women’s participation in the auto transport sector.
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