For years, tractor-trailers were viewed by women from below. From a sidewalk, a gas station, a bus seat, or a car window. Enormous, distant, imposing. Vehicles that seemed to belong only to men.

But something changed for eight women who decided to stop watching the cars go by and start imagining themselves behind the wheel.

The Association of Daimler Commercial Vehicles Distributors Mexico (ADAVEC) , the Comprehensive Management Center (CEDEMI),  Daimler Truck Mexico and  Tecnomotum , together with the  Association of Women Operators (AMO) , celebrated the graduation of the first generation made up entirely of women operators in Mexico City, where eight participants completed five weeks of specialized training and passed with scores above 80 percent.

In addition to technical training , the graduates passed their medical exams and were ready to begin the process of obtaining or renewing their federal license.

The graduates of this first generation were Edith Gabriela Quintero Hernández, Brenda Melgarejo Morales, Erika Díaz García, Laura Cruz Álvarez, Elizabeth Cuahuizo García, Luz Anel Gil Desgarennes and Jocabed Reza León.

The ceremony was marked by hugs , tears, and testimonies where the operators themselves spoke of exhausting days, fears, simulators, maneuvers, and dreams they had kept for years.

Marcela Barreiro, president and CEO of Daimler Truck Mexico , acknowledged that this generation represents an important step forward for an industry where female participation is still limited.

“We love seeing how women are making these very important advances in this industry,” she said during the ceremony.

Beyond technical training, the project also seeks to create opportunities within a sector facing a severe shortage of drivers. Organizations such as the  National Chamber of Freight Transportation  (Canacar)   and the   International Road Transport Union (IRU)  have estimated that Mexico faces a deficit of approximately 99,000 drivers. 

Therefore, during the graduation ceremony, the opening of the second course exclusively for female operators in Mexico City was also announced, with registration beginning on May 25 and classes starting on July 6.

From the dream of a gas station to the wheel of a semi-truck

For Edith Gabriela Quintero Hernández, the dream began amidst the smell of gasoline, the roar of engines, and the endless coming and going of tractor-trailers she watched pass by during her shifts at a gas station. While many only saw enormous vehicles crossing the highway, she imagined something different: her hands holding the steering wheel.

“I want to drive one,” he would repeat to himself every time he saw those trucks go by, which were almost always driven by men.

At 34, a single mother with two daughters, she decided to risk everything for the dream she’d been pursuing for over a decade. For five weeks, her days began before dawn . By four in the morning, she was already awake, preparing everything at home, taking care of her motherly responsibilities before heading out to Cedemi. She would take the Mexico City Metro in the early hours of the morning, and when she was still working, she would finish her classes and go straight to her night shift.

They were days of exhaustion, simulators, maneuvers, sleepless nights and doubts, but also of a conviction that had been growing silently for years.

“It’s a dream I’ve had for many years,” he told T21.

Today, after pursuing opportunities for more than 16 years, Edith looks at the diploma in her hands and sums up the entire journey with a single word: success.

“We transporters are the link between point A and point B”

For Brenda Melgarejo Morales, trucks were never just machines crossing the city. For years she drove them on deliveries, routes, and long days behind the wheel of three-and-a-half-ton vehicles , but an idea kept growing inside her, one that wouldn’t go away: she wanted to go further.

Because for Brenda, driving wasn’t just about following a route. It was about feeling free. It was about finding herself along the way.

“Personally, my passion is driving,” he shared.

At 45, after working for delivery companies and navigating streets where time always seems to move faster than traffic , he learned that behind the wheel lies an enormous responsibility. He speaks of discipline, safety, and a profession that silently sustains the daily lives of thousands of people.

“We transporters are like that main link between point A and point B,” he said.

But behind that dream was also a small voice pushing her forward . It was the voice of Sofia, her 12-year-old daughter, who became the most important driving force behind Brenda’s decision to take the next step and sit behind a fifth wheel.

“Mom, with everything,” she remembers telling him.

And perhaps there, in that simple phrase, the journey truly began.

Because while for years many women grew up watching tractor-trailers go by from the sidewalk, Brenda decided to cross that line that seemed to separate dreams from reality. Today, mother and daughter are part of a different story. One where the highways are no longer viewed only from the outside, but also from inside the cab.

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El cargo Eight women take the wheel and pave the way in the bus industry apareció primero en T21.

The  inclusion of women in the trucking industry  is beginning to take shape in  Scania Mexico ‘s strategy , in a sector where the presence of  female operators  remains marginal and progress is gradual. 

The low  participation of women in the industry  is also reflected in official data. At the end of 2025, only 1% of valid federal licenses were held by women, that is, 6,902 female operators compared to more than 717,000 men, according to the  General Directorate of Federal Motor Transport (DGAF) . 

The gap widens in the freight segment, where the sector’s activity is most concentrated. In this area,  female participation reached 5,335 licenses, equivalent to only 0.9% nationwide, a proportion that reveals the significant room that still exists for their incorporation into freight transport. 

In this context,  Scania Mexico  has made progress with its  Scania Women Drivers program , which has already completed seven cohorts  and graduated 72 women . The automaker is preparing to launch the eighth cohort, which will take place in Monterrey, Nuevo León, with the expectation of adding 10 new participants. 

“We already have seven graduating classes, 72 women. So, we are very happy. This year we expect to have three more graduating classes, so that by the end of the year we will have reached 100 female drivers,” emphasized Rodolfo Hernández, Manager of Institutional Relations and Sustainability at Scania Mexico.

The program’s next step also marks a change in its structure. The  eighth generation  will be the first in which they collaborate with the German technical cooperation agency  GIZ , in addition to having sponsors in Monterrey. 

At the same time, the company secured the support of a civil association called Pro Sociedad , which will help systematize the monitoring of graduates. The goal is to obtain more precise information about their progress within the sector, from their working conditions to the challenges they face in their work, through surveys and data collection. 

Until now, support  for the operators  has been provided directly , but the program’s growth has made it necessary to structure this process. Through this monitoring, the company seeks to understand how the graduates’ circumstances have changed and what adjustments are needed to strengthen future generations. 

With  three generations projected for this year , the goal of reaching the 100th operator  not only represents a symbolic objective, but the beginning of a stage where the program begins to consolidate with greater reach, monitoring and measurement capacity in a sector that still has ample room to integrate female talent. 

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El cargo Scania female drivers: on the road to 100 women behind the wheel apareció primero en T21.

Mexican logistics rests on a foundation that is rarely seen: unpaid work and the role of women in the economy . In this sense, the sector is beginning to rethink its own structures at a time when talent shortages, turnover, and insecurity are putting pressure on the trucking industry.

In this context, the inclusion of women in the trucking industry emerges as an operational necessity. Currently, 46% of women in Mexico are employed or seeking employment, but only 6% hold management positions and 55% work in the informal sector, according to José Mucio Jiménez Orozco, Operations Manager for Western Mexico and Primary Distribution at Coca-Cola FEMSA , speaking at The Logistics World Summit & Expo.

He pointed out that these conditions not only reflect inequality, but also a missed opportunity for the logistics sector .

José Mucio Jiménez commented that the challenge is evident in the freight transport sector. Despite women representing 52% of the population in Mexico, their presence in this industry is limited: only 13.8% of the workforce is female, and there are barely seven thousand federal licenses for female drivers, compared to more than 700,000 for men .

This low participation occurs in an environment facing structural problems: high operator turnover, an aging workforce, and increasing competition for talent, including from the United States, which has attracted Mexican operators.

Given this situation, integrating more women not only expands the available talent pool but also brings operational improvements . According to shared experience, female operators exhibit lower accident rates, greater fuel efficiency, and a high level of commitment to route execution.

Inclusion , however, does not happen automatically. It requires structural changes within companies: from infrastructure improvements, such as bathrooms, changing rooms, showers, and dormitories, to the redesign of recruitment, training, and operational processes .

“We can say that we are going to hire more women, but if we don’t have the right conditions, the model doesn’t work,” Jiménez pointed out.

One of the concrete efforts to advance along this path is the Juntas en la Ruta (Together on the Road) program , developed by Coca-Cola in 2024 , to train professional female truck drivers. From more than 200 applicants, 10 were selected for the first cohort, which underwent a six-week theoretical and practical training program.

These types of initiatives not only aim to provide training , but also to break down paradigms in an industry historically dominated by men. In fact, the perception that women cannot operate heavy equipment has begun to fade in light of tangible results in safety, productivity, and performance.

In addition, complementary actions have been promoted such as safe rest stops with adequate infrastructure for women , road safety certification programs and alliances with actors in the sector to professionalize female talent.

Even so, the challenge remains significant . Globally, less than 3% of trucking operators are women, while in logistics they represent between 20% and 25% of the workforce, primarily in administrative roles.

The transition to more inclusive logistics is not solely driven by diversity goals, but also by the need to strengthen a key industry for the economy. In Mexico, sectors such as manufacturing, commerce, and agriculture depend directly on transportation, making it a cross-cutting pillar of development.

“Inclusion is not just a goal, it is the path to building a stronger, more diverse and sustainable industry,” the executive concluded.

With this, the participation of women in road transport is beginning to emerge as a strategic piece in the transformation of the sector, at a time when every talent counts.

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El cargo Coca-Cola FEMSA is committed to a more inclusive logistics approach focused on female operators apareció primero en T21.

The Canada-Mexico Chamber of Commerce ‘s (CanCham) Women in Business and Inclusion Committee recognized the “Scania Drivers” program for promoting female inclusion in the trucking sector.

El cargo CanCham includes “Scania Female Drivers” in the first edition of the Compendium of Good Practices in Inclusion and Diversity apareció primero en T21.

With the aim of promoting female inclusion in the trucking industry , Camely Logística and the Association of Women Cargo Vehicle Operators (AMO) signed a collaboration agreement that will create job opportunities for female operators, promoting their participation in the sector, according to a press release issued by the companies.

Camely Logística, a company specializing in vehicle transport, is seeking to have 20% of its workforce made up of women, a goal higher than the world average in the sector.

Currently, in Mexico , women represent only 1% of the total number of operators , according to data from the General Directorate of Federal Transportation (DGAF) , despite a 23.6% increase in the issuance of federal licenses for women in 2024

In December 2024 alone, 5,262 licenses were issued to women.

Camely Logística’s role in the industry is fundamental, as it is responsible for transporting units from production plants to distributors and, subsequently, to end customers. In this context, the demand for operators is key to keeping the heavy vehicle sector moving in Mexico.

According to figures from the National Association of Bus, Truck and Tractor Producers (ANPACT) , in 2024 the wholesale market placed 66,455 units, both passenger and cargo. Meanwhile, the retail cargo movement represented 57,106 vehicles, that is, the delivery of units to the final customer, in which Camely participates.

The need for more operators , including female talent , becomes an opportunity to strengthen the sector and make it more inclusive.

Paola Moncada, president of AMO, highlighted the importance of this initiative: “Through this type of agreement we seek to increase this figure and open more doors for women in the trucking industry.”

In addition, this alliance will promote the training, engagement and visibility of female talent in the sector.

“We are in a period of growth and we want to do so with more women in our work team,” said Miguel Elizalde, partner at Camely Logística.

She commented that through this agreement they will be able to establish direct communication with female talent and offer opportunities for collaboration in the transfers that the company carries out, mainly in new tractor-trailers.

This agreement represents a significant step towards reducing the gender gap and promoting a more inclusive and equitable sector. Camely Logística and AMO reaffirmed their commitment to generating opportunities and strengthening the female presence on the road.

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El cargo Camely Logística and AMO sign an agreement to strengthen the female presence in the auto transport industry apareció primero en T21.

Scania Mexico announced on Monday that it has begun training the fifth generation of the Scania Drivers program in Toluca, State of Mexico , a new generation of professional women in the operation of cargo transport vehicles, which is made up of 10 students.

The training course is taught by the National School of Professional Training in Transport (Encapt) and will last 180 hours, during which theoretical knowledge about the operation of the units and regulations will be imparted, while practical work will be carried out in a maneuvering yard.

Upon completion of their professional training, students will obtain a federal license issued by the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT) , which will also provide them with the necessary skills to face the labor market.

The new generation of Scania drivers is supported by the National Chamber of Cargo Transport (Canacar) , the Association of Women Operators (AMO) , Barcel , Autotransportes Pilot , Transcooler Logistics and Digital FEMSA .

The training course will be active from October 14 and will end on November 23 in Toluca, State of Mexico. It is in addition to previous programs that have specifically trained women in Tijuana, La Comarca Lagunera, Manzanillo and Tula.

With this new generation, it is hoped to impact fifty women who will join the ranks of national freight transport.

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El cargo Scania welcomes its fifth generation of female drivers apareció primero en T21.

According to figures from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) , last year the participation of women in the transport sector was 27.4 percent . In turn, data from the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO) detailed that Mexico occupies the 33rd place out of 146 countries, with a score of 76.3 for the gender gap, which is mainly driven by discrimination against women.

For its part, the Basic Statistics of Federal Auto Transport 2023 showed that of the 708,930 current license applications, 0.8% were requested by women . That is, according to data from the General Directorate of Federal Auto Transport (DGAF) , in Mexico, 5,450 current licenses were issued for female operators, of which 78.7% were requested for cargo vehicles, which was equivalent to 4,289 licenses, corresponding to 0.6% nationally.

In this context, during the Panel “Gender gap in the motor transport industry”, held at the First Forum of Women Leaders of Motor Transport 2024, Paola Moncada, president and co-founder of the Association of Women Cargo Vehicle Operators (AMO) , highlighted that the lack of job opportunities for women operators is an issue that must be addressed, since, despite the fact that they comply with the relevant training and have a driver’s license, few companies are those that bet on hiring them, because “they are a woman and have no experience.”

In this regard, she commented that it is important for more companies to join together so that opportunities are equal, defined by capabilities and performance. She added that unfortunately “there has always been sexism and negative comments, however, it is important not to validate the comments and focus on professionalization and continuous training ,” she said.

For her part, Montserrat González Amador, executive director of planning and development at the DGAF of the Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications and Transport (SICT) , agreed with Moncada that one of the obstacles to women joining the workforce of freight transport companies is precisely their openness to female talent.

González Amador explained that one of the strategies that the DGAF has implemented to stimulate the training of female operators is to support the opening of training centers in the country , along with the dignification of the profession.

Although the numbers are low at the operational level of the units, they are on the rise at the business level. Claudia Sánchez Porras, general director of the National Chamber of Cargo Transport (Canacar) , explained that 11% of the members of the board of directors of the organization are women. “It may seem like a small amount, but it is a big step considering that in previous administrations there were almost no women,” she said.

Sánchez Porras recalled that according to data from the International Road Transport Union (IRU), there is a shortage of 56 thousand operators in the country, a fact that represents a challenge, but also an opportunity to promote the training of women.

In this regard, she highlighted the importance of private initiative and the government supporting training projects such as Conductoras Scania , which has promoted professionalization and the development of driving skills, programs that more companies have joined, for example, Volkswagen Truck and Bus with the Mujeres Transformando project .

This year, the Baja California government has launched a training project that aims to professionalize 100 women by the end of 2024.

Finally, the president and co-founder of AMO pointed out that some factors to encourage more women to join the profession of operators are: infrastructure in companies and distribution centers, promoting policies of respect and good practices, but above all having safety on the roads.

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El cargo Forum of Women Leaders in Auto Transport, a watershed to close the gender gap in auto transport apareció primero en T21.

Recently appointed delegate of the National Chamber of Cargo Transportation (Canacar) in Jalisco, Alfredo Cárdenas, who is also president of Transportes Innovativos , explained in an interview with T21 that during his management as representative of transporters in the entity he will seek to work closely with the new generation of transportation entrepreneurs .

“We have the opportunity to combine experience with the youth of the new generations of transport entrepreneurs, which is why we invited them to work and continue the excellent work done by the delegates who preceded me,” explained Cárdenas.

The new Canacar delegate in Jalisco commented that at the moment approximately 80% of his associates are members of second and third generations of transporters , this is due to the vision they have of business and their willingness to learn from the generations that precede them.

“It will be very interesting for them to remain at the head of the companies, so it is necessary to prepare them not only in business, but also in approaches and dialogue with the authorities and with the industrial chambers to improve the auto transport,” he said.

Working as a delegate

Regarding the issues that must be addressed by the Canacar delegation, the businessman indicated that one of the most important is to continue the professionalization of transport and to have a closer relationship with the training centers for male and female operators, “to try to mitigate the lack of operators a little and not have so many units stopped. Above all, to promote female operators, starting with Guadalajara, which is a region where they could be incorporated more easily due to the size of the units and the short routes.”

On the other hand, he explained that in the matter of theft from motor transport, Canacar will continue its relationship with the authorities, as it has done until now. “There is a General Strategic Coordination of Security in the state of which we are members, we are going to try to be more constant in the meetings to establish security methods, although we as transporters cannot end the insecurity of motor transport, we can propose strategies together with our clients and the authorities to confront it,” he affirmed.

The businessman also focused on the need to address the lack of specialized infrastructure for the transportation of goods and merchandise, especially in the state capital. “There is a lack of proper avenues for auto transport, whether macro peripherals or metropolitan circuits through which we can circulate. In addition, there is no surveillance and communication of security systems fails, so we have to work based on security coordination so that all problems are addressed,” he said.

Added to the above is the lack of signage, which leads operators who do not circulate very frequently in Guadalajara to fail to comply with traffic and time restrictions .

In this regard, he was emphatic in stating that joint work with the authorities is a priority to improve the conditions of the sector. “ Our job is also to inform foreign operators of the hours and routes on which they can circulate , through the other delegations of the chamber,” he commented.

Finally, on a personal level, Alfredo Cárdenas said that taking over the Canacar delegation in Jalisco has been a challenge, although it should be noted that the position is not foreign to him, since he was in this same place three decades ago. However, this time everything is very different.

“We didn’t have the insecurity we have now and we didn’t have the teams we have today, but currently there is more cooperation from the authorities in terms of dialogue so that we can do things together. But, above all, we have the advantage that the second and third generations of transporters bring other training, disposition and the tools to solve transportation problems. I hope that in the time I have I can hand over a delegation with trained people who can do things differently,” said the businessman who recently celebrated 50 years of dedicating himself to cargo transportation. If you want to know more about his story, click here .

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El cargo Experience and Youth: Key to Strengthening the Freight Transport Sector in Jalisco, Says Alfredo Cárdenas apareció primero en T21.

MT Mexico is expanding its areas of influence and is adding Orizaba, Veracruz, to the most important fifth-wheel tractor competition held in Mexico. On November 9 and 10, a total of 100 operators will meet at the City of Sports in the city .

The MT Orizaba competition will be divided into three categories, in which 40 operators will participate in Sleeper Cab, 40 in Double Articulated and 20 for Cab Over . As in the last editions, the MT Orizaba will have a selection of directors in which 10 businessmen of the freight transport of the region will compete.

With this addition, MT will have influence in the southeastern region of the country, an area with significant commercial dynamism due to the influence of the port of Veracruz, the third most dynamic in the country due to its connectivity with the main ports of the United States, Latin America, Asia and Europe.

In this way, MT Mexico will have four locations: Nuevo Laredo, Tijuana, Allende and Orizaba; each considered a key region for the country’s cargo transportation . With the upcoming competition in Orizaba, the 12th edition of the largest fifth-wheel tractor truck operator maneuvering competition in Mexico, which began operations in 2020, will be totaled.

José Carlos Gilibert, delegate of the National Chamber of Cargo Transportation (Canacar) in Córdoba-Orizaba, explained that the MT Orizaba edition was the result of a negotiation that began at the beginning of the year. “The idea is for citizens to interact closely with the cargo transportation sector and to be in contact with the activities of the sector, so that a brotherhood is formed between citizens and transporters,” he commented.

For the MT Orizaba edition, registrations will be accepted from operators who are active in transportation companies in Veracruz, Puebla, Tabasco and the State of Mexico. Registration will be open between September 6 and October 14 and the draw will be held on October 17 on MT Mexico’s social networks.

Since its creation in 2020 until May 2024, 844 operators have participated, of which 30 have been women . In these four years, 379 transport companies have trusted the project and have contributed operator talent in each edition.

Throughout its history, MT Mexico has promoted visibility and dignified the work of freight transport operators in the country, in addition to fostering a sense of belonging, and seeks to have society recognize the value of freight transport and its influence on the national and international economy. In addition, it has opened the opportunity for women who are also dedicated to this profession to have a space that provides equal conditions to demonstrate their skills.

“The participation of women is very important in all areas of transportation. We currently have female operators who are contributing significantly to the family income. On the other hand, we also have women in management positions and in administrative areas,” explained Miguelina López Hernández, Canacar delegate in Veracruz.

Plans for next year include a national competition, in which all venues will compete: Nuevo Laredo, Tijuana, Allende and Orizaba.

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El cargo apareció primero en T21.