Sheila Guitián, a 47-year-old truck driver from Asturias, Spain, has been driving heavy vehicles for 23 years. In an interview with the newspaper La Nueva España, she explained that she travels about 150,000 kilometres per year and faces working days that can vary between 12 and 15 hours. Despite enjoying the profession, she admits that the biggest challenge has been balancing the activity with family life, as she is the mother of two children.
Before entering freight transport, Sheila was studying to become a primary school teacher. At 24, she decided to get her heavy vehicle driving licence to accompany her husband on longer trips. When her partner fell ill, Sheila had to take over driving the truck alone, turning that initial assistance into a permanent professional activity. After her husband's recovery, the couple bought a second vehicle and started their own business.
Raising their two children required a family support network. "I had to rely on my family. My brother would often stay with them because I couldn't," she explained. Sheila acknowledges that the difficulty of balancing work and family was the most demanding side of the profession, stating: "There are so many hours and it really shows in the family." Anyone considering following the same path receives a warning based on her experience: "If you have a family, you will really feel that."
As for the work environment, Sheila says she never felt any differences for being a woman, noting that she worked for companies such as Asturmovil or Panero and was always treated as an equal. The autonomy she finds in the cab is what she values most, as she
