Jamaican woman finds her passion in trucking

Growing up, Kitana Edwards always dreamt of becoming a nurse, but these days the 24-year-old doesn't pull up in an ambulance wearing scrubs - she's hauling construction material in a dumper truck instead.

Jamaica-born Edwards, who resides in the state of Georgia in the USA, has been a truck driver for the past two years. She said that she is encouraging other females to ditch the traditional careers designed for women and try one that seems to be the opposite.

"I want to tell females to get out of their comfort zones because if I didn't, I wouldn't know what my true potential is. Get up and try new things, and try things that you would never dream of trying. Truck driving definitely pays the bills. This is a male-dominated job in America so it does pay well," she said.

Edwards, who grew up on Church Street in downtown Kingston, said after she migrated to the USA in 2016, she had plans of fulfilling her childhood dream of becoming a registered nurse. But a trip home with her partner changed all of that.

"My boyfriend is a truck driver, and one day we were heading home to Georgia from New York and he was tired, so he told me that I should come and drive. I asked what him mean, because I cannot drive truck, only cars. It was an automatic truck and him just say,' Come drive'. I drove all the way from Virginia to Georgia, which is about eight hours," she said, recalling how she took charge of the 10-wheeler truck. Edwards, who was 19 years old at the time, said she started to learn more about the trucking industry and developed a liking for the job.

"My boyfriend saw me through the entire process. He trained me and he sent me to trucking school, and then I got my commercial trucking licence four years ago. I officially began driving trucks two years ago," she said.

"I still can't believe I am driving a truck. I am just a girl. If someone had told me that this would be my career choice at this age, I would say they are lying, because I wanted to become a registered nurse. But life had other plans for me and I really don't regret it," Edwards added.

As she drives around in her big-wheel vehicle in Georgia, she said she often has heads turning. Edwards said the feedback is usually positive, although some persons will enquire why she did not choose a 'softer' career.

"People would say that they can't believe it's me driving that big truck, and they would ask why I decided to drive a truck, especially since there are so many careers out there that are fitting for a girl. Persons are usually surprised whenever I pull up," she said. Looking ahead, Edwards has big plans further up the road, figuratively.

"I see myself owning and operating my own trucking company. I am working towards that," she said.