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Alicia Burrows is not your usual kind of logging truck driver

June 24, 2013

Alicia Burrows, Forestry Driving graduate of EIT 2012

The 31-year-old mother of one is the first to admit it’s not an easy job, but she loves it. No stranger to tertiary education, Burrows also has a hairdressing qualification and business degrees, but discovered neither were quite right for her.

But now she has found her niche, and her dedication has paid off as she now drives a brand new truck.

“Believe it or not, the guys are keen to have more female drivers out there,” she says.

While completing her one year full time course at EIT Tairäwhiti, Ms Burrows also juggled a part time job at JNL. She stepped straight into a full time driving job with a local company and is about to start working for Mark Pittar Transport.

“It’s a tough industry because of the long hours you spend behind the wheel – it means you miss out on family and social time, and your colleagues become more like family.” It’s all for a good cause.

“One day I hope to own my own logging truck fleet . . . well, one would be a good start!”

Her drive to be the best, which saw her working all hours and all days, means she is now trained in three different gear boxes – an attractive proposition for any logging truck company.

She loved the course, and says students who put in the effort were rewarded ten-fold by tutor Verdun Rogers.

“He did so much and adapted to each and every student’s style of learning. It was just amazing.” And she says she is living proof that if you want something bad enough you’ll do anything to get it.

“It’s something that my dad told me and every time I didn’t think I could make it, I would remember those words.”