This 31-year-old woman from Bulacan impressed netizens while driving a 10-wheeler truck!
“Nag-start po akong mag-drive ng truck nung 2017. Business na po ito ng tatay ko na pinamana nila sa ‘kin ‘yung truck. High school po ako, ganun na ‘yun na po ‘yung business ng family ko. Nakalakihan ko din dito,” Rose Ann Cayetano told The Philippine STAR.
Cayetano said that she grew up in the truck business environment and got interested in the business after graduating from college with a degree in management accounting.
“Hindi pa po ako sumasama sa bumyahe. ‘Yung Nakikita ko din sila kung pa’no ginagawa nila. nagda-drive sila, ganun. Tapos parang nakaka-amaze din kasi ang laki po kasi nung unit, nung truck,” she said.
“Parents ko po ‘yung nag-down tapos ako na po ‘yung bahala magpatakbo ng negosyo na ‘yun. Ako po naghuhulog. Nag-start po kasi ako sa Shacman. ‘Yung 12-wheeler po ang gamit ko dati, nung 2017 po. ‘Yung unit na ‘yun umabot ng three million,” Cayetano recalled.
She drove her own truck for quite some time until she met her partner who was her former driver.
“Nag-resign na po kasi ‘yung isa naming driver tapos siya po ‘yung hi-nire ko, ‘yung mister ko ngayon. Tapos dun na po kami nag-start. Mabait kasi siya. Ayun, na-fall na,” she shared.
When Cayetano got pregnant with her first baby, she decided to focus on taking care of her son.
“Nag-start lang po ako mag-drive ulit ngayong July [2023] kasi ‘yung driver ko po pina-checkup po ‘yung asawa niya. Kesa po magarahe ‘yung truck, sayang naman po. Para kumita rin, inaya ko na po ‘yung mister ko. Sabi ko po bumyahe na kami,” Cayetano said.
“Sinasabi po nila “Astig!” Masaya po kasi nakikita ko po ‘yung ibang tao parang natutuwa rin sila sa ’kin pag nagmamaneho po ‘ko. ‘Yung iba sinasabi nila na trabaho nga daw po ito ng lalaki talaga. Pero naa-amaze sila na hindi lang lalaki, pwede naman din babae. Saka usually sa China po, lady truck driver din po talaga halos dun. Dito lang po talaga sa ’tin siya parang hindi normal,” she noted.
She usually travels from Pampanga to Bulacan carrying white sand and gravel on her 10-wheeler truck.
“Ang biyahe po namin, one-week bago umuwi. Dun po kami natutulog sa truck. Naliligo po kami sa may gas station, sa kainan,” she said, sharing that her partner sometimes comes along with her trips.
This year, Cayetano started creating mom-son videos on social media. In July 2023, she posted a glimpse of her life as a lady truck driver.
“‘Yung iba, tina-tag nila ‘yung mga asawa nila, tuturuan na daw nila ‘yung asawa nila mag-drive. Nung nag-drive na po ako ng truck, mas okay nga po kasi malaki, kita ko lahat, mataas kesa four wheels,” she said.
Her 3-year-old baby also loves anything about trucks: “Natutuwa siya gusto niya lagi sasama siya. Gusto niya magda-drive din siya. Tinatanong namin kung anong gusto niya paglaki magda-driver na lang daw po siya.”
Cayetano hopes to empower ladies and mommies as she is a living proof that they can also drive big vehicles.
“Kung kaya ng lalaki, kaya din po natin ‘yang mga babae. Sana mas dumami pa po ‘yung mga lady driver na kagaya ko. Saka maraming nagsasabi na mas okay nga daw po ‘yung babae kasi daw po ‘yung hindi kaskasero, kalmado po sa daan,” she stressed.
