Andorra's Only Female Heavy Truck Driver Breaks Barriers in Construction

Patricia Duarte has carved out a role in Andorra's male-dominated construction sector as the country's only female heavy truck driver. Employed by Copsa for the past two years, she hauls tons of earth, stone, and gravel daily between job sites and landfills across the principality.

Construction sites buzz with engine noise, dust, and heavy machinery like excavators—a landscape where women remain rare. Duarte transitioned into this work after six years driving buses, starting at age 23. Seeking more stable hours after becoming a mother, she leveraged her existing truck licence to make the switch. "Bus schedules are tough. I wanted something steadier," she said.

Her role involves piloting dump trucks over challenging terrain. "It's like driving on snow or ice all the time—everything slips," Duarte explained, noting the steep slopes, constant noise, and heavy equipment movement. Routes vary from short loops within a single site—"some days it's 40 laps of 100 metres, and you just want to clock out"—to longer hauls nationwide. Early mishaps, like getting stuck in mud, tested her resolve, but she adapted quickly.

Beyond the physical demands, navigating a mostly male workforce required building assertiveness. "You need character. You can't show fear—you have to earn respect," she said. Colleagues have welcomed her, offering help readily—"I'm a bit of the princess for all of them," she joked ironically—and the atmosphere is generally positive. Crude jokes and banter are commonplace, though, and she advises responding with humour or ignoring them to avoid constant clashes. Once, she firmly but lightheartedly shut down an offensive nickname, ending it immediately.

Prejudices linger from her bus-driving days, including barbs questioning her motherhood. "That hurt—they called me a bad mother for doing the same job as them." Sites treat her better than stereotypes suggest.

On International Women's Day, Duarte urged women eyeing such fields: "We have the same ability as men. If we can drive a car or motorbike, we can handle a bus or truck." Her advice? Brush off sexist doubts and prove your worth through results. "If someone says you can't because you're a woman, show them with your work that they're wrong."