Today we’d like to introduce you to Olya Kwiecien.
Hi Olya, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I am a truck driver girl. When I was 21, I looked my way, what I wanted to do in my life. How do I want to live? I am from Ukraine; I was born in Kyiv, and all my life, I have had a big dream about more and more possibilities. One day I sit and think, I would like to have a lot of traveling all the time, I want to watch this world and I don’t want routine from day to day. Truck driver job it’s great for these desires. I come to school and learn on CDL in Ukraine. But I never worked in Ukraine like a truck driver. I started my way in Europe. It was Poland. I was 22, my first experience with first trip was on Mersedes Actros from Germany to Netherland. I never forgot that day, it was amazing, I feeling absolutely happy at that moment and I understanded, finally I do what I love. In Europe I worked for 5 years, my cargo was post, fresh meat on the hooks (it’s very dangerous) and goods like fruit or vegetables. I delivered car parts to BMW factories and visited 24 different countries, I watched this world and live my better life. When I looked at all of Europe, I think that I would like to watch more, I want to open a new continent. In my country, there is a war now, and I can’t come back, so I think that I need to try to fly to the USA. And work like a truck driver and open new states. And I do this. In April 2023, I arrived in the USA, and already half of the year, I will learn all the states from the windows of my big truck Volvo brand new 2024. It is a great truck with great views, great experience, and possibilities. Of course I’m not alone, this way we go with my husband, we work together like team drivers. I have my blog on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, and we support each other in everything. We are building a new life in a new country, in another continent, with a big different o’clock time at home. But I think if you really want to live better, you can do this because you want. And we did this.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My way is not so easy. It was definitely a hard job. In Ukraine, there are a lot of stereotypes about women in cars and little cars, but I learned in the CDL class and always heard <this job is not for women>, <why do you do this>, etc. But I never heared what other people say. Always I heart only my voice and only my thoughts. What do I want? That’s important. Not things other people. When I arrived in Poland, it was hard because It’s different languages, country, I learned Polish. I learned in Poland on cod95 (it is a license for work in Europe), and I had more hard quests on my way, but I never gave up on my dreams. I worked and liked this life. When I arrived in the USA, it was too hard because it’s a new continent and a new o’clock time (we have different times with Europe -7 hours). I came and learned on CDL, but here, in the USA. I learned English. I learned to live my life on a new schedule. Now I think it’s an interesting quest, but at first it was hard.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a truck driver girl, and I am proud of this because it’s not so easy work for women, but I like it, and I do my job. I am a professional. I have 6 years of experience in my specialty. For 5 years, I worked in Europe and visited 24 different countries. I worked on reefer and delivered goods like fruit or vegetables, but most of the time, it was fresh meat on hooks; it’s very dangerous cargo because the trailer has no stability and, on the turn, has a big tilt angle. I needed to be very careful. Now, I work in the USA and it’s a great experience for me because it’s a new world, I work on a trailer Dry Van but deliver the same cargo – food but without temperatures. I am proud of this, I think that working with food is better because you do important job, you deliver groceries, people need groceries every day, it’s important for me. And I am a girl. I started this way when I was 21, it’s amazing, little girl on a big truck. It’s cool. I’m not typical; I love to work and be independent.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
When I was a kid, I always wanted more that I have and that I can. For example, I like sports, I never sit in one place and all the time I want to go straight to new adventures. I loved to climb trees, run all day with friends, I was very inquisitive. I love all the animals that I saw. It was not important; it was a kitty or mouse, dog or snake. I always loved nature and was brave. Not a typical girl. I remember, I have more friends’ boys, we have a team and I think that’s one of the reasons why I have not typical interest. And in all my life I spend more time talking with men, not with women. However, I have female friends, and in my childhood, they were too. But not so much like boys. Maybe my childhood made me strong enough for this work, because I always knew that I could do more, I am strong and brave. But in life I am a princess girl, woman, with not a woman’s work. It’s funny.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/olya_kwiecien?igshid=1p95kgv07hnjb
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Olya.Kwiecien?mibextid=ZbWKwL
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@OlyaKwiecien/featured
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@olya_kwiecien
