At just 26 years of age, Ru-Kellen Williams manoeuvres massive trucks with precision through tight loading bays every day.
Her journey started in Atlantis, and she still calls this Western Cape town home. After school, Williams considered studying mechanical or chemical engineering, before choosing a learnership in logistics.
She remembers the day she sat in a truck for the first time. She was 18 years old. “I don’t know what it was, but it felt like love at first sight. From that moment on, I knew I was going to drive a truck one day.”
In April 2024, Williams joined South Africa’s largest private employer as a learner driver, a moment she says changed her life. “The Shoprite Group trusted me to drive their vehicles and it just gave me such a boost.”
Through the Group’s learner driver programme, she received hands-on training in every aspect of the job, from reversing articulated trucks into narrow receiving bays to coupling trailers and managing the pressurised air pipes used on trucks.
Beyond learning new skills, the programme also changed her personally. “I used to be very introverted. I didn’t speak much when I was younger and I was in my own bubble,” Williams says. “I feel this job brought me out of my shell.”
Today, she delivers goods to the Group’s stores across the Western Cape, helping to keep shelves stocked while navigating one of the most demanding sectors in logistics.
For Williams, the real challenge of truck driving is mastering the more technical skills behind the steering wheel. “Anybody can drive forward, but reversing is where the skill comes in,” she explains. “And that is where your experience is tested.”
As a young woman in a traditionally male-dominated industry, Williams admits she still experiences moments where people underestimate her abilities.
“When people see a woman stepping out of the truck, they’ll say, ‘Oh, she’s going to struggle,’” she says. “I just smile and think, ‘Say what you want. I’ll show you what I can do.’ Then I prove them wrong and drive it straight into the bay.” She says inclusivity within the Shoprite Group has helped her thrive.
Truck driving also comes with enormous responsibility. Williams says safety awareness is one of the most demanding parts of the job, especially when other road users fail to understand how trucks operate. “A truck takes three times longer to stop,” she explains. “People cut in front of us and don’t understand that trucks need space.”
She is one of the retailer’s over 1 700 drivers, who together complete roughly 380 000 deliveries annually. Combined, the fleet consists of more than 1 100 trucks and 1 600 trailers moving goods across the country.
To support driver safety, the Group’s trucks are equipped with the latest technology in real-time fatigue and distraction detection monitoring and associated management, including sensors that detect cellphone use or signs of drowsiness. Drivers also receive subsidised meals and snacks designed to help maintain energy levels during long shifts.
Despite the pressure, Williams loves what she does. Looking ahead, she hopes to become a driver trainer, helping shape the next generation of truck drivers.
“When you’ve been out on the road, you really understand what it takes.”