Meet Crystal Rendall, the fearless truck driver who faces treacherous roads and blazing flames head-on. As a driver for KAG Canada, she braves the harshest of weather conditions to deliver essential supplies to remote communities.
From navigating icy roads in the winter to managing wildfire sites in the summer, Rendall fearlessly charges into some of the most challenging environments.
“Everybody thinks I’m nuts for doing it,” said Rendall.
Rendall is a lifelong resident of Wetaskiwin who has worked as a school bus driver for over a decade. However, after driving a friend’s truck, she discovered a passion for operating these massive machines.
After obtaining her Class 1 license, she has traveled all over western Canada, including British Columbia, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories, hauling vital materials like jet fuel during natural disasters like the recent wildfires in Fort McMurray.
Rendall recalls her experiences, like being covered in fire retardant while delivering supplies to firefighters in BC and driving through intense smoke and flames to bring aid to those in Edson threatened by the blazes.
Despite the dangers, Rendall has found immense fulfillment in her new career as a truck driver, always ready to tackle new challenges and help her community.
“I love being able to go and deliver and to see all this stuff and help out.”
During the winter season, Rendall experiences a unique sight as she drives her truck across ice roads, specifically the renowned Winter Road in Yellowknife, N.W.T. The scenery consists of vast slick white and blue ice sheets that extend endlessly, while she drives for extended periods at around 25 to 30 kilometers per hour. These routes are accessible for only a short period, typically a few weeks, when the ice is strong enough to carry the weight of the trucks.
“You’ve got to have warm clothes and be prepared for anything. I was changing air lines, one time, at minus 64 (degree) weather,” she said.
As a female fuel driver, Rendall understands firsthand the difficulties of the job, despite its picturesque vistas. She often faces underestimation from others but remains a resilient and capable professional.
“Being a woman in this industry, in the trucking industry, it’s hard to because you’re constantly proving yourself, or you feel like you’ve got to prove (yourself).”
“And even to this day, you know, it’s, ‘driving trucks is a man’s thing,’” she said.
Rendall is fortunate enough to have a family who supports and encourages her and her career.
“I’ve got an awesome husband that stays at home. (…) I’m gone for two months, so he holds down the fort. But my family is there; they’re supportive. They love what I do. The grandkids (say), ‘There’s Grandma and her truck!’”
She is also thankful for a support system of good friends.
“If it (weren’t) for my friends Kelly Sprague, Collin Candy and others I have met along the way at the beginning, I wouldn’t be like I am. They taught me lots about winter driving and to never give up,” she said.
For women interested in joining the industry, Randall’s advice is simple: go for it.
“Don’t be scared of it.”
“But you’ve got to have strength; you’ve got to have willpower; you’ve got to be able to not let those men bring you down. Stand strong.”
Source: Bashaw Star
