Rebecca Kendrick is Higgins Christchurch's first female truck driver, and she's behind the wheel of the team's first bitumen tanker, proudly wrapped with colourful artwork featuring Higgins employees as drawn by their children.

With 13 years of truck driving experience, Rebecca has worked across a range of roles, starting with a mini concrete mixer before joining the Green Team. Driving a tanker had long been a career goal, and in 2024, she made it happen.

“I used to tell my sons that I delivered the concrete or helped make the materials used to build roads, and they'd often roll their eyes,” she says. “Now I can proudly say I'm part of the team helping pave them.”

While Rebecca began her career as a London City & Guilds-qualified chef in the RNZAF, operating heavy machinery has become her true passion. She is also encouraged by the growing number of women entering the industry.

“I'm thrilled to see more women across our operations, from loading at Napier Port to manufacturing, and now tanker driving. It's inspiring to see more women taking up the challenge and succeeding.”