Amazon announces first female trucking partner

Joycy Lyngdoh is making history. In early October she was hired as Amazon’s first female trucking partner in India. Roughly 7% of the U.S. truck driving force is composed of women, according to Freightwaves.com, and only four years ago India saw its first female truck driver, Yogita Raghuvanshi. Women like Raghuvanshi and Lyngdoh are working to break down stereotypes in the trucking industry.

Lyngdoh has held a passion for truck driving for six years, and throughout that time has created a career for herself, according to an announcement posted by Amazon. The company announced on Oct. 7, 2022, that they would be hiring her on as their first female trucking partner in India.

“My advice to women who want to pursue driving as a profession is that if you believe in yourself, new opportunities will open up, just go for it. You will face challenges but when there is a will, there is a way,” Lyngdoh said in Amazon’s announcement.

Lyngdoh is paving the way for women to enter the trucking industry and has already motivated other women in her community to pursue their passions. Along with inspiring others, Lyngdoh is the sole financial supporter for her mother and three sisters. She worked in an array of other professions before learning how to drive from her friends.

Her first official position in transportation was as a bus driver. As she realized her passion for transportation, she began picking up temporary driving opportunities around Meghalaya, her home city. This led her to enroll with an Amazon trucking partner based in India.

Over the last year she has become a reliable and trusted partner for Amazon, running routes and dropping deliveries across and beyond Guwahati, the largest city in northeastern India. Venkatesh Tiwari, director of Amazon’s Middle Mile Operations in India has witnessed her growth.

“Joycy has successfully participated in these programs and serves as a great example for all those who are looking for new opportunities in the logistics field. People like her are the driving principle of an Atmanirbhar Bharat, and we are proud to be empowering them,” he said.

Atmanirbhar Bharat translates to “a self-reliant India.” This is a sentiment Lyngdoh applies to her own life and truck driving career.

“I love being out on the road traveling to different places and meeting new people. This opportunity inspired me to pursue my passion and live a self-sufficient life,” she said