Xie Lin has an interesting job? What is it? Xie, 56, is a truck driver with a logistics company. "A woman truck driver! How amazing!" is a common reaction she hears as she steps down from her heavy-duty rig.
Xie, a resident in Yandaokou, a village in Suixi, a county in Huaibei, a city in East China's Anhui Province, drives a tractor-trailer that is three meters wide, four meters high, and more than 17 meters long.
Xie has driven more than five million kilometers during the past 35 years. She has transported home appliances, small commodities, solar panels, mechanical equipment, and various other goods, all made in China, to other countries, including Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
Since 2003, she has mainly been shuttling between East China's Yangtze River Delta region and Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. She generally transports home appliances and large-scale equipment to Xinjiang. She usually carries Xinjiang's specialties, such as fruit and cotton cloth, on her return trips.
Her dedication to trucking has earned her the titles of National Most Beautiful Truck Driver, National March 8th Red-Banner Holder and Anhui Provincial Model Worker.
"I cherish my career as a truck driver. What I operate is the most challenging category of truck. Many people think trucking is exhausting, but not me. I have a deep connection with the truck. When I am driving, I feel relaxed, just like I am embracing the land," says Xie.
Her affection for trucks goes back to her childhood. When Xie was young, her father retired from the army, and he took a job driving a truck for a factory. "I became familiar with vehicles when I was a girl. I even learned how to repair them," Xie recalls.
She began trucking in her 20s. Every year, Xie drives nearly 16 round trips. Without traffic jams, or severe weather, a round trip will generally take more than 12 days. She sleeps in the cab, even on cold winter nights, to ensure the safety of the freight. She meticulously inspects the freight during each rest stop.
In 2016, Xie's truck broke down during a trip through Ngari Prefecture, in Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. When her food and water were nearly depleted, a motorcycle team, from Central China's Hubei Province, happened by. They gave her enough water to hold on until rescue workers arrived.
Throughout the years, Xie has returned that kindness to others, giving a helping hand to drivers in need of assistance. She says she will strive to be a "trucking heroine," someone who gives warmth to others.
In recent years, Xie has taken on the responsibility of advocating for truck drivers. In 2023, as a deputy to the 14th Anhui Provincial People's Congress, she proposed building more "driver's homes" at highway service areas. Now, every service area on highways in Anhui Province has a "driver's home."
Xie has witnessed remarkable changes in the country's trucking industry. In the past, it was difficult for truck drivers to find goods to be transported. She often drove dozens, even hundreds, of kilometers to logistics parks. There, information about goods for shipment was written on small blackboards. At that time, she often spent several days waiting for the goods to be shipped. Now, Xie only needs to use the trucking app on her phone to access information about goods for shipment.
In the past, China's trucking industry, characterized by extensive management, was known for high costs and low efficiency. In recent years, the industry has evolved into a modern, intelligence-driven business, which is now highly efficient.
Meanwhile, Xie has also witnessed the glorious journey of made-in-China products, which have gone global, thanks to a well-connected network of highways. "I hope our country's trucking industry will flourish, so our truck drivers will acquire a stronger sense of fulfillment and happiness," she says.
"As a truck driver, I have enjoyed the breathtaking landscapes of our motherland, and I have witnessed our country's social progress and economic development. I have received warmth from kind strangers, and I have been delighted to help others. I cherish every moment when I am driving. I hope every woman will choose a career she likes, and become more confident and self-reliant," concludes Xie.
Photos from Interviewee
(Women of China English Monthly January 2026)
Editor: Wang Shasha
