Meet Neha Thakur, 25, who left her air hostess dream to become Himachal's first woman truck driver

WHEN the COVID-19 pandemic grounded the aviation industry, a young air hostess trainee from Himachal Pradesh found herself unexpectedly out of a job. Instead of waiting for the sector to recover, 25-year-old Neha Thakur swapped the aeroplane cabin for the steering wheel of a 16-tonne truck.

Today, Neha navigates treacherous mountain passes and interstate highways across India. Widely recognised as Himachal Pradesh’s first woman truck driver, she has also turned her unconventional career pivot into social media content, drawing millions of viewers to her daily life on the road.

From aviation to the highway

Hailing from Khudla village in the Sarkaghat area of Mandi district, Neha initially envisioned a life in the skies. After graduating, she moved to Chandigarh to train as an air hostess. She had briefly worked in the aviation sector before the pandemic triggered widespread layoffs.

Returning to her hometown after losing her job, Neha did not view the setback as the end of her career. Instead, she pivoted to a profession that had quietly fascinated her since childhood: commercial truck driving.

Childhood fascination reignited

Heavy vehicles were a familiar sight in Neha's early life. Her father, Rajesh Thakur, worked as a truck driver for more than two decades.

In one of her viral vlogs, she recounted how her father frequently dropped her off at school in his truck, sparking an early fascination with the massive vehicles.

However, transitioning from an air hostess to a truck driver required rigorous technical training. Neha had to master the mechanics of heavy commercial vehicles, including complex gear shifts, clutch control, and air brakes.

She enrolled in a driving school and officially obtained her Heavy Motor Vehicle (HMV) licence in 2023, at the age of 21. Her father remained a crucial pillar of support, helping her practice on the family truck and shielding her from the initial societal scepticism surrounding a young woman entering a male-dominated trade.

Navigating trucks and society

While her early driving assignments were restricted to local routes, Neha gradually took on longer, interstate journeys. Today, she commands a 16-tonne Tata truck, transporting construction materials and farm produce across hundreds of kilometres.

Driving a heavy commercial vehicle through the hills is notoriously demanding.

Beyond the surprise of locals seeing a young woman behind the wheel, Neha faced the harsh physical realities of the job: irregular meals, extreme weather changes, and nights spent sleeping away from home.

Navigating narrow mountain roads, dense fog, and unpredictable terrain tested her patience and concentration. Yet, as she logged more miles, the criticism faded, replaced by growing respect.

Vlogging from the driver’s seat

As she conquered the highways, Neha began mounting a camera in her cabin. She recorded her journeys and posted the vlogs on social media, offering viewers a rare, unfiltered look into a gritty profession.

Her content bypassed curated aesthetics to showcase the practical challenges of handling a heavy vehicle, dealing with sudden breakdowns, and staying calm in unpredictable situations.

The authenticity resonated strongly online. According to 2026 metrics, Neha Thakur has built a dedicated community of over 4.5 lakh subscribers on YouTube and over 8 lakh followers on Instagram.

Her journey from a grounded air hostess to a celebrated truck driver stands as a testament to the power of pivoting. For the 25-year-old, the road eventually led back to where her fascination first began—with a mountain highway, a massive truck, and the confidence to take the wheel herself.