# Himachal woman trades air hostess training for truck driving

2026-09-20T10:06:44+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 3 independent outlets

Neha Thakur, 25, from Khudla village in Mandi district, is widely recognised as Himachal Pradesh's first woman truck driver. After losing her air hostess job during the COVID-19 pandemic, she obtained a Heavy Motor Vehicle licence in 2023 and now drives a 16-tonne Tata truck across interstate routes, transporting construction material and farm produce. Her father, a truck driver for over two decades, supported her through the transition and helped her practise on the family truck. Times of India and Livemint report that she built a following of over 4.5 lakh YouTube subscribers and over 8 lakh Instagram followers by vlogging her daily journeys and the challenges of navigating mountain roads.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

All three sources treat Neha Thakur's story as a straightforward human-interest feature with no political or ideological slant. Coverage is uniform straight reporting, emphasising her career pivot, family support, and social media success. The absence of any critical or official framing means the key takeaway is the growing visibility of women in male-dominated trades, a trend that may influence hiring practices or policy in the transport sector. Watch for whether other state transport departments cite this case in future road-safety or women-employment schemes.

## Coverage

- timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report) <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/people/meet-neha-thakur-the-25-year-old-from-mandi-who-left-air-hostess-training-to-become-himachal-pradeshs-first-woman-truck-driver-i-drive-a-truck-just-like-my-father/articleshow/134354416.cms>
  Straight narrative profile with no slant.
- livemint.com (neutral report) <https://www.livemint.com/news/trends/meet-25-year-old-neha-thakur-who-left-her-air-hostess-dream-to-become-himachals-first-woman-truck-driver-11789889299139.html>
  Straight narrative profile with no slant.
- odishatv.in (neutral report) <https://odishatv.in/trending/25yo-himachal-woman-quit-air-hostess-training-to-become-a-truck-driver-heres-the-unusual-journey-of-neha-thakur-watch-12559494>
  Short summary of the story with no slant.

Tags: Himachal Pradesh, Instagram, mandi, Neha Thakur, Tata, YouTube
Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/himachal-gets-first-woman-truck-driver-neha-thakur-25-leaves-air-hostess-dream-behind/
License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources.
Cite: https://indianopinion.org/himachal-gets-first-woman-truck-driver-neha-thakur-25-leaves-air-hostess-dream-behind/#story-in-brief