The Documentary Podcast The Last Cowboys
Oct 22, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Tiia Rajala, a Finnish long-haul truck driver with decades of experience, offers a humorous yet poignant look into the life on the road. She shares childhood memories that sparked her passion for trucking and reflects on the challenges she faces as a woman in a male-dominated industry. Tiia explores the stereotypes surrounding truckers and discusses how digital surveillance affects their freedom. With insights from sociologist Timo Aho, they dive into the impact of logistics on identity and the emotional costs of long-haul driving.
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Childhood Driving Memory
- Tiia Rajala remembers steering on her father's lap across frozen lakes as a child, feeling massive freedom in a small car.
- She compares that early thrill to the same feeling when first driving a truck.
Mobility Enables Autonomy
- Sociologist Timo Aho says mobility makes trucking resistant to factory-style supervision.
- Being alone on the road historically let drivers master a powerful machine and operate independently.
Making The Truck A Home
- Tiia decorates her truck with flowers, lights and mats and says colleagues laugh at her choices.
- She treats the cab as a home to avoid feeling like she's continuously working.