McAuliffe employee becomes region’s first female dozer driver

06 Feb 2023

A McAuliffe employee has become the first woman in the West Midlands to qualify as a dozer driver.

Kelly Smith, McAuliffe Group - First female dozer driver in the West Midlands

Kelly Smith recently took her CPCS/CITB A34 Crawler Dozer test at Midland Plant Training and Testing, passing both the theory and onsite practical tests.

Before joining McAuliffe as an Articulated Dump Truck (ADT) driver in 2018, Kelly had previously worked in office roles. A talented driver, she quickly set her sights on learning how to operate a dozer, which requires a specific set of skills.

As well as controlling the plant, dozer operators need to have a strong knowledge of land surveying techniques. This includes using specialist equipment to survey the exact position and depth of material on a site, submitting data back to office-based engineers in real-time.

Kelly said:

“Going from an ADT to a dozer was a minefield at first, but the team was so supportive – and I was so persistent – that I ended up absorbing the information like a sponge.

I’ve loved the challenge, and am really proud of myself. Construction sites can be seen as a man’s world, but there are so many interesting and well-paid opportunities for women. If anyone out there is considering applying, I’d say go for it!”

Anna-Maria McAuliffe, Director at McAuliffe Group, said:

“To go from working in an office to driving a dozer within four years is an incredible achievement, and we’re all so proud of Kelly.

She is one of a growing group of female operators at McAuliffe, all of whom are talented, ambitious, and determined to be the best in their field.

The industry needs more women to consider careers as plant operators, and Kelly has shown exactly what can be done.”