AKRON, N.Y. — Amanda Lobur of Akron, New York, is a truck driver for Cold Spring Construction. She starts her day at 7 a.m., making sure her big rig is ready for the road.
"Once I'm on the site I find what I need to pick up, load it and leave," Lobur said.
On this particular day, she's taking water pipes used during construction on the Skyway and moving them from the outer harbor to another site.
Lobur is one of a growing number of women joining the male-dominated field. In fact, women are expected to make up to 25% of the market by 2020, according to the the National Association of Women in Construction.
"The stigma of construction is kinda fading away a little bit more so women feel more empowered to get into the industry," Lobur said.
From office work to working in the field to project management, Lobur says she wanted a job where she could make a great living.
She makes around $24 an hour and is outside, all while constantly learning new things.
"I'm a hard worker, I love working," Lobur says.
Working hard can mean being on the clock for up to 14 hours a day during the busy season.
Lobur says her co-workers treat her like one of the guys.
"You just gotta prove yourself," she says. "If you work as hard as they do, they realize you are all there for the same reason and that's the paycheck you take home."
This story was originally published by Rebecca Thornburg on WKBW.
