Spain’s road haulage community is mourning the sudden death of Oti Cabadas González, known on social media as CocoTruckerGirl, who passed away on Monday 27 October 2025 at just 41 years of age following a cerebral haemorrhage. She was in Alcañiz, Aragón, where she had attended the tenth edition of the Quedada de Camiones Clásicos y Americanos, one of Spain’s major gatherings of classic and American trucks, held over the weekend of 25–26 October at the MotorLand Aragón circuit.
After taking part in the event’s activities, Oti began to suffer from severe headaches during the return journey home. She was airlifted to the Miguel Servet University Hospital in Zaragoza but died despite doctors’ efforts to save her life. News of her death deeply shocked Spain’s transport sector, where Oti had become a symbolic figure and a key advocate for gender equality in recent years.
Born in Fornelos de Montes, Galicia, and living in Palencia, Castile and León, Oti Cabadas began her career as a truck driver at 22, after previously working in the catering industry. She was drawn to transport through the stories of drivers who frequented the bar where she worked and, above all, after a journey with her future husband, also a truck driver. From then on, she spent nearly two decades behind the wheel, earning a reputation for professionalism and dedication to her craft.
In a sector still heavily dominated by men – in Spain, women account for barely 2% of professional drivers, compared to 7% in Italy and 5% in Germany – Oti spoke candidly about the difficulties faced by female truckers, from discrimination in hiring to cultural prejudices. She often recalled how, at the start of her career, some companies refused to hire women drivers, and how determination had been her only way to overcome those barriers.
Through her public persona as CocoTruckerGirl – followed by more than 300,000 people across Instagram, TikTok and Facebook – Oti brought an authentic portrayal of truckers’ lives to a wide audience. Her videos captured daily life in the cab, long journeys, logistical challenges and moments of freedom on the road. Her direct, humorous tone, coupled with her spontaneity and her well-known “viernes de morrete rojo” gesture – the red lipstick Fridays marking the end of the week – helped create a strong, supportive community of drivers.
Beyond her communication work, Oti was involved in several initiatives promoting training and gender equality. She served as an ambassador for Eurowag and collaborated with projects such as Nanogrado de Transporte 4.0, aimed at modernising and digitising the sector. She also took part in road safety campaigns and efforts to promote work–life balance.
The Galician trucker was an active voice at the Congreso de la Mujer en el Transporte, where she participated as a speaker in several editions, highlighting the need to improve safety in rest areas and make the profession more accessible to younger women. In one of her speeches, she stated that “to be a woman truck driver, you need two essential things: training and passion, because a truck is not just a job, it’s a calling.”
Her commitment earned her the respect of colleagues and companies across the sector, particularly Iveco, with which she had collaborated since 2019. In a message shared after her death, the brand wrote: “Since 2019, we have had the privilege of knowing a woman who began sharing her life behind the wheel as a hobby and ended up inspiring an entire community. For Iveco, she wasn’t just Coco, but Oti – a colleague, a friend, and part of our family on the road.”
The Confederación Española de Transporte de Mercancías also expressed its sorrow: “Today is a very sad day. Oti was an example to us all, for the passion with which she lived her profession and the joy she radiated.” The Asociación del Transporte Internacional por Carretera remembered her as someone who embodied “all the values that make this profession dignified: love for the job, commitment, professionalism, respect and kindness towards others.”
Her passing has generated hundreds of tributes from fellow drivers and enthusiasts, who have filled social media with memories and photos from her journeys. “You leave a huge void in a world that only makes sense if you’re a little bit mad,” wrote one trucker. “Your smile and red lipstick will forever remain a symbol of strength and authenticity,” read another message. Oti Cabadas marked a turning point in public perceptions of road transport, making the realities of female drivers visible and helping to reshape the image of a profession still widely seen as male-only.
