Former Road Safety Ambassador in Ghana Now a Truck Driver in the U.S.
Gabby Adu Gyamfi, a former road safety ambassador in Ghana, shared his life journey on SVTV Africa’s Daily Hustle Worldwide Show with DJ Nyaami.
He began by advising drivers to avoid drinking and driving, and also cautioned pedestrians who risk their lives standing in the middle of the road to stop vehicles. Gabby also expressed condolences to the victims of recent accidents in Ghana, including the 16-year-old student who died and the eight victims of a plane crash.
Gabby grew up in Asante Bekwai, Kosua Ase, before moving to Kumasi. In 2003, he attended St. Joseph Senior High Technical School. To survive, he sold PK gum, test papers, and handkerchiefs in traffic. Later, he tried working as a mate (bus conductor), but an accident he was involved in left many dead. He was stigmatized afterward but used the experience to champion road safety, eventually becoming a road safety ambassador.
He worked with the Ministry of Transport under Kwaku Ofori Asiamah to support driver licensing campaigns. Unfortunately, in 2019, his child fell ill. With the support of media personalities like Kofi Adomah, A Plus, Avraham Ben Moshe, and others, funds were raised for him to travel to the U.S. for his child’s treatment.
In the U.S., Gabby initially did Uber Eats, Amazon, DoorDash, and warehouse jobs. The work was tough, so he decided to attend trucking school. Drawing on his background as a driver in Ghana, he successfully obtained his CDL (Commercial Driver’s License) after six weeks of training. Today, he has been a truck driver for three years, covering many miles across America.
Gabby lives in Columbus, Ohio, with his wife and four children (two biological and two adopted). He explained that America values people with disabilities and does not stigmatize them as in Ghana. However, he noted that without upgrading one’s skills, many immigrants end up stuck in low-paying warehouse jobs.
He highlighted the opportunities in the trucking industry, stating that truck drivers in the U.S. can earn between $85,000 to $100,000 per year, sometimes more than doctors or even Ghanaian MPs. Gabby holds multiple endorsements, including tanker, doubles, and triples. He emphasized the high demand for truck drivers, school bus drivers, and construction equipment operators in Ohio.
Gabby also recalled his media career in Ghana, where he worked as a DJ at Hello FM, Angel FM, and Okay FM before becoming a road safety ambassador.
He urged Ghanaians not to be deceived into thinking money is easily made abroad. Before securing stable work, his family survived on $415 monthly unemployment benefits. He also warned about the risks some Ghanaians face when crossing through Mexico, as many end up in deportation camps.
Finally, Gabby said although trucking is demanding, it is rewarding. He hopes to return to Ghana one day but admitted that many people may laugh at him for renting instead of owning property. Still, he encouraged others to pursue truck driving in the U.S. as a solid career path, stressing that upgrading skills is the only way to survive in an era where robots are beginning to take over driving jobs.