Queen Of The Road

Brigid Donnelly on why she loves being a driving force for change as a female trucker…

- Elaine Reilly

Lorries are the beating heart of our country’s industry, travelling the highways and byways each day to get everything from food to petrol to where it needs to be.

There are approximately 300,000 truckers in the UK, and the stereotypical image of big, burly men behind the wheel isn’t too far from the truth, as it’s estimated only a tiny one percent of drivers are women. So what’s life really like on the open road for female truckers?

In Lorry Ladies, an episode of acclaimed BBC documentary series True North, which airs on BBC1 this week, Angela Rippon – who was the first presenter of Top Gear – travels to Northern Ireland to meet the women who earn a living behind the wheel and who, at weekends, showcase their beloved vehicles at truck festivals.

Here, mother-of-two Brigid Donnelly, 40, tells TV Times why she loves being a driving force for change in the haulage industry…

What first appealed to you about becoming a truck driver?