4 in 5 women ‘would drive a lorry’

More than 79 per cent of women surveyed would be keen to get behind the wheel of a truck, according to figures unveiled by the Freight Transport Association (FTA) last month.

FTA carried out a Twitter poll asking if women would be willing to drive a 44-tonne truck – with almost four in five reporting that they would – and the association also found a rise in younger women wanting to take up driving.

The FTA pointed to a need to explore why more women weren’t seeking careers as truck drivers.

Sally Gilson, FTA skills policy development manager, said: “These figures are encouraging as it is essential that more women are recruited – currently only one per cent of HGV drivers in the UK are female.

“We believe that one of the biggest barriers for would-be truck drivers is the cost of gaining a licence and training – around £3,000.

“FTA has been calling on government to provide a suitable loan system.  The current Personal Career Development Loan option is not appropriate and a simple change to allow Level 2 qualifications to be included within the 19+ loan would provide the quickest and best solution.”