Some male drivers can have a truckin' cheek

Michelle has rare qualification Science teacher tells how men to drive both lorries and coaches dominate in careers on the roads

- BY SARA ROUNTREE

ONE of Ireland's few female lorry drivers has told how she was branded a "cheeky young girl" and faced people hoping she'd have an accident.

Michelle Lehane, 26, has forged a successful career in one of Ireland's most male-dominated industries, and has now opened up about how she went from helping her dad's hackney business to becoming one of the youngest dual-qualified drivers in the country.

Michelle, also a qualified science teacher, said she hopes to inspire and empower more young women to consider a career in driving and squash any preconceived notions of female drivers.

"In an industry where long hours, heavy vehicles and high-pressure responsibility have long been seen as a man's domain, women remain the exception rather than the rule," she said.