44 Years in Transport: From Trailblazer to Mentor - Angy's Story

At Driver Require, we’re proud to work with some incredible people – not just drivers, but true professionals with a lifetime of stories, knowledge, and dedication behind them. One of those people is Angy. 

Angy joined our Tamworth branch later in her career, bringing with her over 38 years of hands-on experience in transport – from life on the road as one of the UK’s first female HGV drivers to roles in compliance, training, and operations. After retiring in 2023, we caught up with her to reflect on her remarkable journey, the challenges she’s overcome, and the legacy she leaves behind. Here’s Angy’s story, in her own words – an honest, inspiring look at a trailblazing career that helped pave the way for women in logistics.

The first time I got into a truck was with a boyfriend at the time. I just loved it. I was so high up and felt like I was on top of the world. I made some enquiries at Heart of England Transport Training in Canley, Coventry and in November 1979 went on a 10-day HGV1 driving course. It cost £500, including the test. I went straight from a car into a Ford D Series. It had 6 gears and no power steering. It was really easy to drive though. We were taught with various trailers. Double-axle, Tri-axle and Spread-axle trailers. I took my HGV1 test at Garretts Green in Birmingham after the 10 days training and passed. At the time I think there were only a couple of other female drivers in the whole country.

I was 22. Looking back on it now, I can’t believe that I did it.

Angy's original HGV drivers licence

Then I signed up with a local driver agency in Coventry to gain some experience and was sent to Christian Salvesen in Atherstone. That’s when the difference between men and women drivers became evident. The drivers there didn’t like agency drivers, let alone female ones. I was on night trunk runs up to Forton services. I was tipped off by another agency driver to make sure that I checked the oil in the truck that I was given as the drivers had drained the oil in his and if I didn’t check it and it had no oil, I would seize the engine. Nice people….not.

I didn’t go back in there.

Then I got a call from a guy who had been on the same driving course. There was a job going at Argos in Daventry. I gave them a call, went in for a driving assessment and started the next day.

Angy in an Argos HGV.

Things were so different then.

I was the only female driver amongst 200 or so men. Most drivers didn’t know how to approach me. I think they were scared of what I might do or say. I just did what I was asked to do, usually Argos stores in London. We used Log Books then and had this Drivers “Bible”. All of the runs were based on 40mph, so by going on motorways at 60mph we would get there and back too early. The unions were strong back then and we were told not to get back into the depot before the time that the “bible” said, so we would sit in cafes for hours, playing pool and drinking coffee.

The shop steward came up to me one day and said that when I first started, he had expected me to ask for help, coupling up etc. but as I had just got on with the job, he was impressed and said I did the job just as good as the guys if not better! I felt like someone had just given me the best compliment ever!

I also had a temporary job, where I learned how to rope and sheet. Dolly knots were easy to do but trying to throw a heavy tarpaulin over a load on a flatbed trailer wasn’t so easy, especially being only 5'3”. Curtain-siders were also hard work in the wind. I have been lifted up in the air a few times, whilst hanging on for dear life to the curtain.

Trucks had different gearboxes, Splitters, Range-Change and could have as many as 24 gears. More if you were hauling a heavy load. Power steering wasn’t in the first trucks that I drove and the steering wheels were so large, you had to thread the wheel around. No crossing of hands!

As time went on, I got engaged and realised that I couldn’t be a truck driver if I wanted to start a family. I went to Leamington Spa College and took my CPC National and International management qualifications.

In 1982 I became a Freightcheck Inspector for the FTA. I travelled all over the Midlands and Wales, checking Tachograph charts for contraventions and legality and giving driver talks when required.

One day I was checking charts at City Link in Cannock. An obnoxious driver came over to me and asked how I was qualified to check charts. I told him that I had an HGV1 and my 2 CPC's. I could see his reaction and he said “Ok. I've got a truck outside, come and have a drive”.

I had a skirt on and high heels. I had to do this to get one up on him and to prove that I could still drive a truck. I managed to climb into the cab. It was a MAN with a twin axle skirted trailer. It had been 10 years since I had been in a truck. I drove around the perimeter of the large depot a few times. I was just getting into the hang of it when he asked me to reverse onto a bay. By this time a group of drivers had gathered in a loading bay, watching my every move. I reversed onto the adjoining bay first time, much to the astonishment of the driver sat next to me. All of the driver audience clapped and cheered. Point to me. Zero to the obnoxious driver. He didn’t know what to say. Think I put him in his place!

My life suddenly changed when my husband died in an accident. I was a transport supervisor Monday to Friday at a kitchen manufacturer. Money was tight so I was glad that I still had my HGV licence and got a Saturday job driving for Minor Weir & Willis, in Birmingham, delivering exotic fruit and veg to Sainsbury and Safeway depots. It was great to be on the road again even though the hours were long. I hadn’t realised how much I missed driving.

I still used to get looks from drivers who couldn’t believe that there was a woman behind the wheel. I have had drivers try to chat me up whilst sitting in slow moving traffic. One driver even threw a teddy through my window with his phone number on!

The old cliches of “you have to be strong” or “why would you want to be a truck driver?” still exist today. Women can do the same job as a man, usually better, as they have more patience.

In 2002, I managed to secure a job with Sainsburys at Hams Hall, Coleshill. We drove all over the country, to stores and depots. Hours were long, but I loved being on the road. Again, the majority of drivers were male, but there were 3 females. Attitudes by this time were starting to change and we seemed to be accepted but there is always the exception of the male driver who believes that a woman should be tied to the kitchen sink.

In 2011, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Although I was totally devastated, after my operation and radiotherapy treatment, I returned to work in the transport office at Sainsburys with my previous experience of checking tachograph charts and keeping the vehicles road legal.

The 12-hour shifts, 2 weeks of nights, 2 weeks of days really messed with my life and when I saw a job vacancy for trunking with a local driver agency, I went for it.

I went for the interview at Driver Require in Tamworth. At first, they accepted me as a driver, but when they saw my CV and the 38 years of varied experience I had, I was offered the position of Resourcer. I had been on the other side of agencies, so this helped me when I came to speak to drivers about what was expected of them.

Again, we would get the odd driver ask, “what do you know about drivers’ hours?” when I gave them a test to do. I so enjoyed telling them that I had an HGV1 and 2 CPC's. Their attitude changed immediately, and they were genuinely interested in what experiences I had when I was on the road.

On the few occasions that we were short of a driver for a client, I was persuaded to help. I enjoyed getting back on the road, but the 02.00 starts were a killer!

In 2022, I was diagnosed with breast cancer again. This time I had to have a mastectomy followed by reconstruction. Driver Require were amazing and supported me through a really hard time in my life.

After 44 years in transport, I reluctantly hung up my HGV1 and decided to retire. Ill health and getting old aren’t conducive to being a truck driver. I doubt whether I could even climb into a cab these days and wouldn’t know what all the new technology was on the dashboard!

I loved being an HGV driver and wouldn’t change it for the world. I have so many memories and have met so many great people along the way. I don’t need a sat nav either as I know nearly every main road in the country.

I would recommend any ladies to take up truck driving. We will never overtake the number of men but can prove that we can do the same job.

Go for it girls!!

Written by Angy Murray - previous employee of Driver Require, now happily enjoying retirement. 

Angy, and Branch Manager Dan, celebrating Angy's 5 year anniversary at Driver Require.