A woman who dreamed of being a “bin man” when she was a child now drives 44 tonne trucks for a living.
Hannah Robinson works as a Class 1 HGV driver, travelling across the UK and even overseas as part of a growing haulage business she helped build from the ground up.
The 32-year-old prides herself on being one of the North East’s most recognisable female truck drivers and says she has never let stereotypes stand in her way.
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“When I was little, I used to watch the bin men driving up the street and say to my mam ‘I’m going to be a bin man’,” Hannah, from Hartlepool, County Durham, told What’s The Jam.
“My uncles and cousins are truckers and my grandad was a bus driver, so I suppose it’s in my blood.
“Being a female driver, you do feel you have a point to prove in order to show you’re just as capable as a man.
“During tight and difficult manoeuvres, I’ve been asked if I can manage and had men offer to do it for me.
“I often find myself saying ‘it’s ok, I can do it’.
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“On one of our jobs, I drive a forklift and help out with manual labour, which involves lifting 250-litre drums.
“I once had someone run over and say, ‘leave them for us, they’re too heavy for you’.
“I was quick to prove them wrong.
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“Because of my height, people assume I’m not strong enough to reach or lift things and try to do it for me.
“I’m grateful for the help, of course, but I’m stronger than I look and not afraid to ask for help if I do need it.
“I’m sure they come from a good place but I’d rather they just let me do it and ask I’ll ask for help myself if I need it.”
Fortunately, she says the vast majority of drivers and colleagues have been welcoming.
She said: “I’ve had the usual ‘what’s a girl like you doing in a job like this?’ kind of comments, but nothing ever malicious.
“On the refineries, I’m treated the same as the men and that’s how it should be.
“We have a laugh and I give as good as I get, but having thick skin and a good sense of humour goes a long way.
“People are usually more curious than anything; I often get asked if I’m ex-army.”
But she says social media is a different story
Hannah, who used to be a children’s face painter, shares snippets of her life driving trucks on her TikTok HGV Han.
Hannah now earns around £5,000 a month at a job she loves and says every day is different.
She said: “I’m never in the same place.
“I could be up at 5am, start work at 6, do my defect checks on the truck and trailer, then drive to my delivery point which could be England, Scotland or Wales.
“I’ve delivered everything from recycling to machinery, motorbikes and even tins of spam.
“When I’m working on the refineries, an average day includes clocking in, getting into overalls and working on site, covering all logistics from escorting loads to shunting trailers.
“I help the lads out with manual work too when I can.”
Hannah says keeping fit on the road is difficult and she wants all truck stops to have facilities such as gyms.
She said: “After working a 12-hour day, all you want to do it eat and sleep.”
“I ran a marathon last year so I had to train while I was away in the truck.
“I’d park up on the industrial estate overnight, get my trainers and headphones on and run for miles.
“I enjoy yoga too, so I would do that in the cab.
“There are too many drivers facing health problems because of the lack of exercise and food options.”
Hannah says she’s been branded as “desperate” by male drivers online.
Hannah said: “When I announced my TikTok, amongst the support I had a barrage of comments from disgruntled male drivers, calling me an attention seeker and desperate.
“It really doesn’t bother me.
“I expected it and it’s sad that we live in a world where it’s acceptable to call people all sorts of names online.
“I can see why it would affect people’s mental health.
“They are literally strangers and don’t know me.
“If they met me in person, their opinions would change because I get on with everyone.
“I got accused of doing OnlyFans.
“That was hilarious to me as it couldn’t be further from the truth.
“Hats off to the girls that do it, each to their own and they’re making a lot more money than the people slating them online but it could never be me and that’s ok too.
“I told them I’d screenshot their comment and use it in a future video and they soon changed their tune.
“I just wonder if they have daughters and if they’d appreciate a man saying that to them.
“We had a laugh replying to them all but they helped me gain traction on my page, so a big thanks to them.”
Hannah first began training for her Class 2 licence in 2016 at the age of 21 but suffered a setback when she failed her test.
At around the same time, her friend Callum, an experienced Class 1 driver, had decided to launch his own agency.
The pair teamed up and what would eventually become C.W Haulage Services was born.
Hannah said: “He took me under his wing and got me my first job, driving roll-on-roll-off skips for six months and I loved it.
“That’s when things really changed for us, he was getting calls for Class 1 work and encouraged me to get my licence.
“I was so scared, I thought, ‘Am I too small to drive those big trucks?’
“But I passed the first time!
“Since then, it’s been a whirlwind.
“We went from just us two, to a team of drivers, to Callum buying our first truck, The Grey Lady Then our second truck The Blue Ranger.
“Fast forward 10 years, we’ve had multiple contracts with local companies and we now work on refineries across the UK, America and Canada.
“We pride ourselves on having a great rapport with our clients, which has helped us grow into the company we are today.”
Unlike many office workers, Hannah says there is no such thing as a typical day as a truck driver.
She said: “There’s never a normal day in the world of HGV Han.
“One week I’ll be driving locally on day or night shift, then home in my own bed; the next week I could be sleeping in my cab in Truckstops, or travelling to a refinery where I’ll work for weeks or months, living in hotels or contractor houses.
“No two days are the same and I love that about my job; it keeps me on my toes!
“The best part of the job for me is getting to see so many new and interesting places.
“I’ve scaled all corners of the UK, from John O Groats to Lands End, meeting people from all walks of life and getting paid for the privilege- what’s not to love.
“Also, when you work with your friend, it doesn’t really feel like work.
“The job is only as fun as you make it, but we make it a lot of fun.”
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