Queen of Trucks: 'I enjoy being in a male-dominated environment'

A woman who runs a truck driver training business said people were often "surprised" and "confused" by what she does.

Shannan Paterson, 27, from Willenhall in the West Midlands, began her first HGV training business aged 19.

She will star in a BBC Three one-off documentary, Queen of Trucks, due to broadcast on Monday 4 July.

"I enjoy being a woman in a strongly male-dominated environment," she said.

The documentary will follow Ms Paterson and her business as it examines how and why people are drawn to the industry.

With her company, HGV Training (Midlands) Ltd, learners can take their first steps to an HGV licence by completing an intense five-day course.

It has both drivers coming to her independently as well as contracts with companies to train drivers.

Ms Paterson got into the industry herself as a teenager helping her dad in his lorry school.

At 19, she started her own classroom training programme before taking over the school.

"At the time I didn't realise what pressure I had on my shoulders [running a business]," Ms Paterson said.

"When I got to my 20s it was a bit more like, 'this is actually quite hard' - all the tax, bills VAT, lots of things that come with running a business and the responsibilities.

"I was so young I didn't think I needed to take things seriously, so I made a lot of mistakes, but I learned from them and I needed to do that to get to where I am."

The documentary will follow her as she juggles the business with helping to raise her younger sister, and trying to get her own HGV licence with help from veteran instructor and dad, Trevor.

"I still get people saying 'You're in charge?' - it is surprising."

She said there were "pros and cons" to working in the industry, but when she was first contacted by the documentary's production team she "thought it was a joke".

Ms Paterson said it had been hard to juggle the business, home life and filming, but it had been worth it.

Currently expecting her first baby, due in October, Ms Paterson said she hoped to set up other businesses in the future.

Queen of Trucks is a BBC Three and BBC England co-commission and airs on Monday 4 July on BBC Three at 20:00 BST.

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