– It's no problem to be a girl in this industry and there are actually several females who contacted me after they dared to take the plunge. It really is crazy fun, says Angelica Larsson, who lives in Gällivare.
The shortage of truck drivers is one of the major challenges to the industrial boom in Norrland. Last year, haulage companies and contracting companies in northern Sweden needed to hire an additional 300 drivers, according to statistics from trade associations.
And yet only Northvolt in Skellefteå is properly up and running. Enormous projects in the mining, steel and fertilizer industries are all due to start over the next few years.
– There's no shortage of jobs and you wonder how things will go, says Angelica.
She has worked as a driver of various types of heavy vehicles for 13 years. Today, she is employed by Eurocrane, and mostly drives different types of trailers at Boliden's Aitikgruva, just south of Gälivare. But she's also driven to the coast and further inland on various assignments.
The work involves, among other things, moving heavy machinery, such as trucks, dumpers and drills, for example.
– I like that the work is varied. That is the advantage when you work for a slightly larger company. And you are exposed to many challenges. I have fallen in love with machine trailers. It can be quite a hassle. Some are broken, others need to be wired up. At some point you have to call a colleague and ask what to do. You learn a lot.
Angelica says she feels as though she has grown as a person by mastering large machines, in much the same way as girls who handle horses often and well feel an upswell in self-esteem.
– There are actually many girls who progress from having driven horse transport to getting a truck license.
Is that what you appreciate the most?
– Yes, that and you have a damn great view on the roads, being so high! It really is a wow feeling on the roads.
In 2018, she took her career a step further by making videos of her work shifts on Instagram. The first film she made was inspired by the "bottle cup challenge", i.e. kicking the cork off a bottle.
– But I did it with a truck and a wheel loader, she laughs.
As a girl in a male-dominated industry, she is a smash hit. Now she has 1.7 million followers on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook. With this also comes a substantial cut in extra income due to advertising views on YouTube.
– It is not unusual that I get 60,000 kronor a month. I haven't recently posted a film so then maybe it will be 10,000 kronor. It's welcome money. But without my regular job, I'd have nothing. It is the basis of everything.
Angelica says that she is self-taught. She films with her mobile phone, and edits the videos herself.
Her influencer career has been noted. Angelica is invited by large companies to competitions and stunts to market new machines, including in Germany.
Now she is preparing for a new international project that is about recruiting more girls to the industry.
– I hope to get started pretty soon but I can't tell you any details yet.
Name: Angelica Larsson.
Age: 32.
Lives: Gällivare.
Family: cohabits with Anton Tapani, who runs the company Tapani's Contracting.
Work: Truck driver and influencer. On YouTube, she has 347,000 followers. Her videos sometimes reach1.5 million views.
