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Abigail Asumadu-Amoah turns heads on Ghana's broken roads at the wheel of her giant truck, but she remains focused.
She is one of 21 drivers working for Ladybird Logistics, a company that claims to be "the first company in the world to use only fireside chairs".
In a tough industry dominated by men, women are changing attitudes.
"What men can do, women can do it too," said Asumadu-Amoah, who hopes other women will be inspired by their success. "It's (a matter of) determination."
Ladybird's women's team drives 47,000-liter trucks, delivering gasoline to Ghana's gold mines.
But for Asumadu-Amoah, 44, the biggest challenges she faces are the state of the cracked roads in this West African country.
"Drive carefully and cautiously," said Asumadu-Amoah, speaking of his approach to his job, waiting for his tanker to be refueled from a depot located in the coastal port of Takoradi, at 225 km to the west of the capital of Ghana. , Accra.
The transport sector is a big employer in Ghana but is dominated by men.
Fuel thieves
According to government figures, nearly eight per cent of men in Ghana work in transportation and storage, compared to only 0.3 per cent of women.
But there was a problem, said William Tewiah, general manager of Zen Petroleum in Ghana, a major fuel transportation company delivering supplies to the industry throughout the region.
The drivers would fill their tankers in Takoradi before traveling to Ghana's mining sites.
On the way though, they would siphon supplies for themselves on a large scale.
Some months the company could lose up to 50,000 dollars (44,000 euros) in stolen fuel, said Tewiah.
In search of a solution, he understood that something new was needed and that hiring women could be the solution.
Given that the women would enter the area freshly, they would have a "completely different mentality", he added.
Additional training
At the end of 2017, Tewiah asked independent management consultant Payin Marfo to realize her dream of creating an all-female truck driving business, making her the CEO of Ladybird.
In October of the following year, Ladybird began delivering fuel on behalf of Zen Petroleum to power one of the gold mines.
Ladybird, which belongs to a group of shareholders, currently covers three routes, the longest lasting approximately seven hours.
"I sleep much better at night without having nightmares about missing fuel," Tewiah said.
Drivers, aged 28 to 45, were all experienced and allowed to drive trucks, often as bus drivers.
Ladybird offered them additional training, including support from Swedish truck manufacturers Scania and the Ghanaian Transport Corps.
Training for military truckers included physical exercises with army instructors, defensive driving lessons, as well as tips on handling fuel trucks.
Inspiration
Until now, the only customer of Ladybird Logistics is Zen, but he hopes to grow.
Marfo said the company plans to double the number of drivers by hiring 24 additional people and increasing the size of its fleet.
"More and more women are showing interest," she said, adding that every week a woman contacted her to ask for a job.
"For me, this is the first goal already achieved," she added.
"Overall, women view trucking as a profession, but not in Ghana, and now I can see that women see trucking as a profession."
Beatrice Frimpong, 28, is a mechanic.
In addition to providing him with a job, Frimpong hopes that it will encourage other women.
"This will allow someone to do something extraordinary," Frimpong said.
Men sometimes told her that she was too small or too weak for work and that she had to stick to smaller vehicles, she said.
So, making repairs to trucks – like the tankers she works with today – was an act of defiance.
"I wanted to prove to them that I could do it," Frimpong said. "It does not matter if I'm big or small, I can do it."
The team has won supporters among male colleagues.
Judge Zoiku, a truck driver filling his tank truck in the same fuel depot, said he was always happy to see ladybug drivers on the roads.
"They have patience and take their time to do everything," said Zoiku. "They are fine."
Zoiku, a proud father, also said that he would be happy if his daughter decided to follow in her footsteps and drive a tanker.
"If she wants to drive, I will support her," said Zoiku. "What men can do, women can do it better."
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