A video showing a 10-year-old girl behind the wheel of a manual lorry as her father guides her from outside the vehicle has sparked interest online. In the clip, the young girl is seen seated in the driver’s seat, holding the steering wheel and moving the truck as her father stands outside, giving her instructions.
The father is heard telling her, “Drive, go straight,” as she carefully moves the vehicle forward. The footage has circulated on Instagram since June 2026, drawing attention because of the girl’s age and the unusual sight of a child operating a large vehicle.
Unlike an automatic vehicle, a manual lorry requires the driver to coordinate the clutch, accelerator and gear lever while steering. This makes the task more demanding, particularly for someone still learning how to handle a vehicle.
What the number plate reveals
The registration plate visible in the footage appears to offer a clue about where the video was recorded. It reads T35 *** GP, with the letters GP identifying Gauteng Province in South Africa.
Gauteng is home to major cities including Johannesburg and Pretoria. The right-hand-drive configuration of the truck points towards a Southern African setting. However, the registration plate alone does not establish the exact location where the footage was filmed.
South Africa’s driving age requirements
The video has also drawn attention to the question of children operating motor vehicles before reaching the legal driving age.
According to the South African government’s official driving licence guidelines, applicants must meet minimum age requirements depending on the category of vehicle. For example, a learner’s licence for a goods vehicle with a gross vehicle mass of up to 3,500kg requires an applicant to be at least 17 years old, while heavier vehicle categories have an age requirement of 18.
At 10 years old, the girl is well below those minimum ages.
Although the clip shows her father giving instructions from outside the lorry, it does not establish whether the vehicle was on a public road or in a controlled private setting.
The footage is a reminder that operating a large vehicle requires more than knowing how to steer. Manual trucks require coordination, concentration and an understanding of how to control the vehicle safely.
While the father’s instructions appear intended to guide his daughter, allowing a child of that age to operate a lorry raises serious safety concerns, particularly because of the size and weight of such vehicles.