There is, a surplus shortage, of drivers desperate for work, that the industry can use to keep wages and conditions down. The hgv driver shortage is limiting the haulage industrys ability to deliver high quality services. Fta has been out to find out and spoken with the people behind the. The iru surveyed organisations across europe and found that a visible driver shortage of 21 per cent in freight transport and 19 per cent in the bus and coach sector.
In this article, i explain what the driver shortage is, how we got to this situation, and to what extent it is affecting the jobs market. This is having an impact on the haulage industry as well as the uk economy and it. At this point in time, the uk is approximately between 45,00060,000 drivers short, expected to rise to 70,000 by the end of the year. Emergency funding could be used to train thousands of. The shortage of lgv drivers in the uk is heading towards crisis point as a perfect storm of circumstances will see the current 50000 gap in the.
Nearly every period of economic growth is accompanied by a driver shortage, including the recovery that began in 2009. Recruitment agency hgv driver shortage in the uk outstaff. Do you really think there is a shortage of hgv drivers in uk. We talk a lot about the professional driver shortage and the need for more people to undergo pcv driver training. Weve blogged previously about the shortage of haulage drivers in the uk. Fta is addressing the increasing concern surrounding skills shortages within logistics. While the national results indicate a general pay increase by member companies for staff of 2. There are approximately 60,000 eastern european hgv drivers working for british companies. How to address uks hgv driver shortage in 2019 anthony. If something isnt done to attract more drivers to the industry the shortage will have a huge impact on goods being delivered around the uk and beyond.
It is also pressing the government for vocational loans and training grants. In the uk right now there is a shortage of licensed, qualified hgv drivers. Estimates suggest another 50,000 to 60,000 drivers are currently needed and its expected the situation is only going to get worse. There s a shortage of hgv drivers in an economy that relies on moving mountains of heavy goods. Eastern european lorry drivers are considering leaving britain due the drop in the pound post brexit because their wages are no longer worth so much. The shortage of hgv drivers in the uk has climbed to 59000 as 64% of. The average age of a hgv driver is 53 as well, and only 2% of drivers are learning how to drive hgv. The rha is therefore keen to set the record straight. Also, companies like uk are helping to fight low truck driver numbers by offering high tech training.
In the uk there is a drastic shortage of qualified hgv drivers. Latest hgv driver shortage facts, figures and perspectives. Driver shortage in oxfordshire and the rest of the uk is. Currently, in the uk, there is a significant shortage of qualified hgv drivers, which can make working very difficult if you are in haulage, transport or rely on your drivers to keep your business moving, quite literally. Driver shortage is about more than just low wages march 16, 2020 admin support i would like to reply to driver require ceo kieran smiths article which only shows the issue form a selfish point of view ie the agency trying get more money for itself.
Government urged to act over hgv driver shortage truck news. There is a cold hard reality in the logistics industry at the moment and that is that there are just not enough hgv drivers. The shortage of hgv drivers in the uk has climbed to 59,000 as 64% of transport and storage businesses now face severe skills shortages, according to a recent report by fta. The uk haulage industry is currently facing a shortage of between 45k and 50k hgv drivers and we as an industry need to face this. Driver shortage is about more than just low wages motor. The trucker is becoming an endangered species as lorry driver shortage hits the industry there is a shortage of 60,000 drivers and a quarter of truckers are set to. The uks driver shortage is growing at 50 drivers a day, according to a new study by the international road transport union. Logistics operators are struggling to recruit drivers, yet it is estimated that the uk needs an extra 150,000 drivers by 2020. But, is there actually a shortage, or is the problem something else entirely. In northamptonshire right now, for every one candidate qualified to be a lorry driver there are nine vacancies. We have reached this pinch point even before the economy picks up and gets going. Why is there a shortage of haulage drivers in the uk.
Europes driver shortage is spiraling out of control. The shortfall is predicted to increase to 150,000 by 2020. Hgv driver shortage will grow to crisis point unless pay and. By the end of the year there are expected to be around 70,000 vacancies. In the uk, there are over 60,000 hgv drivers short of what is actually required, and in the year 2020 this is expected to fall even more, making a shortfall of over 150,000 drivers. Why do companies come up with work they would never dream of. The main factors thought to be contributing to the shortage within the transport and cargo industry are. Driver shortage least of worries for britains bus services. If there was a real driver shortage then newbies would be offered a full time permanent job the moment they passed.
The driver shortage is currently estimated at 35,000 lgv drivers 2. Driver shortage rha sets the record straight 15th december 2017 there has been a lot of speculation in the media recently about the hgv driver shortage, the possibility of christmas delay disasters, and postbrexit supply chain disruption as a result. Mps say government should intervene in driver shortage. There has been a lot of speculation in the media recently about the hgv driver shortage, the possibility of christmas delay disasters, and postbrexit supply chain disruption as a result.
The fta is fighting this claiming that, unlike car drivers, there is no evidence younger hgv drivers are more of a risk. Lgv truck licence information and hgv jobs at driver shortage. Currently, 2% of employed drivers are under 25 and with the average age of a hgv driver in britain being 55 there just arent enough qualified people filling the. There is a level of uncertainty in the air when it comes to all things brexit. Hgv driver shortages in the uk there is a massive shortage of heavy goods vehicle drivers at the moment. And the shortage is growing at the rate of 50 a day with a. It said changes in the large goods vehicle lgv driver workforce in recent years had been driven by the gain and loss of both. Hgv driver shortage driver survey 2016 return loads. The uks largest privatelyowned waste management company says a national shortage of hgv drivers is beginning to affect its business. There is a cold hard reality in the logistics industry at the moment and that is that there are just not enough hgv drivers in the uk.
As part of the conditions of holding an hgv licence, drivers are required to undergo regular medicals to. The shortage of lgv drivers in the uk is heading towards crisis point as a perfect storm of circumstances will see the current 50,000 gap in the workforce widen unless rates of pay and working conditions are rapidly improved, according to recruitment specialist driver require. We did some research into the actual data behind the claim that there is a driver shortage in the uk and this is what we found. Rha sets the record straight on driver shortage hgv. No container or straight truck or trailer moves without, at some point, a truck driver. Government risks lorry driver shortage during coronavirus. Driver shortage there is already a shortage of hgv drivers, and they are currently playing a crucial role in maintaining the supply of food and medicines. However, if campaign for better transport cbt is to be believed, the driver shortage is the least of the worries now being faced by britains bus services. But what is causing this shortage of drivers and why is it.
Uk hgv driver shortage now at 59000 diverse employment. Hgv driver shortage will grow to crisis point unless pay. There remains a drastic shortage of hgv drivers in the uk and members are increasingly reporting the struggle to find and keep experienced, professional drivers in all sectors. The rates have to increase said rogers, who was speaking about new regulations that are going to limit how many hours of driving time a driver. In the uk, estimates suggest a shortfall of more than 50,000 qualified drivers, with the number of unfilled vacancies increasing by 50 each day. The uk currently needs an additional 60,000 hgv drivers, with around fifty drivers leaving the profession on a daily basis. First of all, think about the culture in your organisation. The shortage of hgv drivers in the uk has reached an all time high, with 64% of transport businesses facing a severe skills shortage, according to the fta with over 60% of drivers being over the age of 44 and less than 20% being under 35, the uk now has one of the largest national shortages, with 60,000 additional drivers needed to bridge the gap. The low number of young people entering the profession. Lgvhgv driver shortage continues this christmas tta. Reevaluating the hgv driver shortage in the uk james. According to the 2019 report, the impact of the hgv driver shortage in the uk is top of the list of concerns for 33% of surveyed operators. The current ageing workforce the average age of a truck driver is 57.
The trucker is becoming an endangered species as lorry. What is the view of truck drivers who are on the roads in the uk, and why do they believe there is a driver shortage problem. This is a risk to oxfordshire logistics businesses, but luckily mayday employment is on the case to fill the gap. As of mid2018 there were a total of 311,973 people. A failure to deliver safe, secure rest areas and address shortcomings in the apprenticeship levy are damaging efforts to tackle the driver shortage, truck associations have warned. Recently published figures from the ons show that nearly 80,000 qualified hgv drivers with valid driver cpc are choosing not to work as hgv drivers, this coupled with results from this survey shows that perhaps there is not a shortage of drivers but just a shortage of appealing work. The main reason for this shortage is how unappealing the career looks.
Is your logistics company feeling the uk driver shortage. The hgv driver shortage has been the subject of controversy recently, with some calling a myth while many others are concerned for the haulage industry, particularly after brexit. With the long hours of 14hour straight days, the only upside would be the pay. Over the last 15 years there has been a steady increase in average driver age, rising from 45. Hauliers warn of acute shortage of drivers morgan mclernon in lurgan is among a number of haulage businesses across the north struggling to recruit drivers. A shortage of qualified hgv drivers threatens the boom in trade predicted once we have shaken off the eus shackles credit. Emergency funding could be used to train thousands of lorry drivers to prevent food shortages. Ive been a hgv one driver for 30 years and cant wait to leave the industry,because the industry has nothing to offer a driver. Uk driver shortage growing at 50 a day logistics manager. Even so, trucking companies, especially truckload carriers, often have great difficulty finding, hiring and keeping drivers. How is the hgv driver shortage affecting the haulage. The nationwide shortage of hgv drivers is threatening the uks logistics sector and we are reaching crisis point. Hauliers warn of acute shortage of drivers the irish news. Shoppers are taking to the streets in search of christmas gifts, but a large percentage of them will also be shopping online, for the sake of convenience and to make use of online deals being offered by retailers.
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