Driver Recruitment Stops Short
There’s
been a lot of news recently about the potential shortages that will
be caused by Brexit. Some predictions say delays at ports will affect
supplies of fresh food, medicines and maybe most worrying, toilet
paper. These headlines are only the tip of the iceberg. Shortages
will impact just in time supply chains in the manufacturing sector
and the availability of obscure industrial goods that most of us
don’t even know exist.
Most
worrying is the developing HGV driver shortage in the UK. People with
the right skills to move freight from A to B are in short supply. And
a driver shortage means fewer people capable of transporting the
goods when finally get free of the ports.
Driving
Out The Issues
The
Freight Traffic Association (FTA) are predicting that around 15% of
vacancies will go unfilled due to the driver shortage. Compounding
the issue is an industry skills gap confirmed by a recent survey of
freight and logistics businesses who operate in the UK and abroad.
One
of the primary reasons for the driver shortage is the ageing profile
of the workforce and potential issues related to Brexit. As FTA head
of skills, Sally Gilson comments:
“An
ageing workforce, competition for skilled staff, and shifting
migration patterns – in part in response to Brexit – mean we are
facing serious challenges in the recruitment and retention of labour
for key logistics roles. After all, the average age of an HGV driver
is 48 years, as found in the survey, and 13 per cent of HGV drivers
working in the UK are EU nationals; their continued residency is not
guaranteed post-Brexit.”
Steering
To A Solution
An
ongoing driver shortage could have profound impacts on the UK
logistics sector and potentially the UK economy. As supply chains
weaken and the consequences start to affect customers, the knock-on
impacts on economic performance will soon become apparent.
To
combat this, some logistics companies now understand they can no
longer rely on agency drivers to fill their resource gaps. Firms like
NWH Group are setting up driver training academies. They hope this
will not only drive up standards but also increase awareness and
interest in driving as a career.
The
FTA is also championing this approach to driver shortages and has
arranged a one day ‘Labour Shortages Conference’. At this event,
the FTA will advise on how to increase recruitment for new driver
trainees. The aim is to give logistics firms the information and
guidance they need to address HGV driver shortages and to prevent
long-term issues developing.
It’s
hoped these moves will go some way to address the concerns and drive
up the number of qualified HGV drivers.
The
Best Tools For The Job
The
Truckcraft team are encouraged by the moves from the FTA and NWH
Group to address the HGV driver shortage. These organisations are
proactively addressing what could be a problematic issue for our
industry if it’s allowed to continue unchecked.
For
our part, we’ll continue to make vans and trucks that are
comfortable, reliable and easy to use. This means that older drivers
can stay in the job longer using vehicles that make their role as
stress-free as possible. And for new drivers, they can see that it’s
a job that’s fun to do as long as the tools they are using are as
useful as they can be.
For more information on our range of delivery trucks and vans, please contact the Truckcraft Bodies sales team on 0161 304 9404. Alternatively, email glen.pinder@truckcraftbodies.co.uk or emma.jane@truckcraftbodies.co.uk.
Published: Oct 14