No doubt that on the same day this story was published, there was also an advert for LGV training in the back of the rag.
All these stories about driver shortages are to get the seed planted in the public about empty shops and deliveries not being made so that when they want to push driverless trucks on them in the future they dont put up as much resistance.
Dear god I sound like carryfast 
More inaccurate scaremongering 
I know several Class 1 agency drivers, who were working full-time for us up until Christmas, but now we are
into January, their agencies can’t find them more than 1 or 2 shifts per week at best! 
…and of
course soon their bumper wage packet that they got for December…will soon run out!
There is only ever a shortage of drivers for a few weeks leading up to Christmas…or the odd week or two in
the summer when a lot of drivers are on holiday…and even then the temporary shortage is usually only for
the least desirable, or lowest-paying jobs.
For 85-90% of the year …there is no shortage.
A lot of the larger firms would like there to be more drivers available, and to have a situation in the future
where there is a surplus of drivers…so that would give them the excuse, to never have to increase drivers wages.
A genuine driver shortage in the future should, in theory be good for current drivers…as it would force some of the
lower-payers to raise their wages in order to retain their drivers, and attract new ones. But until there is a genuine
driver shortage…nothing will change.
More like the surplus is dwindling and firms are finding they are having to increase the pathetic wages to retain drivers.
Diddums
They want the government to ease the burden by stumping up £3.5 million to support lorry-driver apprenticeships and claim it would save taxpayers £30 million in the long run.
Road Haulage Association boss Richard Burnett said: “The industry is doing all it can to promote itself as an excellent employment opportunity.
“Yet without financial support from the government, and without drivers, the industry on which the rest of the economy is so dependent will be going nowhere.”
Bosses are also appealing to women but fear many are put off by the poor state of truck stop loos at motorway and roadside services.
If the RHA put as much effort into getting its members to fix the real problems in the industry, as they do trying to get public money and telling people it’s a great job, they might actually make the job a attractive to people.
Harry Monk:
No doubt that on the same day this story was published, there was also an advert for LGV training in the back of the rag.
Spot on.
Lancsdriver70:
I know several Class 1 agency drivers, who were working full-time for us up until Christmas, but now we are
into January, their agencies can’t find them more than 1 or 2 shifts per week at best!
course soon their bumper wage packet that they got for December…will soon run out!
They’re not doing this agency thing right. Listening to many agency drivers you would think it was part of the game for them to choose not to work during January and February and instead spend that time on the beach in Thailand thanks to all the money that they earned during the previous year.
Something about a ‘lifestyle choice’, I think they call it.
‘Lifestyle’ choice…more like a couple of weeks in Gt yarmouth. The pay is pretty dismal all round going by this very forum alone, 14shillings and sixpence extra at xmas doesnt go far…
Let any real shortage bite, and let supply and demand raise wages sharply as it should.
There now only needs to be a shortage of applicants for “HGV training places” of course.
How hard can THAT be? 
muckles:
They want the government to ease the burden by stumping up £3.5 million to support lorry-driver apprenticeships and claim it would save taxpayers £30 million in the long run.
Road Haulage Association boss Richard Burnett said: “The industry is doing all it can to promote itself as an excellent employment opportunity.
“Yet without financial support from the government, and without drivers, the industry on which the rest of the economy is so dependent will be going nowhere.”
Bosses are also appealing to women but fear many are put off by the poor state of truck stop loos at motorway and roadside services.
If the RHA put as much effort into getting its members to fix the real problems in the industry, as they do trying to get public money and telling people it’s a great job, they might actually make the job a attractive to people.
I cant see how telling a 21 year old, hey you can work up to 70 hours a week, a few 15 hour days, 9 hours off, be messed around constantly always get grief from both ends … pay for the privilege … oh, and be paid minimum wage. how can they realistically promote the job as attractive?? … if it was 9 hour shifts max, and 18 quid an hour then yes … but why would a shelf stacker at a supermarket on 10 quid want to waste 3k and a DCPC every five years etc …
When there is a real LGV driver shortage newbies will be snapped up the moment they pass for full time permanent jobs
When there is a real LGV driver shortage newbies will be snapped up the moment they pass for full time permanent jobs
Once all the agency lot come back from their months long holidays in Dubai after earning thousands from their Xmas working there will be plenty of drivers again…
discoman:
muckles:
They want the government to ease the burden by stumping up £3.5 million to support lorry-driver apprenticeships and claim it would save taxpayers £30 million in the long run.
Road Haulage Association boss Richard Burnett said: “The industry is doing all it can to promote itself as an excellent employment opportunity.
“Yet without financial support from the government, and without drivers, the industry on which the rest of the economy is so dependent will be going nowhere.”
Bosses are also appealing to women but fear many are put off by the poor state of truck stop loos at motorway and roadside services.
If the RHA put as much effort into getting its members to fix the real problems in the industry, as they do trying to get public money and telling people it’s a great job, they might actually make the job a attractive to people.
I cant see how telling a 21 year old, hey you can work up to 70 hours a week, a few 15 hour days, 9 hours off, be messed around constantly always get grief from both ends … pay for the privilege … oh, and be paid minimum wage. how can they realistically promote the job as attractive?? … if it was 9 hour shifts max, and 18 quid an hour then yes … but why would a shelf stacker at a supermarket on 10 quid want to waste 3k and a DCPC every five years etc …
18 year old you mean. (rolling my eyes at the ridiculous age not you btw)
AndrewG:
‘Lifestyle’ choice…more like a couple of weeks in Gt yarmouth. The pay is pretty dismal all round going by this very forum alone, 14shillings and sixpence extra at xmas doesnt go far…
Really? I thought they were all on a grand a week for eight hours a day…
I reckon with the wages held back, the best advancement one can make as a driver right now is to get a basic pay for as few hours as possible.
I think this was what happened in Japan after years of their “Just in time” model, and “lost decade” in their economy.
Office workers became “minimalists” en masse. I’m not saying that everyone becomes clock-watchers so much, but rather “If there’s no overtime, and you get paid your basic for just turning up” - then essentially “Turn up, get the job done, and bugger off home” becomes the working model for millions of blue collar workers in general.
If I’m right, then instead of seeing wages rise in the short term, you’ll see instead a real difficulty filling those jobs that have a over-long contracted week of working hours, or possibly some agency-style “tricks” where you get promised a 40 hour week for a reasonable salary - but end up working 55-60 hours because that particular firm deems “POA” and “breaks” and “card not in vehicle” as hours of one’s working week that “don’t count towards it”…
Just as we’re already used to “Agency Lies” - it’s time for those of us in full time work to realize and expose any “firm’s lies” in their management style.
“Organizing Work” should be a manager’s lot rather than “Lying to the workforce to trick them into working over and above their contracts” rather than the old-fashioned way of motivating people - which was to pay overtime, and have “job & knock” as a perk of the job… In other words, too many managers these days have become Politicians first, and good-organizers very much last.
Olog Hai:
AndrewG:
‘Lifestyle’ choice…more like a couple of weeks in Gt yarmouth. The pay is pretty dismal all round going by this very forum alone, 14shillings and sixpence extra at xmas doesnt go far…Really? I thought they were all on a grand a week for eight hours a day…
Thats what they’ll have us believe…
Reef:
discoman:
muckles:
They want the government to ease the burden by stumping up £3.5 million to support lorry-driver apprenticeships and claim it would save taxpayers £30 million in the long run.
Road Haulage Association boss Richard Burnett said: “The industry is doing all it can to promote itself as an excellent employment opportunity.
“Yet without financial support from the government, and without drivers, the industry on which the rest of the economy is so dependent will be going nowhere.”
Bosses are also appealing to women but fear many are put off by the poor state of truck stop loos at motorway and roadside services.
If the RHA put as much effort into getting its members to fix the real problems in the industry, as they do trying to get public money and telling people it’s a great job, they might actually make the job a attractive to people.
I cant see how telling a 21 year old, hey you can work up to 70 hours a week, a few 15 hour days, 9 hours off, be messed around constantly always get grief from both ends … pay for the privilege … oh, and be paid minimum wage. how can they realistically promote the job as attractive?? … if it was 9 hour shifts max, and 18 quid an hour then yes … but why would a shelf stacker at a supermarket on 10 quid want to waste 3k and a DCPC every five years etc …
18 year old you mean.
I agree, I did say 21, because a 18 year old wouldn’t even be out of bed … i do agree, not all youngsters are mature enough to drive a go cart let alone 44t
Do we gather from this article the true reason for the Sun’s support for Brexit?
That is they and their business friends still want the plentiful supply of cheap labour, but also full influence over the rules and regulations on business and employment.
BRITAIN’S post-Brexit trade boom is under threat from a drastic shortage of lorry drivers, a report warns.
British hauliers currently rely on about 60,000 foreign drivers to keep their fleets on the road.
But as Brexit gets closer, the number of truckers is declining as EU migrant drivers head home because of exchange rates.
Reckon this thread could run and run now. 