Van driver earning more than class 1 driver

No, he means get a job with the few remaining companies who carry their own goods and service their own shops or customers, eg factory to customer or direct employed for supermarkets where you usually carry from RDC to supermarket, but direct employed by the company, not a contractor such as the green death.

Where the transport is really an extension of customer service, and not a business on its own competing in the hire and reward sector.