IF the industry was that worried about driver shortages, they would lobby parliament for a decent pension, or even a final salary pension that retirees could actually enjoy their twilight years on, and as someone mentioned Money , there lies the problem. Many older drivers simply cannot afford to retire, after taking home £400 - £600 per week, you suddenly drop to £120, and if lucky can top it up with Pension credits, or a reduced council tax that doesnt really give a decent living wage…there is a shock in store for those who cannot wait to retire, yet when they do, and they receive their pittance, are then forced back into a job they know well in order to live, or maintain their lifestyle without dipping into their savings or reducing their way of living.
Heres an example; My pension is £840 per month, i dont have a mortgage, but council tax is £120 a month. I pay for a sky package for the phone line and internet and tv…£100 a month, then my insurances for the appliances £45 a month, house insurance + contents is £120…my wife though retired pays for water, gas and electric + boiler and heating care and water pipes etc. ( around £200 a month ) so add that up, and see whats left for a few luxuries, shopping, and a holiday…i have credit card bills that i pay off @£300 a month, plus a bank loan £100. If you live alone, theres some thought as to why many drivers continue to work.Luckily i do have extra pension pensions, many do not.When you look at other countries pensioners, they live very well, can afford a car, and trips abroad, but we have a pension system thats way below what others get.
Many drivers take the trucking route, they pay up to £3000 for the training, just for bosses to ask them for experience ( many agencies will take them, but they have not had the proper training have they, only been trained on how to pass a test, but thats because there is no training, never has been really…in my day, a company took you on, you learned from the older ones, or went out with another driver. That doesnt happen today, because firms are too busy moving pallets to worry about training, so theyre on their own.
I do agree that there are many older drivers still on the road, myself included, and someone said they should relax the medicals for older drivers…no thank you…i have to have a medical to keep my hgv licence, annually, that includes a heart scan, booked and paid by DVLA, i pay for a doctor to fill out the forms ( they call it a medical ha ha ) £45…whereas my doctor wants £120…but the point i make is the fact that i am checked medical wise, how many today are overweight, yet dont get checked, how many have heart problems, but didnt declare…if anything i would make sure every driver had heart scans and obesity tests, along with diabetes tests at an earlier age ( say 45/50 ) and not wait until something fatal happens.
At the end of the day, dont blame oldies for working way beyond their retirement, blame the system for not giving them the care they need and have worked for.