carlston49:
Most of the HGV Class 1 jobs advertised on indeed in the Glasgow area require experience. Usually at least 12 months, some more.This would suggest that the area isn’t short of drivers.
The truth is there’s a disconnect in why ( most ) ‘drivers’ want to do the job, in the form of distance trunking type work etc, as opposed to the local distribution etc orientated model that too much of the industry now panders to.
Which in the real world translates as those drivers upgrade to class 1 as soon as possible with the intention/in the hope that it will get them where they want to be in the job.
But then get brought down to Earth by the reality that such work is increasingly over subscribed and as usual the ‘experience’ scam is how the employers deal with the issue of too many drivers looking for too little decent work and having to fill the jobs that few drivers want to do.
Upgrading to class 1 and finding that it doesn’t automatically mean a commensurate upgrade in the quality of jobs on offer is nothing new.
While the fact that even many 7.5t or 18t jobs are willing to pay agencies class 1 rates to provide them with drivers proves that the resulting ‘driver shortage’ has got nothing to do with the money.