Millions of Britons face higher prices and lengthy delays for Christmas presents because of a major shortfall in the number of lorry drivers, the haulage industry has warned.
Industry experts and recruitment chiefs said deliveries could be delayed by up to a week in December because many drivers had decided to retire early and not enough newly qualified replacements were available.
Sally Gilson, of the Freight Transport Association, said retailers and supermarkets are particularly reliant on agency workers in the run-up to the festive period but that many were already turning down work.
“All of the companies rely on agency drivers at this time of year to plug the gaps, and agencies are already saying that they haven’t got enough drivers. Things are getting a few days’ delay at the moment [so] potentially by Christmas you’re looking at a week,” she said.
Ms Gilson said lorry drivers were in growing demand as the economy picks up and increasing numbers of people take advantage of online shopping. However, an ageing workforce and the unwillingness of some drivers to undergo expensive training for a new licence, which came into effect last month, has left a shortfall of tens of thousands of trained drivers.
Julian Thompson, managing director of 24-7 Staffing, a recruitment agency specialising in the supply of temporary drivers, said he was already having to turn down 200 jobs a week because there were not enough drivers available and that this would get worse.
“Without doubt prices will rise,” he said. “The price of a loaf of bread, of a pint of milk, will increase as a result of the driver shortage.”
Ms Gilson said that hauliers would prioritise perishable goods and money for cash machines before electronics, clothing or other items that are popular as presents. Mr Thompson said he would advise consumers to order festive gifts as early as possible. “I think there will be a lot of disappointed people over Christmas,” he added.
The haulage industry has had a problem with recruiting new drivers for several years, but experts said the situation had worsened because of a recent flood of older drivers deciding to retire.
Under an EU directive passed five years ago, lorry drivers were required to complete 35 hours of training and to obtain a certificate of professional competence by September 10 or risk a £1,000 fine.
Mr Thompson said: “Without a doubt it has contributed to the shortage. Particularly the more senior drivers who have been doing the job for 30 years and don’t want to sit in a classroom for 35 hours, and have decided, ‘I’m going to hang up my keys’.”
Members of the armed forces made redundant under the current round of job cuts could provide one solution for the industry, he said.
Jack Semple, director of policy at the Road Haulage Association, said: “We’re getting clear feedback that companies are short of drivers now and there’s an acceptance in the industry that it’s going to get worse.”
He called on the government to provide financial support for new drivers to study for a large goods vehicle licence.
It is either a press release put out by, or call from, one of the groups quoted’s PR people to The Times that the journalist has then re-hashed into a story, be assured of that. The motive will be that they want the government to chip in towards DCPC training costs and have taken advantage of the publishing industry’s use of ‘press communications’ as little more than free advertising to promote their plight.
Agencies, the RHA and the FTA in a pickle? Forgive me if I don’t shed a tear for them. Had they and the companies the represent a little more foresight they’d have had the whole DCPC issue boxed off and dealt with months ago.
Start paying a decent wage which will allow drivers to make a living without having to work 60/70/80+ hours per week and you might just attract people into the industry.
As long as drivers continue to accept that you have to work stupid hours to compensate for a low hourly rate of pay, then it’s just not going to happen - people will look elsewhere for work. This is 2014, and we are still in Victorian times when it comes to working hours. The restrictions on drivers hours are supposed to be a maximum; not a target! Thank God for tachographs or it would be even worse.
DEFO going to have a ring around next week. Time to put the squeeze on these agency vultures if the shoe is indeed on the other foot.
Not going to be very happy if government subsidies for new licence acquisition become a reality though - having shelled out two and a half grand to get where I am now.
If pay rates rise sufficiently we will be able to reduce our working hours to the 35-40 hours per week that other workers enjoy. This will reduce driver fatigue, increase safety and allow drivers to have family and social lives. I hope that drivers aren’t rushing around at the new, dangerous, increased, un-compensated speed limits just in order to raise company profits.
oatcake1967:
He called on the government to provide financial support for new drivers to study for a large goods vehicle licence.
No thank you.
What this means is numerous thicko’s off the dole pile getting their hands on HGV licenses through subsidies, happy to work for low rates for the many preying cheapskate firms out there ready to take advantage and further erode driving standards across the industry.
What we really need is for the industry to work together to increase rates, in order to make itself an attractive employment arena in terms of pay & conditions and get more proper professionals behind the wheels of wagons. Quite simply, the cost of transport has to go up & ultimately we hold all the cards; many of these online retailers won’t make a penny this Christmas without us hauling their parcels around.
If any yard employing a driver who has killed someone automatically got given a £1m fine for each person their driver had hurt - public safety would be assured by the yards refusing to take on idiots - merely because they’ll work for near minimum wage.
NOT to do this therefore, is a conspiracy against the public.
Olog Hai:
It is either a press release put out by, or call from, one of the groups quoted’s PR people to The Times that the journalist has then re-hashed into a story, be assured of that. The motive will be that they want the government to chip in towards DCPC training costs and have taken advantage of the publishing industry’s use of ‘press communications’ as little more than free advertising to promote their plight.
Agencies, the RHA and the FTA in a pickle? Forgive me if I don’t shed a tear for them. Had they and the companies the represent a little more foresight they’d have had the whole DCPC issue boxed off and dealt with months ago.
Have no idea what you’re trying to say - I’m assuming that they should have sorted DCPC for their drivers?
If so this is not the issue at all as all current drivers have it. The issue is the dribble of new drivers relative to the numbers retiring and that DCPC has only further slowed that and that people with C category driving licences, that have moved on to non-driving work, cannot be lured back as 35 hours of classroom training is a significant barrier to them getting back behind the wheel to shift an urgent load.
■■■■ !
